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Arab Men’s Fashion Week kicks off with innovative designs 

Arab Men’s Fashion Week kicks off with innovative designs 
Emirati streetwear label KA-1 showcased its Spring/Summer 2023 collection. (Supplied)
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Updated 29 June 2022
Arab News

Arab Men’s Fashion Week kicks off with innovative designs 

Arab Men’s Fashion Week kicks off with innovative designs 
Updated 29 June 2022
Arab News

DUBAI: Arab Men’s Fashion Week kicked off on Tuesday with five designers from around the world presenting their latest drops to fashion lovers in Dubai Design District.

Lebanese brand Maison du Mec, London-based label Permu, Filipino creative Rian Fernandez and Emirati streetwear label KA-1 showcased their Spring/Summer 2023 collections. 

The opening show, a collaboration between Swiss tech accessories brand Ferronato and Maison du Mec, was a mash up between fashion and technology.

Award-winning magicians and mentalists James Harrington and Marina Liani opened the show with a 10-minute mind-reading and magical-effects performance.

The collaboration featured soft leather backpacks, micro smartphone cases, multi-functional clutches and slouchy drawstring bags in shades of blue and burgundy. 

A life size robotic dog, representing Ferronato’s innovative accessories, closed the show.

For Maison du Mec’s solo show, Lebanon-based designer Joseph Achajian presented the traditional pillars of suiting – jackets, crisp white shirts and trousers – with a modern twist.

For Permu, designers Heyun Pan and Jing Qian presented daily ensembles and occasion wear that featured skin-tight tops, bucket hats, backwards-facing blazers and jackets with cut slits, puffed sleeves and exaggerated shoulder pads. 

Filipino designer Fernandez is known for his couture looks that are driven by his love for traditional artisanal craft. He constructed thae wardrobe full of crystals and elaborate beading made by local craftspeople. 

KA-1’s show featured streetwear with multifunctional pockets, quirky straps and elastic tapering on trousers in desert tones of ecru, khaki and olive green. 

Topics: Arab Men’s Fashion Week

Winnie Harlow’s Arab street style turns heads in Los Angeles

Winnie Harlow’s Arab street style turns heads in Los Angeles
Updated 28 March 2023
Arab News

Winnie Harlow’s Arab street style turns heads in Los Angeles

Winnie Harlow’s Arab street style turns heads in Los Angeles
Updated 28 March 2023
Arab News

DUBAI: Canadian model Winnie Harlow was spotted championing Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran on the streets of Los Angeles. 

She donned a long textured green trench coat from the designer’s Fall/Winter 2023 collection that she wore over a brown turtleneck bodysuit.  

Harlow finished off her look with brown leather boots that extended up to her knees, a khaki structured purse and cat eye sunglasses that she tucked into the coat’s belt at her waist.  

The model wore the outfit for an eventful day. She attended a talk in Los Angeles where she spoke to business founders about her experience creating her beauty brand Cay Skin, she wrote in her Instagram caption as she shared pictures of her look.  

Harlow, who has over 10 million followers on Instagram, then went to celebrate one of her friend’s birthdays. “Long day, Work and Play. Speaking to new business founders about my experience my first year creating @cayskin then straight to the celebrations @mannyuk," she shared with her fans. 

The catwalk star is a regular visitor in the Middle East.  

She recently attended Saudi Arabia’s Formula E Diriyah E-Prix. 

“The experience at Formula E is unmatched and I’ve really enjoyed the vibe, people, atmosphere, and racing. I’ve been to Saudi Arabia a few times and always have a great experience, so I love that Formula E is in Diriyah,” Harlow said in a released statement in January. 

“Living in a more sustainable world and being able to enjoy motorsports at the same time is incredible,” she added.  

In November, she was spotted in Abu Dhabi. She attended the UAE’s Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and posed for pictures in front of the Louvre Abu Dhabi.  

To watch the race, Harlow wore a black sports jersey with green Swarovski crystals and black leggings with larger colorful crystals. She accessorized her look with a green bag and glasses.   

For her shoot, she wore a black form-fitting velvet dress with a matching turban by Omani label Atelier Zuhra, which was founded by designer Mouza Al-Awfi in 2015.   

She completed the look by layering chunky gold jewelry on her neck and wrists.  

