RFW 2025: Adnan Akbar, Freeminds & Nour Aldhahri leadlead Riyadh’s stylestyle renaissancerenaissance

The journey to discover international designers has surprised, impressed, and delighted me lately. My knowledge of international fashion markets is admittedly pretty low, but I’m actively seeking to expand it. I am not a fan of the Western idea that everyone needs to assimilate into the culture and act like they are someone they are not. While I believe there are more opportunities for women in the West, and certainly ethnic minorities, I do not believe in discarding all traces of lineage history. That being said, hello, Riyadh Fashion Week (“RFW 2025”).

I have seen clips of a fashion show in Dubai on low-profile social media accounts, and I was not surprised. Instead of models wearing the clothes, the clothes were “flown” on a drone in front of watchers. In a dark humour way, that is exactly what a model does. However, as a person based in the West, the only downside is the absence of form-fitting clothes. The ability to see a look and immediately identify with it due to how you see it styled and worn on another human. I would liken it to thalassophobia. Sometimes, you don’t want to be alone with your thoughts or without guidance on how to operate.

Though I haven’t covered RFW before, and am sure many journalists based in the UK are unfamiliar with it, I remain open about what is to come. RFW begins on the 17th of October, taking the international baton from Shanghai and ends on the 21st of October. Here are the current shows and presentations in the lineup curated for you to keep an eye on and watch in retrospect.

RFW BEGINS

17 OCTOBER

1. 14:00 GMT Adnan Akbar
2. 15:00 GMT Dar Alhanouf
3. 16:00 GMT Tima Abid
4. 17:00 GMT Honayda

RFW 2025

18 OCTOBER

1. 14:00 GMT Waad Aloqaili
2. 15:00 GMT Fatima Alabdulqader
3. 16:00 GMT Khawla Alaiban
4. 17:00 GMT Ashwaq Almarshad
5. 18:00 GMT Atelier Hekayat
6. 19:00 GMT Yahya Albishri

RFW 2025

19 OCTOBER

1. 15:00 GMT Mona Alshebil
2. 16:00 GMT Abadia
3. 17:00 GMT Razan Alazzouni
4. 18:00 GMT Aram
5. 19:00 GMT Kaf by Kaf

RFW 2025

20 OCTOBER

1. 08:00 GMT Makram Marzuki
2. 09:00 GMT Pavone
3. 10:00 GMT Nour Aldhahri
4. 11:00 GMT Hala Algharbawi
5. 12:00 GMT Mashael Al Faris
6. 14:00 GMT MD29
7. 15:00 GMT RBA
8. 16:00 GMT Hajruss
9. 17:00 GMT Noura Sulaiman
10. 18:00 GMT KML
11. 19:00 GMT Mazrood

RFW ENDS

21 OCTOBER

1. 08:00 GMT Qormuz
2. 09:00 GMT Uscita
3. 10:00 GMT Nora Alshaikh
4. 11:00 GMT Freeminds
5. 12:00 GMT Samar Nasraldin
6. 14:00 GMT Hindamme
7. 15:00 GMT House of Cenmar
8. 16:00 GMT Awaken
9. 17:00 GMT Jubb
10. 18:00 GMT Noble & Fresh
11. 19:00 GMT 1886

At the moment, I am unfamiliar with the fashion scene in Riyadh to recommend any designers as a “One to watch”. By the end of RFW, I will have a clearer view of what it takes to be ranked in comparison to the Big Four fashion cities. After all, the lack of representation and media attention is not a fair comparison for more developed fashion infrastructures.

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Feature image photo credit: Maura Del Signore/Shutterstock.