Will Riyadh Fashion Week signal a new shift on the global fashion map?

Riyadh steps further onto the global fashion stage this month as Riyadh Fashion Week returns from 16 to 21 October, presenting more than thirty shows spanning couture, ready-to-wear, and streetwear. In just a few years, the event has evolved from a local experiment into one of the Middle East’s defining cultural moments, reflecting the country’s ambitions for its creative economy and signaling that global fashion is not the exclusive domain of traditional capitals.

For decades, the global conversation has revolved around the “Big Four,” while satellite shows in Tokyo, Seoul, and Dubai occasionally challenged that dominance. But 2025 is shaping up as the year when alternative hubs assert themselves with authority. This is not about replacing New York or Paris, but about recognising that creativity, commerce, and cultural influence are now emerging in diverse regions—and that these spaces deserve attention even if they do not operate under European luxury conglomerates.

Within the Gulf, this hub-ification is particularly pronounced. Dubai Fashion Week has evolved into a bridge between Western houses and regional designers. Riyadh is staking a claim as a next-generation alternative, a hub rather than a satellite. This year, international brands will share the runway with local designers, signaling a pivot from regional showcase to global conversation. The programme spans some of the city’s most recognisable districts, juxtaposing heritage with futurism, and featuring couture from Tima Abid and Atelier Hekayat, sustainable ready-to-wear by Abadia, streetwear from 1886, and contemporary womenswear by Hindamme.

Human rights and social freedoms remain a shadow over the region

Saudi Arabia operates under Sharia law and, until 2018, enforced a driving ban on women, illustrating some of the social constraints designers must navigate. Many participants in Riyadh Fashion Week privately identify as LGBTQ+, yet public visibility carries real-world risks. Their presence on the runway is a reminder that cultural and legal restrictions remain. For international observers, this adds layers of complexity: the excitement of an emerging hub must be weighed against limitations on personal freedoms and gender expression. In Riyadh, fashion is as much about negotiating these realities as it is about couture.

The event also reflects Saudi Arabia’s broader economic strategy. Riyadh Fashion Week aligns with Vision 2030, the country’s effort to diversify beyond oil through investments in entertainment, tourism, and design. Partnerships with Cenomi Centers and Saudia underline the integration of fashion into a wider economic vision, while regional investors such as Qatari fund Mahoola for Investments are emerging as key players in luxury group ownership, signaling growing financial clout and cross-border influence. Yet beyond state ambition, the week’s significance lies in its demonstration that global fashion is decentralising.

From Lagos to Copenhagen, Seoul to Riyadh, creativity, commerce, and culture are intersecting in new ways. Fashion is happening everywhere, and the industry cannot afford to ignore regions simply because they fall outside the traditional European luxury model.