Arab fashion show in Dundee

An exotic fashion show featuring traditional Arab garments in luxurious fabrics caused a media sensation when it was staged in Dundee as part of a school of design student's PhD project.

The show, put on by Kuwaiti Haifa Alanjari along with fellow Kuwaiti fashion designer Rajaa Albader featured more than 400 items of Arab women and girl's clothing. They included a traditional long dress or "thoub", the under dress or "daraa" and the long pants known as "sirwal". The clothes - some of which had been specially designed for the show - use a rich range of fabrics including silk, organza and taffeta, some embroidered in silver and gold.

Haifa commented: "The aim is to inform the Western world about the Arabian costume and its development and indicate the influences of different civilisations on the traditional Arabian costume. Climate has also been a major influence on how costumes have developed."

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