Nora Al Sheikh is an innovative Saudi fashion designer deeply inspired by her roots. She has racked up several accolades for her work, including dressing some of the most influential women in the Middle East. Al Sharkiah spoke exclusively to the designer to gain insight into her world, upcoming collections and her desire to impact the future of the Saudi Fashion Industry.
How did your interest in fashion begin, and what inspired you to become a fashion designer?
I have been passionate about the fashion industry for many years. This intensified after receiving my first degree in Business Administration from King Saud University in 2007. From this point, my dream of becoming a fashion designer became clear. In 2008, I enrolled at Riyadh’s Arts and Skills Institute recognizing that this body was keen to create a path for women to pursue a career in fashion design by offering various structured courses. Unlike today and due to the lack of established labels at this time, and the fashion industry in the Middle East, being very much in its infancy, opportunities for internships were scarce.
2009-2011 was a big learning period for me as I worked on a series of small collections trying to find my voice as a designer. This included embellished evening wear as well as sportswear. Looking back now, I was creating my own internship, trying to learn as I formed my label. In 2012 I felt the time was right to launch my line “Nora Al Shaikh” with a clear design focus.
With an emphasis on design, what are some of your trademark elements that shine through in your collections and are representative of Saudi culture?
To create modern beautifully made clothes that have female appeal worldwide whilst subtly infusing my own Saudi heritage into the pieces. Dress design and color combinations can reflect this. Fashion is a very powerful tool uniting everyone globally
What is one thing you wish people knew about Saudi heritage?
The sheer diversity of it. Many people may not realize that Saudi Arabia is made up of 13 regions, each with their own distinct traditions, art forms and even natural wonders. With each collection I’m constantly learning and discovering a new facet of this country that’s so rich in crafts and traditions. It’s also a constant source of inspiration for me, and I use my collections as a way to share this heritage with a larger audience.
What drives you to continue creating new and diverse designs?
I’ve come to realize that my clothes appeal to women representing diverse ages and backgrounds. I love doing trunk shows and special events because it allows me to meet with the women who wear my clothes. They are women who see themselves as global citizens regardless of where they come from, which is why I hope my clothes can cross borders.
What do you look to for inspiration when you are designing, and do you have a muse?
My inspiration has largely come through my family, friends and people that I meet every day. I create clothes for real women who are trying to fulfil their lives and it is the way that they chose to do this that inspires me. Strong women such as Tilda Swinton and Shirin Neshat together with the elegance of Queen Rania of Jordan or Lalla Meryem of Morocco. When I see them wearing my clothes in their daily lives it drives me to develop my collections for such people. I am particularly inspired by Saudi women. They know how to portray themselves
What are your career highlights so far?
The press I’ve received in publications such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar Arabia to the pop-up events I’ve organized in LA and New York, as well as being invited by Vogue Italia’s Sara Maino to take part in Arab Fashion Week. One memorable moment that stays with me is December 2014, when I received the ‘Leaders Inspiring a Kingdom in the Business World’ award from Forbes Middle East magazine. The award is given in recognition of ‘individuals and visionary self-starters who have the power to initiate change and contribute to the Saudi Arabia of tomorrow.
Is there anything exciting that you are working on at the moment that you can tell us about?
I’m currently working on a new collection to celebrate my brand’s 10thanniversary, as well as a new online shop to reach my customers directly. The direct to consumer model has been the future for some time, and we’ve seen many designers heading in that direction. In Jeddah, we have our own showroom where we hold events and clients can come and shop the collection directly. We also have a lot of clients shopping with us through Instagram. The next step for us is to build an e-commerce platform, which we will be launching in the near future.
Finally, what can we look forward to and expect from you in the future?
I have a lot of goals that I’ve touched on but bridging cultures through my work is an important component of that. The starting point for each of my collections is my Saudi heritage, which I filter through a modern sensibility, because I want to create contemporary clothes that women can wear regardless of where they are in the world. For me, design isn’t simply a dialogue between the past and present but also an opportunity to bridge cultures.
I also feel that I am part of a movement that is creating a credible fashion industry in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf in addition to creating internships in Saudi Arabia with help from government the public and businesses, we have in the region now designers that have had formal training and degrees which can only help up and coming professionals
Text by Suna Ahmed
