The Evolution of Abayas in Fashion culture: A Story. 

In a world where our thoughts and beliefs can be translated into garments and fabrics, a historic fashion statement thrived in the heart of Saudi: the Abaya. The way designers and Saudi women have taken the Abaya to showcase their identity and culture is outstanding, and definitely created a story worth telling. What more could Abayas represent than what meets the eye? Throughout the years of social, cultural and economical shifts, our garments have evolved as well. So let us look at the timeline, and interpret the story behind the colors and textures. 

      1. The Classic

    Let us start with the design that started it all; the loosely-fitted, traditional, black Abaya. During this era, it was vital for Saudi women to represent simplicity, modesty and functionality to show the world the qualities of a strong saudi woman. Samira Atalla, one of Saudi Arabia’s popular designers, aided this image. She thrived in the 90s era and also started the path to innovating her designs and bringing a taste of contemporary elements into the traditional styles. 

        1. The westernized 

      As always, our ever-changing world is constantly influenced by everything around it. So by the late 20th century, the western influence on abayas began to appear. Jamilah Al Haddad, a prominent designer during that era, spoke of her creative approach to traditional clothing of the abaya. She started introducing designs that incorporated western elements while maintaining modesty and cultural sensibilities. Al Haddad’s work reflected the strong foundation of Saudi’s fashion, yet displayed a fusion of traditional Saudi attire with contemporary styles. 

          1. The designer 

        From practicality to a symbol of luxury, the abaya evolved to take a much more prestigious stance that include unique cuts, patterns & fabrics of the highest quality. Designers were the backbone of the abaya’s development, such as Haute-Elan that created abayas that created a blend of temporary modesty & contemporary fashion. 

            1. The fusion

          The statement piece that is the abaya remained a staple in the wardrobes of fierce women as time went by. This only encouraged the need for a perfect western-traditional blend and it quickly came to life. One of the most prominent examples were Dolce & Gobanna who debuted a line of exquisite hijabs and abayas in 2018 with a strong focus on the middle eastern market. They fused together Italian luxury and local cultural influences; creating a blend of middle eastern elements and western fashion aesthetics.

          Even though the traditional all-black abaya remained significant, it was a turning point in Saudi Arabian Fashion culture to accept and embrace various abaya styles. The celebration of the different styles illustrated how tradition, modernity & personal expression dynamically collide in the world of abaya fashion. The abaya has simply evolved in numerous ways to transform into a sentimental clothing item for women from all social status, geographical origin & cultural backgrounds.

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          Refrences: 

              1. https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/fashion/the-evolution-of-the-abaya-1.704710

              1. https://www.amanis.co.uk/Amanis-Blog/The-History-of-the-Abaya-Its-Origin-and-Evolution

              1. https://moistreet.com/blogs/abaya/abayas-then-vs-now

              1. https://gfc-conference.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/ALAJAJI-Tahani_Abaya-and-its-Aesthetic-Fashion-Role-in-Saudi-Arabia.pdf

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