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RIYADH: British supermodel Kate Moss made an appearance at lifestyle conference Hia Hub in Riyadh during a session titled “The Making of an Icon” this week.   

During the on stage discussion, the chief booking officer and co-founder of the Kate Moss Agency, Lucy Baxter, shared her views on what it takes to become an internationally recognized talent in the modelling world. Moss did not speak publicly at the event.    

Lina Malaika, a consultant who works in the Saudi creative industry, moderated the discussion on what it takes to become the next Kate Moss, who rose to fame in the early 1990s and has since cemented herself as one of the world’s most famous modelling faces.  

It isn’t the first time Moss has been spotted in the Kingdom — in 2020,  Lebanese designer Eli Mizrahi shot a campaign in Saudi Arabia’s AlUla for hisNew York-based label Mônot. Moss was featured alongside the likes of Italian model Mariacarla Boscono, South African Candice Swanepoel, British Jourdan Dunn, American Amber Valletta, Chinese Xiao Wen and British-Sudanese star Alek Wek.  

Meanwhile, Hia Hub also played host to a Saudi 100 Brands exhibition that features Saudi designers’ pieces inspired by the Middle East. Atelier Hekayat, Aram, Mazrood, Noura Al-Dhahri, Kaf By Kaf, and more, participated in the showcase.   

The founders of Atelier Hekayat, Alya and Abeer Oraif, told Arab News that their showcased design was influenced by the traditional patterns used in Saudi Arabia’s Najd region, called “Chalky,” or “Shalki,” which is a cloth with floral motifs. They added that they combined it with their own pattern that is inspired by ancient Jeddah.   

“We wanted to use the Chalky pattern in a couture and blend it with our particular pattern to create a story of two locations in Saudi Arabia, Chalky de Najd and Toile de Jeddah,” the designers explained after spending a week preparing the creation.   

Designer Arwa Al-Ammari, the founder of Aram, designed a dress that was influenced by the Alhambra royal gardens, which are known for their magnificent botany and architecture.

Noura Al-Dhahri took part in the exhibition with her piece, the Asir dress, which combined traditional embroidery on the front with a contemporary twist on the back, inspired by the ancient patterns of the Asir region in Saudi Arabia. The dress’s sophisticated blue designs contrast with its classic white hue to create an elegant appearance.