Vogue Arabia and Van Cleef & Arpels Honor HRH Princess Noura AlFaisal at Intimate Riyadh Suhoor

Manuel Arnaut and HRH Princess Noura AlFaisal

“I’m just blown away with the beauty of all the pieces that I’ve seen,” proclaimed editor-in-chief Manuel Arnaut at last night’s intimate suhoor in Riyadh hosted by Vogue Arabia and Van Cleef & Arpels. The event invited guests to marvel at the ‘Van Cleef & Arpels: Time, Nature, Love’ exhibition and honored HRH Princess Noura AlFaisal, who was recently appointed CEO of Art of Heritage.

The Saudi royal is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to culture and the arts. Not only has she dedicated her life to supporting the design ecosystem in Saudi Arabia through platforms such as Adhlal, but she also founded her own jewelry brand Nuun, after getting trained at the hallowed workshops of Place Vendôme. Princess Noura is also a consultant for the Saudi Cup, which is one of the world’s richest horse races, and a sartorial extravaganza celebrating Saudi tradition and culture through fashion. Now, with Art of Heritage, she aims to continue safeguarding and promoting the Kingdom’s artisanship.

Introducing the organization in her speech, the Princess stated, “The core goal is to preserve the heritage of Saudi Arabia, to preserve the artwork and the embroidery as you can see in some of the traditional clothes.” While models posed on the side in exquisite traditional numbers representing the Kingdom’s different provinces, she added, “Another part of it is the collection. The Heritage Collection is the most comprehensive collection of Saudi heritage in existence. It comprises jewelry, art, artifacts, photography, and multiple other items – over 57,000 items.”

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She also expressed gratitude towards Vogue Arabia and its editor-in-chief: “I’d also love to thank Manuel and Vogue for the support, the continued support, that they give to the design industry in Saudi, to Art of Heritage, and to myself.” Taking to the stage himself, Arnaut remarked just how much the Kingdom means to publication. “Coming to Saudi Arabia is always a pleasure. Vogue Arabia has a long-lasting relationship with the Kingdom—constantly supporting and being inspired by its fashion and culture, but mostly by its people.”

The people were certainly a vision last night. Connecting and reconnecting under a starlit sky at the National Museum of Saudi Arabia, they flitted in between the palm trees; stunning abayas, thobes, and kaftans swaying with every move. In attendance were Aseel Al Hamad, Nojoud Al Rumaihi, Fatima Al Momen, Hussein Alireza, Lulwah Al Homoud, Nouf Almoneef, Mohammed Khoja, Abdulla Al Abdulla, Sawsan Albahiti, Nora Al Shaikh, Muna Abusulayman, Hala Al Harithy, and Mashael AlObaidan.

All guests were treated to a tantalizing menu of savory and sweet canapés including AlUla citrus chicken, minted labneh cucumber roll, and masabib mille feuille accompanied by traditional dates and coffee to compliment a night celebrating all things Saudi. To that end, local talent Najd also took the stage to deliver a soul-soothing performance. She was introduced by Karim Elayan, country manager of Van Cleef & Arpels Saudi Arabia, as “the very talented poet Najd. Her words are a powerful reflection of the beauty and depth of Saudi Arabian culture and heritage.”

In his speech, Elayan proudly announced that the three-month showcase is “the first luxury dedicated museum exhibition in Saudi Arabia.” Curated by Alba Cappellieri, professor of jewelry design at Milan Polytechnic University and president of the Milano Fashion Institute, the exhibition offers a journey across three sections – time, nature, and love. Around 280 jewelry creations, watches, precious objects produced since the maison was founded in 1906, and more than 90 original archives, are on display as a testimony to the excellence of Van Cleef & Arpels.