Saudi ready-to-wear label 1886 is being stocked at Selfridges’ Corner Shop in London as part of “Saudi: Sky’s the Limit,” a retail takeover running through September 5. The activation brings more than 20 Saudi fashion, beauty and food brands to Oxford Street in partnership with Milaf Global.
The brand’s most compelling business story is its origin. Founders Fahad Al Jomiah and Khalid Al Jammaz began developing the label while Saudi students in London, using dorm rooms 18 and 86 as the inspiration for the name. The company says 1886 was founded in Riyadh in 2016 and has grown into a ready-to-wear business spanning tailoring, denim, knitwear and outerwear.
The Selfridges placement marks a shift from local validation to international retail visibility. Instead of presenting Saudi fashion only through cultural showcases or government-backed initiatives, the activation places the products in a major global department-store environment alongside the commercial expectations of international shoppers.
The wider takeover is significant because it combines fashion with food, beauty and accessories, turning national identity into a multisector retail proposition. For emerging labels, that creates a more practical route to discovery: customers encounter the brand through a curated physical environment, while buyers and global media can assess the quality, positioning and repeat-purchase potential of Saudi-made products.
1886’s story also offers a sharper founder-led angle than a generic report on Saudi fashion growth. Two students transformed a London experience and a Riyadh identity into a label now operating within one of the world’s most recognizable luxury retail spaces.
The Selfridges activation runs until September 5, while 1886 continues to position its Riyadh-founded label as a bridge between Saudi identity and global streetwear.
