DUBAI: US brand Calvin Klein has trained its lens on the Middle East by celebrating the GCC’s local creative community in its latest campaign.
Featuring three creative talents from the region — Lana Al-Beik, Mohammed Al-Ahbabi and Hala Abdulla — the campaign was shot in Dubai and features the content creators in Calvin Klein jeans.
The campaign is focused on its lead stars’ personal perspectives and fresh takes on life and features quotes from each of the three influencers on something they feel passionate about.
For her part, Abdulla is a fashion and beauty influencer with an edgy yet sophisticated aesthetic. In the campaign, she shares her opinion on the term “empowerment” in the context of women’s rights.
“I feel like we use the word ‘empowerment’ so much, and especially ‘female empowerment.’ We don’t need that because we are powerful. It feels like they’re trying to tell us, you’re not powerful, so we’re trying to empower you, with all these campaigns about empowering women. I feel like they should change the word to something else,” she said.
Emirati photographer, filmmaker and visual artist Al-Ahbabi’s work has a minimalist, contemporary aesthetic that showcases his daily life and style. An aspiring filmmaker, Al-Ahbabi uses his free time to express himself in a variety of ways — from painting to writing, he enjoys sharing his creativity with those he values most.
In the campaign, he chooses to comment on the power of creativity.
“I really enjoy being creative with my family members, because it’s like a free comfortable zone that I have and they make it so special. You’re sharing your interest and at the same time, you’re creating joyful moments with them,” he said about his work.
Palestinian-Syrian model Lana Al-Beik in the Calvin Klein campain. (Supplied)
Palestinian-Syrian model Al-Beik, who is based in Dubai, is passionate about filmmaking and storytelling combined with Middle Eastern history. Her interest in telling the story of her people is a passion she expresses through modelling and creative work, according to a statement released by Calvin Klein.
“I think being part of a community that creates and is present in the digital world allows us to have the starting flame for change,” she said in the campaign.
