Reinventing Menswear — Saudi Style

Listen to this article

Join the Middle East Institute for a fashion event with visiting Saudi designer and entrepreneur, Loai Nassem, in conversation with Boston Fashion Week’s Jay Calderin. The main event will take place from 6:00pm to 7:15pm, followed by a reception with food, drinks and the opportunity to see some of Nassem’s designs.

Entrepreneur Loai Nassem and his wife Mona Alhadad have innovated menswear in Saudi Arabia by radically redesigning the thobe, the traditional dress worn by Saudi men. Stitching together fabric in their basement workshop in 2005, the duo introduced new colors, materials and embroideries to a garment that had not changed in over fifty years, sparking an initial storm of opposition across the conservative Kingdom. But twelve years later, their company Lomar has grown into a multimillion-dollar clothing empire with sales throughout the Gulf and expansion into Europe. In 2014, Forbes Middle East ranked Nassem among the Kingdom’s top entrepreneurs “with the power to initiate change and contribute to the Saudi Arabia of tomorrow.” In Boston, Nassem and Alhadad will share their journey innovating menswear in the Gulf region, and showcase their revolutionary designs while in conversation with Jay Calderin, Executive Director of Boston Fashion Week.

Reinventing Menswear — Saudi Style: A Conversation with Loai Nassem. Sponsored by the Middle East Institute. Mon, July 31, from 6 – 8 PM at District Hall. Free. For information, click HERE.