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The Madinah bridal dress
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The Madinah bridal dress

The Madinah bridal dress

Chant Avedissian, You Are Love, Gouache on cardboard. Image courtesy of Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah. A version of Umm Kulthum by this artist hangs at Saudi creative, patron of art, and cultural ambassador Mona Khashoggi’s home.

By Somaya Badr
August 23rd, 2020

Every bride’s greatest wish is to stand out, to be the most beautiful bride there is. It is no coincidence that the bridal dress is often the most important talked about element of any wedding. Wedding costumes reflect the highpoint in sartorial traditions. Cutting across socioeconomic backgrounds, the attempt was always to present the bride in the best manner possible as she departs her parent’s home.

One will recognize a clear change in style while traveling across the different regions of Saudi Arabia, with variations coming not just by way of color, cut, fabric and embroidery, but also in the vision of clearly evolved and distinct styles. Each form of wear tells a story, with textiles sourced from several communities that capture social indicators. What makes wedding garments unique is that they are a continuum of wedding costumes from the early decades of the 20th century to the present day. While some garments were used on the wedding day itself, others were used during associated

wedding rituals. The differences in the choice of materials reflect the wide range of communities and socioeconomic groups. Featured here, is  the bridal ensemble from the Western Province (Madinah) that is made from rayon, polyester, cotton, metallic thread and sequins. The great contrast in the use of colors across the western region of the Kingdom is seen in these wedding costumes from Madinah.

Nearly five separate Fuchsia pink layers make up this elaborate costume and the use of extensive metal embroidery of floral elements native to the area (palm fronds and desert flowers) adds grandeur to a bride’s appearance. The use of bejeweled accoutrements is a style intrinsic to Madinah and continues to this day with varied levels of elaborateness. A bride stepping out in this vibrant garment, will be the brightest and most legendary bride of that day.

Written by Special Contributor Somaya Badr, the founder and General Manager of Art of Heritage and Art of Heritage Cultural Trust.

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