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Saudi Arabia, Japan Announce Partnership to Strengthen Fashion Cooperation

This initiative aligns with the commission's strategic pillars, which include educating local designers, developing the fashion ecosystem, and preserving cultural heritage
This initiative aligns with the commission's strategic pillars, which include educating local designers, developing the fashion ecosystem, and preserving cultural heritage
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Saudi Arabia, Japan Announce Partnership to Strengthen Fashion Cooperation

This initiative aligns with the commission's strategic pillars, which include educating local designers, developing the fashion ecosystem, and preserving cultural heritage
This initiative aligns with the commission's strategic pillars, which include educating local designers, developing the fashion ecosystem, and preserving cultural heritage

The Fashion Commission and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) have announced a new partnership aimed at promoting innovation and sustainability in Saudi Arabia’s fashion sector.
This initiative aligns with the commission's strategic pillars, which include educating local designers, developing the fashion ecosystem, and preserving cultural heritage.
In this context, the Fashion Commission is hosting an exhibition at its headquarters in Riyadh, running from February 18 to February 20. The exhibition highlights the quality and creativity of Japanese textiles, with a focus on sustainable production methods.
The event features a series of interactive workshops offering valuable educational opportunities for Saudi designers and textile specialists. These workshops aim to equip participants with advanced skills and knowledge while fostering connections between Saudi talents and their Japanese counterparts. Additionally, they help expand professional networks, supporting the growth of local fashion brands.
The exhibition celebrates the rich cultural heritage of both Saudi Arabia and Japan by showcasing the integration of traditional techniques with modern design innovations. It aims to inspire a new generation of designers to explore the intersection of heritage and contemporary fashion.
Chief Executive Officer of the Fashion Commission Burak Cakmak affirmed that this partnership reflects the commission’s commitment to empowering local designers and strengthening the fashion sector. He noted that the exhibition marks a significant step in fostering creative dialogue between Saudi and Japanese talents while driving innovation toward a more responsible and sustainable future.
Managing Director of JETRO’s Riyadh office Shiro Akiyama emphasized that this collaboration strengthens the long-standing trade relations between the two countries and opens new avenues for mutual cooperation in the fashion and textile sectors.

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Fashion

South Sudan Models Dominate Global Catwalks but Visas a Problem

Professional models from the Juba-based modelling agency Jubalicious practice their catwalking during a modelling training session at a hotel in Juba on February 19, 2026. (Photo by Luis TATO / AFP)
Professional models from the Juba-based modelling agency Jubalicious practice their catwalking during a modelling training session at a hotel in Juba on February 19, 2026. (Photo by Luis TATO / AFP)
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South Sudan Models Dominate Global Catwalks but Visas a Problem

Professional models from the Juba-based modelling agency Jubalicious practice their catwalking during a modelling training session at a hotel in Juba on February 19, 2026. (Photo by Luis TATO / AFP)
Professional models from the Juba-based modelling agency Jubalicious practice their catwalking during a modelling training session at a hotel in Juba on February 19, 2026. (Photo by Luis TATO / AFP)

Heels click on cracked paving stones as fantastically long-limbed men and women practice moves they hope will whisk them away from South Sudan, one of the fashion world's favorite scouting locations.

Many hope to follow in the footsteps of their compatriot Awar Odhiang, who went from a refugee camp in Ethiopia to closing Chanel's Paris Fashion Week show last year.

South Sudan has been mired in conflict, poverty and corruption since its independence in 2011, but the success of its models has been a ray of positivity.

No less than nine of the top 50 models currently listed on Models.com are originally from the east African country.

"Paris, Milan, London -- the fashion industry is dominated by South Sudanese boys and girls at the moment," said Doris Sukeji, founder of the Jubalicious modelling agency in the capital Juba.

"Mostly it's the skin color. That is how most of the South Sudanese get signed. They are looking for very dark models," she said.

One of the first to blaze a trail was Alek Wek, scouted in London in the 1990s after her family fled an earlier war.

It was an image of Wek on her mother's Facebook feed that inspired Yar Agou, 19, now signed with Jubalicious.

"Damn! I saw her and I thought that is me one day if God is there. I want to make it like her," she told AFP in Juba.

All skinny-long limbs and charming attitude, Agou has what it takes for the runway, but politics is standing in the way of her dream.

She was supposed to be working at the recent Milan Fashion Week, but her visa was rejected at the last minute. For now, she is working as a cleaner, hoping there will be more opportunities.

- 'Heartbroken' –

Successful models can earn tens of thousands of dollars in a season, a life-changing amount in South Sudan where 92 percent live under the poverty line.

But Sukeji said seven men and women had been rejected for visas in recent months despite having work sponsors, as the climate against immigrants hardens in the West.

"You get heartbroken," she said.

Bichar Hoah, 24, raised by a single mother in Kakuma refugee camp in neighboring Kenya, was recently rejected for a European visa.