Topics: Winnie Harlow Nicolas Jebran

Ariana Grande shows off Andrea Wazen heels  

Ariana Grande shows off Andrea Wazen heels  
Updated 28 March 2023
Arab News

Ariana Grande shows off Andrea Wazen heels  

Ariana Grande shows off Andrea Wazen heels  
Updated 28 March 2023
Arab News

DUBAI: US singer, songwriter and actress Ariana Grande is the latest star to be added to Lebanese footwear designer Andrea Wazen’s client list.  

Grande, founder of cosmetics label R.E.M Beauty, stepped out this week wearing the designer’s Double Jeu platforms in white while shooting for her upcoming film adaption of “Wicked.” 

The actress shared behind-the-scenes pictures from the set of herself with her cast-mate Cynthia Erivo.  

Grande, who had her platinum blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, wore a pink polka dot dress with white elbow-high gloves.  

“Wicked” is set for release on Nov. 27, 2024, Grande shared on Instagram last week. Palestinian Dutch model Gigi Hadid commented on her post saying: “I am having heart palpitations.”  

Wazen’s Double Jeu platforms were recently worn by US superstar Jennifer Lopez during an appearance on the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” show in January. 

Topics: Ariana Grande andrea wazen

Arab stars shine in Maybelline Ramadan campaign

Arab stars shine in Maybelline Ramadan campaign
Updated 28 March 2023
Arab News

Arab stars shine in Maybelline Ramadan campaign

Arab stars shine in Maybelline Ramadan campaign
Updated 28 March 2023
Arab News

DUBAI: US cosmetics brand Maybelline starred Chilean Palestinian singer Elyanna, Egyptian actress Amira Adeeb and Kuwaiti content creator Khattafya in its latest campaign for Ramadan.  

The three stars promoted the brand’s Lash Sensation Sky High mascara, the Fit Me Vitamin C tint and the Superstay lipstick.  

“Happy to have been a part of @maybelline New York’s global campaign this year,” Adeeb wrote to her 903,000 followers on Instagram, sharing the colorful video on her page. “Jumpstart this Ramadan with an empowered, authentic YOU.”  

Elyanna sang the campaign’s jingle “Yalla Ya Habibi.”  

“Happy to have shared this with you, love,” Adeeb wrote to Elyanna on Instagram.  

The campaign was shot in Thailand, Adeeb revealed in her caption.  

Topics: Maybelline Elyanna Amira Adeeb Khattafya

Designer Maha Ahmed comes full circle with Milan showcase of contemporary label Autonomie 

Designer Maha Ahmed comes full circle with Milan showcase of contemporary label Autonomie 
Updated 28 March 2023
Hams Saleh

Designer Maha Ahmed comes full circle with Milan showcase of contemporary label Autonomie 

Designer Maha Ahmed comes full circle with Milan showcase of contemporary label Autonomie 
Updated 28 March 2023
Hams Saleh

DUBAI: Dubai-based designer Maha Ahmed has come full circle with her latest presentation at the White Milano trade fair in Italy, where the founder of edgy label Autonomie graduated from the world-renowned fashion school, Istituto Marangoni Milano.  

Held on the sidelines of Milan Fashion Week, White Milano is considered the world’s premiere trade show for international apparel, fashion and accessories. 

Ahmed’s brand is based on storytelling. (Supplied)

“It was an experience that was very much close to my heart because this is where I went to school,” Ahmed said in an interview with Arab News. “So going back as a designer, someone with a brand and someone that actually has something to offer… It was a very personal experience for me.”  

Ahmed designs edgy blazers, asymmetric trousers, patchwork-emblazed and stitched tops, jackets made of vegan leather and more. Her brand is based on storytelling — every collection is based on a new story, philosophy or a concept. The label, which now has three collections, was launched in 2020 when its founder moved from Cairo to Dubai.  

“It was a time for people to start questioning a lot of things in life and re-evaluate what you’re doing with your life. And for me, it was no different,” she said of launching her label during the pandemic. “I didn’t really focus on the challenges of running a business during the pandemic at the time, but for me it was more like a now or never kind of thing. The world might end at any moment, so if you’re not going to do what you love now, if you’re not going to risk it now, then when?” 

When she started her brand, it was for self-expression and she did not cater to specific market needs, according to the designer herself. However, now, after three collections, she said the brand has evolved and she has found a balance in order to present her artistic side, while tailoring her designs to market demands.  

