How fashionable abayas are shedding their stigma on Saudi Arabia's runways

Chic abayas on the runway in a rare fashion show in Saudi Arabia. Photo: AFP

Donning chic neck-to-toe abayas, models saunter in high heels around a swimming pool in a glitter-filled fashion show staged in the unlikeliest of places: Saudi Arabia.

Haute couture displays are rare in the deeply conservative Muslim kingdom and have usually been restricted to women or avoided female models altogether – one even displayed dresses dangling from drones.