Posted on 09/18/2004 7:55:31 PM PDT by tbird5
Two Saudi women designers — Amina Al-Jasim and Zaki Bin Aboud — are among the participants showcasing their creative skills at a fashion event being held in Beirut later this month.
“The fashion industry is in fierce competition, especially from Paris and Rome, so I’m excited and looking forward to showcasing my designs at the upcoming event in the region,” Zaki told a press conference here yesterday. Zaki, who started her career in Jeddah seven years ago initially pursuing fashion designing as a hobby and then as a career, has held several fashion shows in the Kingdom and one in the Lebanese capital this year. She is the recipient of an award for best Saudi designer in 2003 and a golden award at the Wella festival.
“My designs are mainly targeted at the GCC market and the United States,” said Zaki who studied in the United States and France, aside from the Kingdom, and obtained a bachelors degree in literature and language, an MBA in business and a degree in fashion designing. Her collection for the Lux fashion World 2004 (LFW) scheduled in Beirut from Sept. 27-30 highlights the theme “Arabian horse with an Arabic desert look.”
Amina is a stylist for 20 years. She also started fashion designing as a hobby, but success came her way when she began creating designs for fashion dresses. She started her career in 1984 with the opening of her own boutique, Dar Breesam in Alkhobar.
She held her first fashion show in the Kingdom in 1995, followed by her first presentation in Beirut in 2002. So far, she has participated in 13 fashion shows worldwide, but considers LFW 2003 as her most important presentation. She has received several awards from charitable associations. She targets Lebanon and the GCC with her designs that are a blend of traditional and modern styles.
“In my fashion exhibitions, I try to match and create designs to satisfy people’s needs,” she said, adding that she would introduce her designs in a “modern and unique way” to match her theme for LFW 2004’s, which is the Arabian desert and the Arabian horse.
“I plan to open my own boutique in Beirut in 2005,” said Amina who holds a bachelors degree in computer science and business administration from a US university.
Amina is a modern and proud Arab, a character that clearly reflects in her work. She is known for traditional yet trendy designs. “Basing my work on research, I mix colors giving women a very glamorous look maintaining high levels of individuality and culture,” she said.
Other Arab designers taking part at LFW 2004 include Hany El Buhairy from Egypt, Dany Atrache and Viken from Lebanon, and Adiba Al Mahboub from Kuwait.
One more Saudi who will add to the models’ elegance is Suliman Al Othaim, one of the region’s largest diamond retailers that will showcase its jewelry. The company has 19 showrooms in the Kingdom and UAE and owns the largest jewelry factory in the Middle East. “We do our best to bring together the best designers in the region,” said Jean Luc Lamirande, regional brand director, LUX, Unilever North Africa and Middle East.
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