Identity
f o r g o t t e n
In a world chasing the next trend, Abdulrahman Abed is walking in the opposite direction toward memory, heritage, and meaning He is not merely designing clothing; he is archiving a nation’s soul With his brand Qormuz, Abed has become one of the most influential voices in Saudi Arabia’s creative renaissance, reminding us that the future is strongest when it is rooted in the past
The Inherited Flame
Before the jubbahs graced international red carpets and before the word Qormuz became synonymous with culutral confidence, there was
a boy restless, observant, and drawn to lines Born in Jeddah, raised between Riyadh and the historic town of Shaqra, Abdulrahman Abed’s childhood unfolded between the pull of the sea and the gravity of the desert. He grew up surrounded by stories: the fluid strokes of his father’s calligraphy, the oral histories of his grandfather, and the quiet weight of Saudi identity passed down through generations.
“I was intense, wild, and honestly exhausting, but I had questions. I had energy. There just weren’t many safe spaces to release that energy ”
The first safe space arrived in the form of art
Photo: Shutterstock
Photos courtesy of Qormuz
Encouraged by his teacher in first grade, young Abdulrahman began sketching houses, letters, and ideas He watched his father work on delicate manuscripts. Even when his father put away his ink, the image lingered “That’s when I realized how powerful a line could be ”
The Genesis of Qormuz
Qormuz did not begin with a business plan It began with an urge a low hum of restlessness and the desire to build something that spoke his language “It started by accident or destiny,” Abed says. “I never planned to start a brand.”
In 2016, that inner pull became a name: Qormuz, the Arabic word for deep crimson The name wasn’t just a color It was symbolism Boldness Memory. Bloodline.
There was a gap, ” he explains “So many products around us didn’t speak our voice I wanted to build something that carried the Saudi spirit modern, yes but unapologetically ours. ”
he resistance was immediate Traditional fashion,
especially in the Kingdom, is sacred terrain To touch it is to tread carefully But Abed didn’t just touch it he rewrote its possibilities. “At first, many weren’t ready to reimagine heritage,” he admits “But rejection became a friend It shaped us ”
The turning point came with The Dulm Bag a piece that distilled everything Qormuz stood for: form, function, and fierce cultural pride Soon after, a Qormuz jubbah appeared at the Venice Film Festival It was a milestone moment “That’s when I knew Qormuz had entered the global imagination ”
A Brand That Breathes
Qormuz does not chase trends. It chases truth. Each piece begins not with fabric, but with story “My creative day starts with coffee, yoga, silence,” Abed says “Then the story comes Once the story is alive, the rest follows ”
Narrative is everything Whether he’s sketching a silhouette or curating a campaign, every decision is anchored in a deeper question: What does this say about who we are? His designs carry ancestral
Photos courtesy of Qormuz
This creative courage comes, in part, from allies Chief among them: His Highness Prince Badr bin Abdullah Al Saud, Minister of Culture, who supported Qormuz from its infancy But it also comes from solitude From long walks in old Riyadh From travels to Ethiopia and India From moments of spiritual stillness
The Spirit of the Future
If Qormuz today is a fashion house, tomorrow it will be something more a cultural house, a brand language, a movement. |Whether it’s a garment, a cup, or a building Qormuz is storytelling,” Abed says. “The medium doesn’t matter. The message does ”
When asked what drives him on the hardest days he answers without hesitation: “The fear o from a eight. When you build som meaningful, you fight to protect it ” And w legacy? “I want
weight yet they’re never costumes They with the present, speaking in a languag blends time, not ignores it
“Saudi heritage isn’t nostalgic,” he says “It’s evolves, like the kimono or the sari Our jo honor the root and reinvent the fruit.”
Qormuz’s materials camel hair, camel le mirror this philosophy The tones are pulle memory: sand-washed beiges, the deep bro aged wood, the untranslatable shimmer of at dusk
Culture, Not Commodity
What makes Qormuz magnetic is its refusa dilluted “Our goal isn’t to fit in - it’s to ourselves,” Abed explains “And let the listen ”
Photos courtesy of Qormuz
Qormuz to be remembered for ma wearable For proving that Saudi st the global stage.”
There is something both timeless about Abdulrahman Abed He is a de storyteller, without question But anything, he is a guardian of meanin addicted to speed, he moves slowly Every design is a defiance. Every cultural stance Every stitch, a story
As the sun sets on the Riyadh sky bleeding into crimson it feels like a Qormuz, after all, is that rare thing: a vision, bloodline, and conviction Not a t
ZawayanaBracelet-Najd
Photo courtesy of Quormuz
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