“Every season I try to achieve this balance where I do some pieces for me, where I can see an artsy side — so a lot of shapes, volumes, colors and textures,” she said. “Then you have to balance it out with pieces that are more wearable and relatable that people can wear on a day-to-day.” 

The Egyptian designer presented her latest collection at the first-ever iteration of Dubai Fashion Week in March. Walking the runway after she presented her first fashion show was the moment in her career she is most proud of — “it was a crazy rush,” she said.  

“The whole time backstage, I was on autopilot. I couldn’t feel anything. So, the second it started, I remember I actually fell, I sat on the floor, and I had someone that's working with me help me out,” she added. 

“This was probably the proudest moment because usually, if you launch a collection or like you present something online, you don’t necessarily see the direct feedback right away,” she noted.  

 “I hoped this brand will become a regular on the official calendar, showcasing every single season in Paris or Milan,” she said of her future dreams. 

The designer also has plans to expand her product line and create a menswear collection.  

Topics: Autonomie Maha Ahmed

With her Syrian heritage, designer Daniela Cassab is putting Mexican craftsmanship on the global map  

With her Syrian heritage, designer Daniela Cassab is putting Mexican craftsmanship on the global map  
Updated 27 March 2023
Hanadi Merchant-Habib

With her Syrian heritage, designer Daniela Cassab is putting Mexican craftsmanship on the global map  

With her Syrian heritage, designer Daniela Cassab is putting Mexican craftsmanship on the global map  
Updated 27 March 2023
Hanadi Merchant-Habib

DUBAI: Mexican designer Daniela Cassab, whose grandparents migrated from Aleppo, Syria, knows how to make the perfect leather jacket. Founder and designer of her artisanal label, DanCassab, she specializes in handmade leather garments in Mexico designed to transcend seasons and pass down through generations.   

The designer was in Dubai earlier this year to launch her exclusive pop-up at THAT Concept Store. Arab News caught up with her to understand her love for outerwear and what goes behind creating each piece.  

 

 

 

Born and raised in Mexico, Cassab grew up around fashion. Her family has been in the textile industry, and her father's factories manufactured jeans for Guess and Marciano.   

After studying art history at the prestigious Parsons School of Design in New York, she moved back home and realized the possibility of starting a label that valued slow fashion and focused on preserving the heritage and crafts of her country.   

Mexican designer Daniela Cassab specializes in outerwear. (Supplied)

 In 2016, DanCassab was born, one of the pillars of the brand being her employment of highly skilled local artisans.  

 Her specialty? Outerwear — you always need a perfect jacket that you can wear with jeans and a silk dress,” she explained.  

 

 

 

One look at her bestselling Loretta jacket, and it's hard not to fall in love with its glamorous cowboy aesthetic, oversized collar and soft fringes. Inspired by traditional jackets called Cuera Tamaulipeca worn by hunters in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, she explained that typically fringes were designed to shed rain.   

“Four years ago the government from Tamaulipas wanted to reinterpret the Cuera Tamaulipeca and asked me to do it in a more contemporary way. That’s how our Iconic ‘Loretta’ came to life, and it was a hit. That was the first piece that started the idea of fringes, and I also love the whole cowboy vibe,” she said. Each of her pieces is handmade from the finest leathers using traditional construction techniques and can take six-to-eight days to create. Elsewhere, her beaded fringed jackets are equally covetable – especially with their Rock'n'Roll vibe.   

Daniela Cassab describes her clothes as works of art – because of the time and dedication that goes behind them. (Supplied)

She describes her clothes as works of art – because of the time and dedication that goes behind them. “The beading takes hours as it's done by hand. Additionally, unlike other materials, leather has no give – if you stitch it the wrong way, you must go back and do it all over again.”   

When it comes to her Arab roots, the designer said her heritage inspires her work ethic.  

“My Arab roots inspire me in the business area, since I was very young I was able to see how my great grandparents and my grandparents who came from Syria started a business in a completely different country. They were very agile and used to selling textiles. It was their passion, they were capable of creating a very big textile empire that lasted for generations until today,” she said, adding: “This is how I learned the importance of working, of falling in love with your passion and what you desire… the perseverance and the way they communicated with clients was also special, it’s a magical approach that makes customers fall in love.” 

Topics: Daniela Cassab

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