Mytheresa on Saudi Arabia’s Plugged-in Fashion Fans
CEO Michael Kliger discussed the importance of comfort, and unique occasion wear, for a burgeoning clientele from the kingdom.
Menswear brands wishing to make inroads in Saudi Arabia had better come to market with soft fabrics and forgiving fits.
“There’s a heavy emphasis on comfort in this region and we see this in the numbers,” Michael Kliger, chief executive officer of Mytheresa, told the WWD Global Fashion Summit in Riyadh.
The German retail executive delved into the evolution of Saudi customers, describing them as globally minded, “very well educated about fashion,” accustomed to high service standards, and oriented toward newness and originality, especially for special occasions, of which there are many.
“You want to be sure you have some unique pieces,” Kliger said during a conversation with James Fallon, editorial director of WWD and Fairchild Media Group, highlighting the active social lives of its Saudi customers. “What does impact the consumption here is the lifestyle, the culture, the occasions, many family affairs, having large weddings — that drives certain types of categories and products that we sell more.”