DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture and the Saudi Fashion Commission, in collaboration with Snapchat, recently launched TASAWAR, an augmented reality exhibition that merges design and technology.
The exhibition featured collections from five Saudi designers — Hekayat, Hindamme, ArAm, Abadia, and KAF by KAF — and was held from Oct. 21 to 24 at the King Abdullah Financial District, as part of Riyadh Fashion Week.
“The Ministry of Culture is dedicated to enhancing collaboration between the public and private sectors in addition to driving cultural exchange,” said Noha Kattan, deputy minister of national partnerships and development, in a statement.
“The TASAWAR exhibition, which is considered a key outcome of our strong partnership with Snap Inc., marks a significant stride forward in enhancing the national cultural scene and propelling the fashion industry into new horizons by integrating it with the world of technology,” she added.
TASAWAR, which means “imagine” in Arabic, aimed to immerse visitors in the world of fashion through technology by featuring designer showrooms, virtual runways, dress try-ons, and headpiece selfie lenses.
The experiences were aimed at enhancing real-life experiences through the use of technology, instead of replacing them with virtual reality.
TASAWAR also featured panel discussions led by its content partner, Chalhoub Group, which included “A Thriving Fashion Landscape in KSA”, “The Future of Fashion in KSA” and “Fusing Creativity and Technology: The Future of Design.”
Snapchat is popular in Saudi Arabia with more than 85 percent of users in the Kingdom interacting with its lenses daily.
“Snapchat, deeply ingrained in the daily lives of Saudis, boasts over 22 million monthly users who use the platform to easily and authentically connect with those who matter most to them,” said Abdulla Alhammadi, regional business lead at Snap Inc.
“This responsibility drives us to give back to the community and actively support the flourishing local talent, the dynamic creative scene, as well as the booming business ecosystem,” he added.
Through TASAWAR, Snapchat aims to empower “the next generation of Saudi designers and brands that are leading the way in the digital transformation at play in Saudi Arabia by leveraging our AR technology and our ecosystem of local partners and creators,” Alhammadi said.
