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RIYADH: Saudi fashion brand Qormuz created a dress called Al-Dalam, inspired by pigeon houses, which received mixed reactions at the Saudi Cup 2023.
Modeled by Linda Qari, the dress was made of leather with holes of different sizes.
Owner of Qormuz, Abdulrahman Al-Abed, told Arab News: “We created the outfit as an inspiration from the pigeon tower in the Al-Dalam region, a neighborhood close to the Al-Kharj region, with the intention of causing this visual disturbance.”
The pigeon towers were commissioned to be constructed during the reign of King Abdulaziz who wanted a place for migratory pigeons to rest. But decades later, it became a source of inspiration for Al-Abed.
He said: “Those towers were left unoccupied for 60 years before being turned into a tourist destination. The towers served as the inspiration for Al-Dalam bag that we later created.
“We created a full line and participated in fashion shows in Paris, New York, Dubai, Milan, and the Saudi Cup.
“We wanted to draw attention to the towers and reshape it into clothing. We used engineering technology to do this ... our body was the pigeons emerging from the dress,” he added.
The dress received criticism online due to its peculiarity but made “a global impact.”
Al-Abed said: “Of course, the piece will receive criticism because it is unique. However, the numbers speak for themselves because Al-Dalam was one of the most searched terms then, and more than 15 million people viewed the dress (on social media and Google).”
Qormuz has been wowing the fashion world with its thought-provoking designs in jewelry, clothing, home accessories, silverware, leather, and fragrances since 2017.
“The piece I love the most is the oud bracelet because my family has been in the oud and incense trade for more than 35 years.
“Our products and fabrics come from ��������, Ireland, Denmark, India, and many other countries. However, we have a whole collection called 1902, commemorating the battle for Riyadh’s conquest. We showcased the entire collection of Saudi fabrics, threads, and leather for this collection,” Al-Abed added.
The brand is committed to bringing the past to life in a way that is consistent with the present, the future, and Vision 2030.
He said: “Our keenness is one of the first building blocks in Qormuz to focus on building a solid identity capable of bringing heritage to today and tomorrow and attracting talents from the people of the country.
“Deep research and visits to historical sites and presence in the most important events that take place in the Kingdom, such as the events of the Ministry of Culture and the Saudi Cup, as well as our presence in Dubai Expo.”
Qormuz means crimson red color. The brand chose the name because in the past, it was one of the most challenging colors to make as it would have to be first extracted from prickly pear insects. The color was rare, hence expensive, and popular. Its discovery made a revolution in the world of colors.
“The color made a revolution, us as a brand we chose this color because we are making a revolution in the world of fashion,” he added.
Al-Abed majored in both law and business administration. He did not study design but grew up in a creative atmosphere because his father was a calligrapher and artist.
Inspired, Al-Abed entered the design field out of love and passion.