Yet, Ahmad and Razan challenge the assumption that expressive or fluid fashion for men is a Western novelty. In fact, across Saudi Arabia, men have long worn eyeliner, floral crowns, silver jewellery, colourful skirts unapologetically and without questioning their manhood. The Qahtanis, one of the oldest tribes in the Kingdom and known as the Flower Men, famously adorn their head-dresses with blooms, not as acts of rebellion, but as expressions of identity and unity with nature. “These flowers are there, these colours are there. Why not wear them?” Ahmad asks, rhetorically. What’s curious is how different generations receive KML’s work. For older Saudis, the garments feel familiar, an echo of fading traditions. For younger audiences, they read as edgy, even avant-garde. This tension reveals how much Western influence has reshaped regional norms around gender and style. But for the Hassans, the intention isn’t to provoke shock value. “We’re not rebelling,” Ahmad says. “We’re rejecting the rebellion that tried to erase our own traditions, re-writing them through a reflective lens.”
With the LVMH Prize experience behind them, what’s next for the tireless duo who thrive on a meticulous process rooted in research, documentation and unflinching editing? “Colour – there’s a whole universe behind it,” Razan muses. It’s a new realm they’re eager to explore, particularly through cultural depth and representation, sure to be tinged with symbiotic meaning. They’re also expanding beyond garments, “a continued expansion of adorning the body in different “covers” – jewellery, accessories, bags…things that we feel are still missing to complete the full story.” For both, the LVMH Prize offered more than visibility. “It was a reminder that relevance isn’t exclusive to one culture. When something is made with intent and beauty, it carries its own…
