Saudi luxury label KML brought an avant-garde take on traditional silhouettes to Paris Ready to Wear Fashion Week. Siblings Razan and Ahmed Hassan showcased a line that mixes sharp tailoring with Saudi heritage. (A skirt will run you more than $1,000). The models walked the runway barefoot, as a nod to how Muslims enter sacred spaces. The look is a luxury take on identity: Large leather belts recall those worn by Bedouin men, while skirt silhouettes reference traditional dress from the Eastern Province and the Hijaz.
The brand’s rise, backed by a government program, comes as the kingdom builds a University of Arts and has allocated $80 million for a fashion fund to invest in designers. Riyadh Fashion Week, now an annual fixture, is also part of an effort to promote Saudi designers on the global stage.