The young model who breaks gender taboos in Saudi Arabia

With his pink hair extensions and leopard pants, the young model Ziad al Mesfer inevitably attracts all eyes on a street in Riyadh, capital of a rapidly changing but always very conservative Saudi Arabia.

Some pedestrians immediately take out their mobile phones to take a picture of this 25-year-old, accompanied by his designer and photographer, who just got off a white Mercedes Benz in a distinguished neighborhood of the city. A man accuses him of being “gay”, a crime that can be sentenced to capital punishment in Saudi Arabia.

Despite the criticism, both on the street and on the internet, the mannequin does not plan to leave Saudi Arabia or change its appearance. “I would rather stay in my country, wearing these clothes, than waiting to be abroad to dress boldly,” he explains.

With 200,000 followers on Instagram, and more than two million on Snapchat, Ziad al Mesfer already has numerous fans on social media, opening the way to a generation of male models in outfits considered too feminine, in a country that until recently observed strict gender segregation in public places.

Since the emergence of the young crown prince Mohamed bin Salman, the de facto leader of the kingdom since 2017, Saudi Arabia has experienced relative social openness, with women allowed to drive or with the entertainment that multiplies in mixed places. But social conservatism and political restrictions remain in the country, which is home to the holiest places of Islam.

“They all look at it”

Although he has several teenagers among his followers, Ziad al Mesfer is criticized by conservatives. This rich Gulf kingdom forbids men to “imitate” the other sex with their outfits. The mannequin does not identify as homosexual, and he wishes, he says, to marry a woman. In his opinion, it merely reflects the enthusiasm of international brands for androgynous fashion.

Born in Riyadh, into a family that had six children in total, Ziad al-Mesfer began to develop his sense of design from a young age. “I was telling my mother and my aunts how to dress. I loved that,” he recalls. “My mother asked me my opinion about these things, and that's why I became increasingly interested in women's fashion.”

With its growing influence on the internet, the model attracts big brands such as Prada and Dior. When Gucci opened a new store in Riyadh last month, those responsible wanted Ziad al Mesfer to come, sales manager Lulua Mohamed assures AFP.

“It is very important to invite him because he sells immediately when a video is made or a photo taken,” he explains. “All Saudi women, old or young, look at him.”

Although other mannequins and influencers have followed in his footsteps, Ziad al Mesfer remains “number one”, says a Prada salesman, who like other people questioned requires anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject in Saudi Arabia.

Although it generates division of opinion, Ziad al Mesfer, who makes money partly from online advertising, benefits from a kind of protection thanks to his alliances with big luxury brands, and his relationships with local celebrities.

On Instagram, photos of Ziad al Mesfer often elicit scathing comments. “May God forgive us” one netizen reacted under a photo of the mannequin in which he poses in a red coat over a violet turtleneck sweater. “I delete Instagram after seeing this,” adds another. Others, on the other hand, encourage him: “Ziad, keep it up (...) don't listen to what they tell you”.

(With information from AFP/by Robbie Corey-Boulet)

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