The flashbulbs at Cannes don’t lie. For decades, the red carpets of the French Riviera belonged entirely to the legacy houses of Paris, Milan and London. It was an exclusive European monopoly. But look closer at the step-and-repeat lines today. The architectural language of fashion is shifting.
International starlets and regional notables are increasingly stepping in front of the cameras wrapped in something entirely different: the structured, unapologetic narratives of Saudi Arabian designers.
This is no fluke. It is a movement.
At recent festivals, homegrown Saudi brands graduated from novelty to center stage. Couturier Waad Aloqaili stunned the Croisette with her “Yamal” collection, an intricate, heavy homage to the kingdom’s maritime and pearl-diving legacy that somehow felt entirely weightless. Nearby, Eman Alajlan dressed actress Huma Qureshi in a monochrome velvet and sheer gown that practically swallowed the light. Combined with trailblazers such as Mohammed Ashi, the first Saudi couturier officially invited to the Paris Haute Couture calendar, these designers are proving a vital point: Saudi style is no longer just a domestic preference.
Grace Elizabeth attends the “The Phoenician Scheme” red carpet at the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 18, 2025, in Cannes, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
