Design academy to be opened in Kingdom soon

Jeddah, Jan 18: Aisha Al-Otaibi, CEO of fashion wear company Danat Valia, recently announced that she is opening an academy specialized in art and fashion design. The college, to be opened in Alkhobar, will be the first in the Kingdom to specialize in these fields and will open its doors to students for the academic year 2015/2016.

Al-Otaibi: “We carried out a feasibility study” and reserved “a huge budget of SR50 million” for it. She said the company decided to open its first branch in the city it is based in, but is planning to open other branches in Dubai, Riyadh, and Jeddah as well.

A fashion designer herself, Al-Otaibi lamented that many designers in the country merely “copy-paste” new designs. “I call them ‘nosy’ people,” she said during a press conference in Jeddah, which had been organized by her to familiarize herself with the local press in the Western region.

Apart from fashion wear for men, women, and children, Danat Valia comprises a construction company, jewelry collection, chocolate and sweets. It also offers advertising services and event management.