Fortune - USA (2019-12)

(Antfer) #1

CHANGE AGENTS


Content by the Buzz Business

THE NEW WAVE OF SAUDI FASHION


Q&A with Aljohara Abdulaziz Almodaimigh,
President and Co-Founder at SITA


If the clothes a nation wears are
the most visible expression of its
culture and values, then even a
casual visitor to Saudi Arabia will see
that this is a society in the throes
of a far-reaching transformation.

Everywhere in the malls, rest aurants,
coff eehouses, and offi ces of
capital city Riyadh, animated young
women in st ylish, colorful abayas
chat with their friends, play with
their smartphones, and shop for
the latest trends in cosmetics and
clothing. Just like their counterparts
around the world, they are eager
consumers of social media and
st reaming services, and are devotees
of beauty, fashion, and fi tness.

The government has made it a priority
to modernize Saudi leisure and
entertainment, empower women and
youth, and encourage healthy and
balanced lifest yles. One of the aims of
Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s ambitious
st rategy for modernization, is to
increase the ratio of people exercising
at least once a week from 13% of the
population to 40%. Meanwhile, the
country has held its fi rst -ever Fashion
Week, and st ate organizations are
helping young designers break into the
fast -emerging Saudi fashion scene.

Few people underst and the demands
of this dynamic new market as well as
Aljohara Abdulaziz Almodaimigh. In 2013,
the U.K.-educated entrepreneur opened
a chain of women-only gyms. Earlier this

SITA uses a fabric infused with innovative technology that
neutralizes odor, withst ands machine wash and exhibits
superior quality

Entrepreneur
Aljohara Abdulaziz
Almodaimigh is on
the frontline of the
social transformation
of Saudi Arabia.

Not content with running
the country’s leading
chain of women-only
fi tness st udios, this year
she co-founded fashion
brand SITA. Her st ylish,
versatile, and innovative
designs are now taking
Saudi Arabia by st orm.
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