Mariam Nihal

Saudi Gazette



JEDDAH — Aura, a home fashion brand retailer based in Saudi Arabia, recently collaborated its efforts with Saudi Design Week to launch a local competition for designers in the Kingdom. The company caters affordable aura-branded furniture and home accessories with a style that incorporates the Middle Eastern and international appeal. It opened its first store in Riyadh in April 2010 and acts as a prototype for the phased opening of six other stores within five years across Saudi Arabia.



Aura previously announced a countrywide furniture design competition in partnership with Saudi Design Week, as part of its involvement in the weeklong celebration of local and international design in KSA. The judging panel includes an Aura representative, Dr. Wafa Al Rushaid, Badeeh Abla, and Noura Bouzo (Co-Founder of Saudi Design Week).



One Saudi-based designer will win the chance to have their design manufactured and retailed exclusively at aura stores as part of a Limited Edition retail collection.



Participants are asked to design a mid-market priced upholstered occasional chair suitable for use in a living room or bedroom and the concept should incorporate aura’s goal to incorporate international design with Arabian trends with three looks including modern classic, contemporary or trend.



A panel of industry experts including representatives from both Aura and Saudi Design Week, will judge the competition.



A representative from Aura told Saudi Gazette that there was a natural connection with Saudi Design Week as Aura is a design-led furniture and home fashion brand. The founders of Saudi Design Week were keen to work with a Saudi-bred company, which is passionate about developing and showcasing local talent and chose Aura as an obvious fit.



Saudi Arabia has a rich heritage of art and is home to many talented designers who are able to blend the past with the future, creating something truly stunning.



“I think Saudi design and art is finally receiving the international recognition it deserves, as more talented artists are showcasing their work across the country, the region and internationally. Creative Director is actually Saudi, so promoting local talent is close to our hearts. With this competition, we are keen to showcase as many of the designs we receive and hope the young artists, that partake in it can become globally recognized in the future. At Aura, we believe the private sector can play a major role in promoting talent by providing artists and designers a chance to show the country and ultimately the world their skills, something we will passionately continue to do.”



Dr. Wafa Al Rushaid, CEO of Raffles Design Institute, said: “My favorite definition of design that I came across is ‘Design is a road map or a strategic approach for someone to achieve a unique expectation.’ And when you ask me how this definition fits the status quo of the art in Saudi I surely see that there is a huge vacuum in creative capital yet ironically people are eager for information and knowledge.”



She said the first job of a designer is to design a social purpose behind their work, because design is being created everyday through silent hands everywhere we go. “And naturally through this creation it does reach the commoner from as simply as a pavement pattern. Design has been a challenge all over the world mainly because of the effect of globalization! Today it’s becoming very difficult to find a design that reflects a unique culture, unfortunately creativity and innovation need a lot of tolerance and space to evolve and flourish.”



Al Rushaid told Saudi Gazette that design is one of the most accessible and yet challenging concepts we learn and evolve through. Design is the completion of any picture in search of beauty.



“Record prices are being hit in Christies for Middle Eastern art auctions from Mahmoud Saed to Moktar. And we just saw the Sues painting being sold for almost $900,000 last week. The market is booming and the interest is picking up every day!” She said, adding that the key is education of Design. “We need to learn and train our eye to spot beauty. It’s an education.”



Badeeh Abla, Creative Director at NoBrand Agency, believes design is elegant, durable simplicity and conceptual expression with a flare of culture. “These are the criteria I personally base my designs on as the creative director of the award winning NoBrand Agency. We deal daily with regional and international brands. And we always base our design process on these elements.”



She said Design in Saudi Arabia, is growing slowly but surely, and it needs continuous direction and nurturing to grow it in the right path. She said yearly competitions like what “Aura Living” is doing, is very essential in engaging the Saudi designers in the process, allowing them to reflect themselves their cultural personas in a design creation.”



Abla said design plays a big role in her personal life and not just her branding career. “But also in my art line that falls under www.BadeehAbla.com. I use my design skills to create a world of my own, and I have succeeded to do so, by releasing the Blue House in Beirut in 2011, a small museum of my art pieces, paintings, and sculptures.”



The winning design will be unveiled during an awards ceremony at the Aura store in Panorama Mall, Riyadh during Saudi Design Week 2015 and the winner will receive a piece of the final manufactured product from the Limited Edition collection.

Closing date for all applications is May 15, 2014.