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Model Ziad Al Mesfer was sure to turn heads with her hot pink hair extensions and leopard-print pantsuit at a recent public photo shoot in conservative Saudi Arabia.
Just minutes after Mesfer emerged from his white luxury car on the cobblestone pavement of Riyadh’s upscale cafe district with his stylist and photographer in tow, passersby began secretly taking photos with their cellphones.
Mesfer, 25, has amassed a huge following on social media through appearances like this, and is leading the way for a handful of Saudi male models who bravely wear clothes widely considered appropriate only for women. Ta. In doing so, she pushed the boundaries of the country’s notoriously strict gender norms. .
In the process, he has become popular with luxury brands looking to profit from spectacles that would have been unthinkable before Saudi Arabia embarked on a dizzying series of social reforms introduced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. became.
But Mesfer’s approach carries considerable risks.
In addition to his adoring fans (mainly the cheerful teenage girls who follow him on Snapchat) who watched the recent shooting in Riyadh, they also included an enraged middle-aged man, Some got out of their cars and accused Mesfer of being a “homosexual,” a charge that could carry the death penalty. In Saudi Arabia.
Desert monarchies traditionally forbid men from “imitating women” or wearing women’s clothing, and vice versa.
Mesfer does not identify as gay and says he plans to marry a woman someday. She explains that she is simply following global brands’ embrace of androgynous fashion.
And despite occasional harassment, both in person and online, he said: AFP He has no plans to leave Saudi Arabia or change his appearance.
“Instead of waiting for a trip abroad and going out in a bold outfit, it’s better to be in your own country and wear this outfit,” he said.
stylish follow
Born the eldest of six children into a Riyadh-based family, Mesfer began developing his sense of style at an early age.
“I used to dress my mom, my aunts, my relatives. I loved styling them,” he said.
“My mother often consulted me about this, and I became interested in women’s fashion.”
After Crown Prince Mohammed began working to soften the image of his kingdom, including by expanding entertainment options and relaxing rules requiring women to wear full-body robes and hijab scarves, he began to share his talents with the world. I dreamed of releasing it.
About two years ago, Mesfer started modeling her outfits online using Snapchat, a relatively safe medium where posts are automatically deleted after they are viewed.
He now boasts more than 2 million followers on Snapchat and another 200,000 on Instagram, and his influence has attracted the attention of brands like Prada and Dior.
When Gucci opened a new boutique in Riyadh last month, staff made sure to invite Ms. Mesfer to look at the inventory, said senior salesperson Lulwa Mohammed.
“Inviting him is very important because if we invite him and we take a video or a photo of him wearing an item, it will directly sell,” Mohammed said. Told. “All the Saudis, the old women, the young girls, they’re all watching him.”
“Some kind of artist”
While other male models and aspiring influencers follow in his footsteps, Mesfer remains alone in the class.
“He’s number one,” said a Prada salesperson. He, like others interviewed for this article, declined to give his name due to the sensitivity of the topic.
But fashion experts said Saudi Arabia’s limited acceptance of Mesfer should not be misinterpreted as full support for his actions.
Instead, they argued, Mesfer, who earns some of his income from online advertising, is protected because he works with luxury brands and associates with local celebrities who invite him to events.
“We see him as a model, a kind of artist, so we can’t judge him,” Gucci’s Mohammed said.
But she added: “Sometimes there are negative reactions. Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country. I don’t want to see my brother do the same thing.”
This contradictory perception of Mesfer is clearly reflected in the comments on his Instagram page.
In response to a February post in which Mesfer paired a bright red coat with a skin-tight purple turtleneck, one user wrote, “May God forgive us,” while another wrote, “This I’m going to delete Instagram after seeing this.”
However, another user encouraged her by saying, “Ziad, do your best, I love you, take care of yourself for the people who love you, do what you love and don’t worry about what people say.”
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