When a regional brand’s audience grows into one that’s more global - a tumultuous process that takes years if not decades of consistent, hard work - it is often accompanied by an element of compromise. Arab people don’t see each other the way Western people view us from afar, and, when working with global brands, they typically want to see what they expect to see. It’s tempting to simply play into that narrative in the pursuit of international success. But Nawawi, a creative studio based in Saudi Arabia that specialises in carrying out extensive, telling, and rooted shoots for global fashion brands, refused to sell out.

“We want to influence how brands speak to the region, and how creatives in the region see what’s possible,” Rayan Nawawi, the studio's founder, told SceneStyled. “You can stay true to where you’re from and still build something world-class. That’s the message we want to send.”

Nawawi spent a lifetime being curious about visuals, playing around with cameras his father left lying around since he was a kid in school. It wasn’t just about the practice of photography to him; it was more about the practice of paying attention to detail, but also zooming out to a bigger picture. “That’s what led me to creative direction - I wanted to be part of shaping ideas, not just executing them.”
Tell us the story of Nawawi Studio - how did it come to life?

After coming back from university, I worked at a multinational agency for a year. I was doing art direction, but I quickly realised the kind of work I was part of didn’t reflect what I actually cared about. Most of it felt disconnected - it didn’t speak to where I’m from or how I see the world. I didn’t want to just make ads. I wanted to make something real, something rooted in our identity and culture.

So I started Nawawi Studio - just me, a camera and a laptop. My brother Wail joined in the first year after graduating from LA with a marketing degree. From there, it grew slowly, project by project, with people who shared the same mindset.

Today, Nawawi is a creative studio that handles campaigns, strategy and production for both global and regional brands. But it still feels personal. The mission has always been the same: to tell real stories with honesty and craft.
Your studio is focused on a grassroots approach to campaigns and shoots. Tell us more about that.

We don’t build work from the top down - we build from the ground up. For me, a good idea doesn’t start in a boardroom. It starts in a conversation, in something I saw or felt. That’s where the best insights live.
I always try to start with what’s real - people, behaviour, culture - and from there we build. Then we take those raw truths and elevate them into something creative, with execution that meets global standards. That’s the balance I’m always chasing: work that feels local and true, but looks and feels like it can sit on a global stage.

We’re not trying to imitate global campaigns - we’re trying to add our own voice to that conversation.
How do you create shoots that feel authentic to what they portray, and to who they’re made for; shoots that look and feel like they were made by Arab people for an Arab audience? How does this change when the shoot is with a global brand?

Authenticity comes from being inside the culture, not trying to decode it from the outside. I don’t approach projects as a creative looking in - I live it. That’s the difference.

When I shoot for Arab audiences, I don’t over-explain or force symbolism. I let the work speak in our language, our references, our rhythm. I focus on the subtleties - gestures, expressions, colours, energy — things that feel familiar when you see them, even if you can’t describe why.

When working with global brands, I try to act as a translator. I don’t just apply their tone to our market - I reinterpret it through a local lens. I want the work to resonate here first, then outwards.
What’s your process like when preparing for and carrying out a shoot?

It always starts with the concept - not visuals, not moodboards, but the core idea. I spend most of the time upfront thinking: what are we trying to say? What do I want people to feel when they see this?
Once that’s clear, I move into the visual language, the execution. That’s where I bring in lighting, movement, styling, camera work - all of it to serve that core idea. I’m very intentional with each frame. Everything has to have a reason to be there.

The night before a shoot, I usually disconnect. I try to step away from the project and explore visuals that are unrelated but adjacent - just to reset my eye. That shift in perspective always sharpens something.
On shoot day, I approach it like a short film. There’s structure, but there’s also room to improvise. Some of the best moments come from trusting the process - not controlling every second of it.
What reflections do you have about the creative scene in Saudi Arabia, through your work at Nawawi? Specifically, the creative fashion scene.

The scene is evolving fast. There’s energy, experimentation, and hunger. You can feel that tension between tradition and forward-thinking, and that’s what makes the work coming out of here feel fresh.

What helped me personally is coming from both advertising and photography. I understand what brands are trying to say, and I know how to bring it to life visually. It’s not just about showcasing the clothes - it’s about translating a feeling, a mood, an identity.

That approach led to me winning the Saudi Fashion Photography Award 2025 from the Ministry of Culture. That meant a lot - not just as recognition, but because it reflected the shift happening in our region. We’re not just catching up any more. We’re setting the tone.
What is the ultimate purpose of Nawawi? What change does it bring to Saudi creatives and the market as a whole?

I started Nawawi to create work that people don’t just notice but fall in love with. Work that feels real, that moves people, that says something.

Over time, that purpose evolved into something bigger: to become a visual authority, a studio that helps shape how Saudi expresses itself to the world. Not just as a creative studio, but as a reference for creative direction, storytelling and cultural fluency.