Shahd AlShehail anchored her fall-winter 2025 collection for Abadia in a family memory that spoke to universal themes of courage and transformation.

The Saudi designer opened her show at Riyadh Fashion Week with a striking theatrical performance by multimedia artist Munirah AlShami, who performed Samri, a traditional dance expressing longing and resilience.

The inspiration was deeply personal. AlShehail’s grandfather ventured to sea as a young man to try his hand at pearl diving — a dangerous career choice, but a bid to prove his independence. “It was his way of proving he was ready to carry the weight of responsibility,” she explained after the show.

That narrative of choosing courage became the collection’s throughline. But AlShehail expanded beyond the adventure story to explore what happened on shore. While men disappeared for months at sea, women sustained entire communities, taking on leadership roles that history often overlooks. This story of feminine strength manifested throughout the collection’s design language.

The show unfolded through a sophisticated play of layering and texture, reflecting what AlShehail called the brand’s maturation into “clarity of codes.” The signature techniques that define Abadia, like draping and pleating, appeared throughout the collection in new interpretations that resembled the movement of the dance. Luminous satin silk captured the rhythm of water and movement, reflecting light like pearls. Flowing pieces were grounded by structured tailoring in wool and mohair. Sharply cut blazers detailed with the brand’s signature Sadu embroidery — traditional Bedouin weaving — anchored looks that were paired with voluminous trousers called sharwal, traditional balloon-like pants that gather at the ankle. This juxtaposition of masculine structure and feminine flow appeared in various iterations: tailored coats worn over pleated silk skirts, structured bishts styled with draped blouses.

Flowing scarves tied and knotted throughout introduced a new motif referencing maritime rope work, while the color palette moved from deep oceanic tones to lighter, more ethereal shades, punctuated by the geometric patterns of Sadu work.

One standout was a flowing caftan style gown with an iridescent shimmer, creating an almost aquatic luminosity. For this eveningwear piece, AlShehail worked with her Japanese mill to develop a fabric that felt holographic, shifting between deep blues and aubergine tones.

“Abadia’s approach to design is always effortless, always focused on fabrications and fabric manipulation more than embellishment,” AlShehail explained.

The collection also marked Abadia’s debut of leather accessories. Sculptural bags resembled dhows or traditional sailing vessels. The pieces incorporated Sadu detailing and sustainably sourced camel leather, extending the brand’s ethical commitments into new territory.

The see-now-buy-now format was strategic. “The audience for Riyadh Fashion Week is definitely our regional audience, a lot of our customers and regional press,” AlShehail noted. After noticing customer frustration over runway pieces not being available for immediate purchase, the approach made commercial sense for the home market, while she shows her spring 2026 collection at a showroom in Paris.

With footwear and expanded bag collections planned for early next year, AlShehail is building what she calls “the Abadia world” — a complete design ecosystem. If this collection’s confident balance of heritage and modernity is any indication, that world has solid foundations.