"There are some people who discourage us by saying that we tried and failed... (but) I want to represent South Sudan as a model," he said, hoping to change the narrative around his country.

- 'A chance' –

But even those who make it abroad face immense challenges in an industry known for relentless turnover.

Clients constantly want "new faces," Sukeji said.

There are added challenges in a conservative country like South Sudan.

As well as physical requirements -- tall but not above 5 foot 11 (1 meter 80) for women -- Sukeji must also contend with families who view modelling as a cover for prostitution.

"I always ask them to give the boy or the girl a chance," she said.

She brings them in for free training, which can take up to three months, taking a 10-percent cut if they get work.

Her trainer, drilling the models with the precision of a military sergeant when AFP visited, said many were like "newborn babies" when they started.

But as the young models gathered on a Juba rooftop to practice their struts, there was hope for a future beyond South Sudan's poverty and ever-present threat of war.

"One day, really, South Sudan will change," said Agou.

All hope they can emulate the likes of Anyier Anei, who landed international modelling gigs and recently starred in French film "Coutures".

"Failure is less frightening than having dreams you never try to achieve," Anei told Harper's Bazaar recently. "Even with fear, you have to take that risk."

Fashion

Zalando Says AI Drives Productivity and Expects Higher Profit, Shares Jump

FILED - 22 October 2013, Thuringia, Erfurt: A general view of the logistics center of online retailer Zalando in Erfurt. Photo: Marc Tirl/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa
FILED - 22 October 2013, Thuringia, Erfurt: A general view of the logistics center of online retailer Zalando in Erfurt. Photo: Marc Tirl/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa
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Zalando Says AI Drives Productivity and Expects Higher Profit, Shares Jump

FILED - 22 October 2013, Thuringia, Erfurt: A general view of the logistics center of online retailer Zalando in Erfurt. Photo: Marc Tirl/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa
FILED - 22 October 2013, Thuringia, Erfurt: A general view of the logistics center of online retailer Zalando in Erfurt. Photo: Marc Tirl/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa

European online fashion retailer Zalando said on Thursday its use of artificial intelligence was making its business more efficient and productive, as it forecast full-year adjusted operating profit to grow in 2026 and launched an up to 300-million-euro ($346 million) share buyback.

Zalando shares jumped 7% in early trading as investors welcomed the positive outlook, providing some succour to the stock that had tumbled sharply from peaks in 2021 when the pandemic boosted online shopping.

Zalando ⁠said AI-generated product ⁠images were saving money and time on ad creation and enabling it to publish 70% more content, while an AI virtual try-on was also helping shoppers pick their correct size, reducing size-related returns - a major headache for online shopping platforms.

Analysts said concerns had been growing over the risk to Zalando from AI, with some worried consumers could use large-language models like ⁠ChatGPT to research products and shop online, bypassing the company's platform.

The Berlin-based company, which sells clothes, shoes and accessories from thousands of brands including Nike, Hugo Boss, and Coach, expects adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of 660 million to 740 million euros in 2026, compared with 591 million euros in 2025.

"We are providing our customers and partners with experiences and services that seemed impossible just a few years ago while making our own operations more efficient," Robert Gentz, co-CEO of Zalando, said in a statement.

Zalando, whose business-to-business arm sells services to other retailers and ⁠brands, also announced ⁠its software unit Scayle signed a deal with Levi's to run its worldwide ecommerce, which JP Morgan analysts said investors would welcome given the brand's status and size.

The company expects gross merchandise volume growth of 12% to 17% in 2026, after GMV - a key revenue metric measuring the value of all goods sold - grew 14.7% to 17.56 billion euros in 2025.

Zalando's active customer numbers increased to 62 million in 2025 from 51.8 million in 2024, while the average order value was 62.8 euros, up from 61 euros a year earlier.

The company said it would repurchase up to 20 million shares with a total price of up to 300 million euros.

Fashion

Zara Owner Inditex Posts Record Profit in 2025

Shoppers walk past a Zara clothes store, part of the Spanish group Inditex, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, December 13, 2022. REUTERS/Borja Suarez
Shoppers walk past a Zara clothes store, part of the Spanish group Inditex, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, December 13, 2022. REUTERS/Borja Suarez
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Zara Owner Inditex Posts Record Profit in 2025

Shoppers walk past a Zara clothes store, part of the Spanish group Inditex, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, December 13, 2022. REUTERS/Borja Suarez
Shoppers walk past a Zara clothes store, part of the Spanish group Inditex, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, December 13, 2022. REUTERS/Borja Suarez

Zara owner Inditex, the world's leading low-cost fashion retailer, posted a record annual profit for the third year running on Wednesday, seeing off strong international competition.

The Spanish group, which includes top brands such as Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear and Bershka, reported a profit of 6.22 billion euros ($7.23 billion) in the fiscal year ending January 31.

That marked a six percent rise on the 5.9 billion it raked in in 2024, which was also a group record, Inditex said.