UMMAHAT ISLANDS, Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia held its first fashion show featuring swimsuit models on Friday, an envelope-pushing step in a country where less than a decade ago, women were required to wear body-covering abaya robes.
The poolside show featuring the work of Moroccan designer Yasmina Qanzal included mostly one-piece suits in shades of red, beige and blue. Most models had exposed shoulders, and some had their midriffs partially visible.'It's true that this country is very conservative, but we tried to show elegant swimsuits which represent the Arab world,' Qanzal told AFP.
Prince Mohammed, who became first in line to the throne in 2017, has initiated a series of dramatic social reforms in a bid to soften Saudi Arabia's austere image stemming from its historical championing of the purest form of Islam known as Wahhabism.Those changes have included sidelining stick-wielding religious police who used to chase men out of malls to pray, reintroducing cinemas and organizing mixed-gender music festivals.
Arabia Stages 'Historic' Swimwear Fashion Show
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