Ziyad Buainain: Shifting the Lens on Luxury Fashion

For Saudi designer Ziyad Buainain, fashion is a tightrope, suspended between opposites—delicacy and structure, control and emotion. His eponymous label, crafted from deadstock and recycled materials, resists excess in favour of meaning. Now based in London, he crafts garments guided by emotion, curiosity, and form. Growing up between Tokyo, Milan, and New York gave Buainain a rare cultural fluency about how beauty shifts across cultures and identity can be expressed, even wordlessly, through what we choose to create.

What inspired you to start doing what you do?
My mother. I was always inspired by her style and love for unconventional clothing. She had a niche, multibrand boutique in Al Khobar, where I’m from. It’s been there for as long as I remember. At the time, it was one of the few spaces bringing in designers like Vivienne Westwood, Gianfranco Ferré, and Moschino. I would go on buying trips with her, surrounded by beautiful clothes and a sense of possibility. 

Who are your influences?
The strong women in my life always ground me. Beyond that, I am drawn to absurdist cinema, surrealist art, and anything that blurs the line between beauty and discomfort. I like exploring contradiction and duality, how something can be powerful and fragile at the same time. 

What has been a defining moment in your career so far?
Being one of three finalists in the eveningwear category for the Fashion Trust Arabia Prize was a moment that made me pause—to be selected by some of the most esteemed professionals in the fashion industry reminded me that my work resonates with people. 

What change are you hoping to drive with your work?
I want to shift how we define luxury. To me, it is not about excess or status, but awareness. True luxury is understanding why something exists, how it was made, and what it represents. I want to remind young creatives from the SWANA region that they can shape the future on their own terms.

How does your work engage with your local community and culture in the region?
There’s a new creative energy coming out of the region, and it is bold and unafraid to challenge expectations. My work reflects that spirit through narrative rather than direct symbolism. It is about contributing to a new visual language that feels rooted in the region but speaks globally. 

What fuels your creative process?
Curiosity. I like to question everything, from materials and technique to emotion and purpose. My process is driven by a need to tell stories that reflect the world around me and create beauty that feels honest. I want my work to speak about things that matter and hold space for hope, even in subtle ways.

How do you hope to see the region’s creative scene evolve in the coming years?
The region is already transforming. There’s a confidence that feels refreshing, where artists and designers are creating from an honest place instead of trying to fit into global narratives. I hope that continues to grow with more nuance, more experimentation, and more work that reflects the depth of our experiences.

What would you like to see yourself achieving or reshaping with your practice?
It would mean a lot if my practice can inspire a slower and more conscious way of creating, where craftsmanship and emotion coexist with sustainability. Through my collections, I want to tell stories that bring awareness and light to complex emotions, and remind people that creativity can be a form of strength and renewal. I am not interested in just making clothes; I want to build a philosophy around why and how we make them.