Oud Fashion Talks launches its first-ever conference sparking conversation about important topics related to the fashion and luxury industry.
Taking place in Kuwait City, the conference saw industry experts from around the region fly in to take part in discussions, presentations and conversations around key topics in the industry.
To save and protect our planet for future generations, many businesses have had a shift in focus in the last few years, and the fashion industry is just one of these key areas. How can we protect our planet, and what can we do in this industry to minimise our impact? The Oud Fashion Talks conference in Kuwait discussed these questions and sparked conversation around the growth of sustainable fashion, amongst many other topics related to the creative industry.
The conference was held in Kuwait City on May 31st and June 1st. Esteemed guests were invited to take part in discussions and immerse themselves in the Kuwaiti fashion industry, meeting Kuwaiti designers and the people who have helped shape the fashion industry in the region.
Zainab Alabdulrazzaq, Founder of Oud Fashion Talks, believes in the importance of beginning such initiatives in order to move the industry forwards.
“Kuwait has always been a destination for fashion and creativity, especially in the fashion sector. It’s about time for such initiatives to be born with all the evolution and openness in the region. It just motivated us to keep up with it all. We look forward to organizing and hosting more panel editions, which will be announced in due course” expressed Zainab Alabdulrazzaq, OFT Founder.
The conference was pre-launched with a gala dinner at Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Cultural Center (JACC), where guests were greeted with an exclusive exhibition. This exhibition showcased designs by local fashion designers who have made sustainability part of their brand’s core values, each of the guests had the opportunity to speak with the designers and get an up-close view of their work.
Following this, guests were presented with speeches about the importance of supporting the creative community and sustainability in fashion by representatives of the esteemed partnering companies. The evening finished with a dinner catered by Sea Zen Catering Group and live music by a traditional Kuwaiti band.
On the second day, the official launch of Oud Fashion Talks took place with a series of conferences and panel discussions. Guest speakers included Founder and Chief Executive of The Business of Fashion (BoF) Imran Amed, CEO of the Elie Saab Group Elie Saab Jr., Owner and Chief Executive Officer of Alothmanand Tabiat General Trading Co. Rachad Tabiat, Fashion Entrepreneur Najla Maatoukof “Al Ostoura”, and Chief Sustainability Officer of the Chalhoub Group, Florence Bulte.
Experts and power players who have been a part of shaping the fashion scene in Kuwait served as a link between Kuwait and the international world of luxury, focusing on sustainability, highlighting its challenges, building a community, nurturing emerging talents and promoting investments in local creative and fashion designers.
Zainab Alabdulrazzaq hopes to create more of these panel discussions in the future, we look forward to hearing about the next edition and the topics that will be discussed.