Why is this “flag” miniskirt causing a scandal on social networks?

On September 15, designer Mowalola Ogunlesi made a splash in London by presenting her Spring Summer 2024 collection. Starting with its first row, which welcomed Kanye West and his partner Bianca Sensori, whose signature appearance has been building up for weeks. On the catwalk, Russian model Irina Shayk opened the show with a fake black eye. But it was ultimately one piece of clothing from the collection that evening that garnered even more attention on social media: a miniskirt in the colors of the Saudi Arabian flag. An ultra-short model with belt-like proportions that paraded alongside other similar miniskirts that represented the standards of China, Japan, the European Union and the United Kingdom.

“Holy Words”

After the parade, the mini-skirt in the colors of Saudi Arabia was released very quickly by the bronka. Designers have been criticized for Saudi Arabia’s green flag, which includes Islam’s creed of faith (shahada). “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet,” to translate into women’s clothing.

On Saturday evening, the day after the exhibition, the designer responded. He posted this on his X account (formerly Twitter). “One of my main inspirations for SS24 was to use the national flags of different countries. After the parade, I discovered that one of these flags, the Saudi flag, had sacred words on it, and that its use had caused great offence. Now that I have been informed about this, I sincerely apologize for it. I will ensure that this image is removed from the collection. I deeply regret any injury or offense caused by my negligence. I thank you for holding me accountable and appreciate your understanding as I learn from this experience.” Mea culpa for the London designer who graduated from Central Saint Martins and who made her fashion a platform for body liberation.