Passers-by immediately wave their mobile phones to snap a photo of him just after the 25-year-old, accompanied by his stylist and photographer, gets out of a white Mercedes Benz in an upscale part of town.
A man gets out of his car accusing him of being "gay", a crime punishable by death in Saudi Arabia.
Despite the criticism, on the street and on the internet, he has no intention of leaving Saudi Arabia or changing his look.
"I'd rather stay in my country while wearing these clothes than wait until I'm abroad to go out in a bold outfit," he told AFP after his public photoshoot.
With some 200,000 followers on Instagram, more than two million on Snapchat, Ziad al-Mesfer already has many fans on social networks, having paved the way for a generation of male models in clothes deemed too feminine, in a country that observed until recently strict gender segregation in public places.
Saudi model Ziad al-Mesfer prepares before a photography session on a street in the capital Riyadh, April 9, 2022 Fayez Nureldine AFP
Since the rise of the young Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, de facto ruler of the kingdom since 2017, Saudi Arabia has experienced relative social openness with women authorized to drive or entertainment which is increasing in front of a mixed audience.
But social conservatism and political restrictions remain very strong in the country which is home to Islam's holiest sites.
"Everyone is watching him"
And if he has many teenage girls among his fans, Ziad al-Mesfer attracts the wrath of conservatives.
The wealthy Gulf kingdom prohibits men from "imitating" the other sex by wearing clothes intended for the other gender.
Ziad al-Mesfer does not identify as gay, wishing, he says, to marry a woman.
In his eyes, he is only following the craze of international brands for androgynous fashion.
Born in Riyadh, the eldest of six children, Ziad al-Mesfer began to develop his sense of style from an early age.
"I used to tell my mother, my aunts and my relatives how to dress. I loved it," he recalls.
"My mom would ask my opinion on these things, so I became more interested in women's fashion."
But he has only decided to make his talents public since the recent relaxations witnessed by his country.
About two years ago, he started showcasing outfits online through Snapchat, an app that automatically deletes posts once they've been viewed.
Followed by more than 200,000 people on social networks, Saudi model Ziad al-Mesfer attracts luxury brands, April 9, 2022 Fayez Nureldine AFP
With its growing influence on the internet, it attracts big brands like Prada and Dior.
When Gucci opened a new boutique in Riyadh last month, officials were keen to bring in Ziad al-Mesfer, sales manager Louloua Mohammed told AFP.
"It's very important to invite him, because when we take a video or a photo of him wearing an item, it sells directly," she explains.
"All Saudi women, old women, young girls, all look at him".
"Not Judging Him"
Even though other models and influencers have followed in his footsteps, Ziad al-Mesfer remains "number one", raves a sales associate at Prada who, like other people interviewed by AFP, demanded the anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject in Saudi Arabia.
If it divides the opinion, Ziad al-Mesfer, who earns money partly thanks to online advertisements, benefits from a form of protection linked to his partnerships with major luxury brands as well as his relations with local celebrities he appears alongside at events.
"We see him as a model, a kind of artist, so we can't judge him," said Ms. Mohammed of Gucci.
"Sometimes the reactions are negative. Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country. I wouldn't want to see my brother do the same," she adds, however.
On Instagram, photos of Ziad al-Mesfer often elicit harsh comments.
“May God forgive us”, reacted a surfer under a photo where the model poses in a bright red coat on a tight purple turtleneck.
“I am deleting Instagram after seeing this,” adds another.
Others, on the contrary, encourage him: "Ziad, continue (...) do not take into account what they say".
© 2022 AFP