A Saudi couturier who joined the official Paris haute couture calendar only in 2023 now dresses some of the world's most photographed women. One of his most visible repeat clients, Kylie Jenner, wore a deer-covered gown to the LACMA Art+Film Gala on Saturday, 7 November. It is the clearest sign yet that Mohammed Ashi has moved from outsider to red-carpet regular.
The dress came from Ashi Studio's Fall/Winter 2026 couture collection, and a Dubai label, Maison Privee, appeared on the same carpet through Odessa A'zion's coat. That doesn't prove Europe's legacy houses are being dethroned overnight, but it shows Hollywood's elite no longer see them as their only option.
From Riyadh to Paris Haute Couture
Ashi launched his label in Beirut in 2006. In 2023, he became the first Gulf designer to show on the official Haute Couture calendar in Paris, joining the Fédération de la Haute Couture as a guest member.
Only houses the Fédération recognises can claim to produce haute couture, and he also opened the first-ever Riyadh Fashion Week later that year. AFP reported Ashi's Paris debut as part of Saudi Arabia's multi-billion-dollar entry into global culture, and the same coverage noted criticism of the Kingdom over human rights.
Ashi Studio's A-List Red Carpet Evolution
Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Penélope Cruz, and Queen Rania of Jordan have all worn his designs, and Teyana Taylor and Margot Robbie wore them this year. Jenner is a repeat client too, having worn a custom Ashi gown to the 2026 Golden Globes.
Then came the All's Fair press tour. Naomi Watts wore Ashi Studio to the Mexico City premiere in late October, and on 2 November, Kim Kardashian wore a custom grey Ashi gown in New York, with a sculpted corset and suede fringe.
Why Red Carpet Stylists Look to the Gulf
Red-carpet looks are curated rather than accidental, and three stylists have now put clients in Ashi. Jeanann Williams styled Watts in Ashi Studio's Spring/Summer 2026 couture, a white, beaded dress. Law Roach styled Kardashian's gown, while Jenner's looks come from the sisters Mackenzie and Alexandra Grandquist.
Kardashian's look was her first time in Ashi Studio. According to the brand, as W Magazine reported, artisans in Paris spent 500 hours making the gown, placing each cord individually. For a stylist, that labour is couture's appeal: a piece nobody else will wear that week.
Gulf Couture vs Legacy European Houses
European names have not gone anywhere. Fai Khadra wore Gucci at the LACMA gala, and the Italian house once again presented it. Even Ashi's own clients mix their wardrobes: Kardashian wore Schiaparelli couture in Mexico City before switching to Ashi in New York, while Watts wore Mugler at the same New York event.
Designers like Ashi and Dubai's Maison Privee are simply capturing the high-stakes moments where celebrity image-making favours rare craft over familiar branding. A single gala is just a moment, but a roster spanning Jenner, Kardashian, Watts, Robbie, and Taylor is a trajectory. With awards season fast approaching, the question is no longer whether Gulf couture belongs on the global stage, but how much bigger its territory is about to get.
