A striking tribute to Saudi Arabia’s rich sartorial heritage, Costumes of Saudi Arabia offers a rare and intimate look at the Kingdom’s traditional dress through exquisite photography and insightful storytelling
Reviewed by ICONIQUE Arabia Editors
In Assouline’s tome Costumes of Saudi Arabia: A Heritage of Fashion, Her Highness Princess Noura bint Faisal Al Saud and cultural strategist Siân Tichař offer a visually stunning and deeply researched tribute to the Kingdom’s diverse sartorial history.
More than a coffee table book, this volume is a vital cultural document—one that reclaims and celebrates the nuanced identity of Saudi fashion through centuries of tribal craftsmanship, symbolism, and evolving style.
Organised by region—north, south, east, west, and central—the book masterfully reveals how geography, terrain, and tribal lineage have shaped the aesthetic vocabulary of each area.
The result is not only a study in regional variation but a celebration of unity in diversity. Every thread and accessory speaks to a heritage that is proudly local yet globally significant.
Photographed by the renowned Laziz Hamani, whose refined eye brings out the richness and dignity of each garment, the book is as much a visual feast as it is a scholarly resource.
His lens captures the intricate embroidery, luxurious fabrics, and heirloom jewellery with poetic precision—inviting the reader to engage with Saudi culture through texture and light.
What sets this book apart is the personal passion behind it. Princess Noura, a key figure in shaping Saudi Arabia’s national fashion strategy, and Tichař, a longtime advocate for regional storytelling, bring not only knowledge but also reverence to the project. Their fieldwork across the Kingdom and their curation of rare, never-before-published pieces make this volume an unprecedented achievement.
Costumes of Saudi Arabia is essential reading for anyone interested in fashion, heritage, or Middle Eastern culture. It preserves the past while pointing toward a stylish, sovereign future—making it a proud addition to the Assouline collection, and a powerful emblem of Saudi Arabia’s evolving narrative.
All images courtesy of Assouline.
