Saudi fashion designer hits US

What distinguishes the Los Angeles Fashion Week from the more traditional designer collection previews in New York is the plethora of Hollywood superstars viewing models as they stride down the runway.

Designers tend to be younger and less formal and, at this year's showings at Smashbox Studios, Saudi-born Summer Olayan's Samora creations were a clear favorite among those of 40 designers previewing their fall 2004 collections.

Limousines dispatched Cher, Sharon Stone and Bianca Jagger along with Beverly Hills wives and daughters who gathered in the Mercedes-Benz VIP lounge. Each designer's collection was scheduled with clockwork precision during the weeklong fashion extravaganza.

And, at week's end, Samora creations appeared in the Los Angeles Times Calendar section along with those of Rami Kashou, Tina Turk and Frankie B. Six Samora designs appear on a billboard overlooking the legendary Sunset Strip. This world-renowned tourist site is where Olayan's business offices are located. Her showroom is in the garment district of downtown Los Angeles.

Surprisingly, the promising young designer juggles another career with her sister, Rania, as they export US medical supplies to Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Egypt. "In a way, designing and the export business go hand in hand," says Olayan, who holds a degree from the University of Southern California in international relations and business.

"In fashion, you must have business acumen, be able to take care of accounts and meet delivery deadlines. Hey, I'm working in the United States, where there is no burqa mentality. It isn't cheap to take part in the LA Fashion Week," she added.

"It's an investment of $15,000-20,000 to have your models show your creations for 20 minutes." Even as a child, Olayan dreamed of being a designer and, hour after hour, sketched pants and dresses. As a teenager, she created patterns for her dream outfits, which dressmakers followed.

"But when it came time to attend university, I thought I should study something serious." Her dreams of the fashion world would not go away, though. Taking a leave of absence from her export business, she studied for one year at Stefanel in Milan, where she gained professional skills in how to select fabrics, cut patterns, and design and develop ideas.

"Fashion expresses the events affecting us in each period of time - each decade has its own signature look," she says, adding that she favors Italian and French fabrics and prefers viscose mixed with cotton and rayon.

"Here," she said, offering me a jacket of wool, mohair and cashmere, "doesn't that feel good? I want my fashions to have a soft, luxurious feel."

She describes the Samora line as ready-to-wear with a couture touch, targeted for women aged 25-50. Prices per piece range from $150-500. Samora fashions can be found in high-end boutiques in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, New York and resort areas.

She hopes to open a showroom in Beirut soon. Olayan says her designs target women with a sense of style and a taste for fashion from all over the world. Aware of her Arab heritage, she says she tries to blend the traditions of the East and West into playful creations that are also elegant.