Princess Noura bint Faisal Al-Saud, the great-granddaughter of Saudi Arabia's founder, was named president of the Arab Fashion Council in December.
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA: A young Saudi Arabian princess inspired by her time living in Tokyo is the new face of fashion in an ultraconservative kingdom, where dramatic reforms have sparked equal parts optimism and scepticism.
Princess Noura bint Faisal Al-Saud, the great-granddaughter of Saudi Arabia's founder, was named honorary president of the Arab Fashion Council in December.
The royal, who turns 30 on Sunday, this month oversaw her country's first Arab Fashion Week, headlined by Jean Paul Gaultier and Roberto Cavalli.
With a shayla headscarf draped over her hair, the princess is warm, welcoming and eloquent, the exact image that fans have hailed as the future of Saudi Arabia and critics have dismissed as little more than window dressing in one of the most restrictive countries in the world.
"Absolutely I understand people's perspective," Princess Noura told AFP in an interview in Riyadh. "Saudi Arabia has strong ties with its culture. As a Saudi woman, I respect my culture, I respect my religion.
"Wearing the abaya or being if you would like to call it conservative in the way we dress is something that is part of who we are. It's part of our culture ... this is how our life is, even while travelling," she said.
Saudi Arabia has witnessed rapid policy change since the June appointment of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, son of the king and heir to his throne.