‘I Am Georgina’ highlights Saudi Arabia in first trailer for season three
Updated 11 September 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: After two successful seasons, “Soy Georgina” (“I Am Georgina”) is set to return to Netflix with a third season on Sept. 18 that highlights star Georgina Rodriguez's life in Saudi Arabia, according to a trailer dropped by the streaming giant today.
The new season will give a peek inside power couple Georgina Rodriguez and Cristiano Ronaldo’s luxurious new life in Saudi Arabia, a move that took place in Dec. 2022 when the Portuguese football legend signed with Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr.
The trailer begins with shots of Rodriguez in AlUla, Saudi Arabia’s historic UNESCO heritage site, as she poses in front of the Instagram-famous mirrored Maraya Concert Hall.
There is a strong focus on her long-term partnership with Ronaldo as she’s seen supporting from the stands at various football matches.
The trailer also briefly spotlights Rodriguez and her family – including the couple’s children and her stepson Cristiano Jr. – at the St. Regis Red Sea Resort in Saudi Arabia.
Light-hearted moments show the family spending time at the dinner table at their Saudi home, laughing and making conversation.
The trailer also prominently features Rodriguez at Paris Fashion Week, waiting nervously backstage as she gets ready to walk the runway for Swiss fashion label Vetements.
Coldplay add second and third dates to 2025 Abu Dhabi concert
Palestinian-Chilean artist Elyanna will open for the band in the Emirati capital
Updated 25 September 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: While fans across the UAE scramble to get tickets to Coldplay’s Abu Dhabi concert in January 2025, the band has added another two dates to their trip to the UAE.
The British band are now set to bring their hugely successful “Music of the Spheres World Tour” to Zayed Sports City Stadium on Jan. 11 as well as Jan. 12 and Jan. 14, it was announced on Wednesday.
Palestinian-Chilean artist Elyanna will open for the band.
The 22-year-old has been a frequent collaborator of the group this year, joining the band on stage at their Glastonbury set. Last week, she released the Arabic edition of the band's new song “We Pray.” On Saturday, she performed with Coldplay in Las Vegas.
Promoters Live Nation Middle East confirmed Abu Dhabi will be the only stop in the region for the band.
Bella Hadid returns to the runway at Saint Laurent’s Paris Fashion Week show
Updated 25 September 2024
ARAB NEWS and REUTERS
DUBAI: US Dutch Palestinian supermodel Bella Hadid made a return to the runway at Saint Laurent’s Paris Fashion Week show following a two-year hiatus from the catwalk on Tuesday night.
The model, who has been open about her battle with Lyme disease and who recently launched a fragrance brand, hit the runway in a masculine suit by creative head Anthony Vaccarello.
Vaccarello offered a lineup of ample, masculine suits for the Parisian label's spring-summer 2025 collection, with prominent shoulders and matching ties, Reuters reported.
Models made their way steadily around an open-air runway set up in the central courtyard of the Kering-owned fashion house's Left Bank headquarters.
They wore thick, studious glasses or aviator shades.
Bomber jackets added heft to the silhouettes, while chunky jewelry and pointy stilettos brought extra glamour to the looks, which were closely fashioned after the personal style of the house founder, Yves Saint Laurent.
Part way through the show, Vaccarello shifted to more feminine, bohemian styles, sending out flowing skirts in paisley motifs and shimmery brocade jackets covered with flowers and paired with short skirts.
The late-night show drew crowds of onlookers who cheered at the celebrity arrivals including singer Lenny Kravitz, model Kate Moss and actor Gwyneth Paltrow. It capped the second day of Paris Fashion week, which runs to Oct. 1 and includes some of the biggest global fashion labels, including Hermes, Chanel, Valentino and LVMH-owned Louis Vuitton.
Lebanese celebrities and entrepreneurs speak out for Lebanon
Updated 25 September 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: Amid the ongoing Israeli assault on Lebanon, Lebanese celebrities and entrepreneurs including Razane Jammal, Karen Wazen and Jessica Kahawaty have taken to social media to raise awareness and express their concerns.
British Lebanese actress Jammal, who played Lyta Hall in the 2022 Netflix adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman,” took to Instagram to share a piece of art that depicted a bleeding heart on a stamp of Lebanon, captioning the post, “No words. Just bleeding.”
She also posted a video from an earlier interview with Elle Arabia where she talks about the resilience of Lebanese people. She captioned the post with a quote from her interview, “I really have hope for us. I know it’s very dark, but I have hope for my people, and I have hope for my country. There is no other way… life is hope.”
Dubai-based Lebanese influencer and entrepreneur Karen Wazen also took to Instagram to share a lengthy statement.
“From the moment we were born, war has been a reality,” she wrote. “Being Lebanese means distinguishing the sounds of an explosion, from the roar of fighter jets, the crackle of fireworks, and the breaking of sound barriers.
“Do not normalize Lebanese’ suffering. Despite our strength, we are not okay, and should not be okay,” she continued. “Do not normalize forced displacement, war crimes and human rights violations.
“Today we are all Lebanese, we are all victims of injustice, dirty politics, terrorism, racism and impunity… until when?”
Australian Lebanese model and entrepreneur Kahawaty took to Instagram to address her more than 1.5 million followers.
“For my non-Lebanese friends, I want to tell you a little story about Lebanon. It is a small country, only 10,452 km squared which is roughly the size of New York or Tokyo. A whole country, the size of one of these popular cities. For as long as I can remember and for many years before my arrival to this world, Lebanon has been a pawn in a greater fight. My country hasn’t known peace… ever,” she began.
“I ask you all to pray for Lebanon. Our people are suffering immensely, and our hearts are broken,” she added, as she requested readers to listen to her all-time favourite excerpts of a speech by American political scientist, Michael Parenti, which she posted on social media. “This is relevant to not just Lebanon but so many countries in the world subject to the evils of… you know who.”
The speech slammed former colonial powers, saying “poor countries are not ‘under-developed,’ they are over-exploited.”
Amina Muaddi spotted at Paris Fashion Week as Amira Al-Zuhair hits the runway
Updated 25 September 2024
Arab News AP
DUBAI: Romanian Jordanian designer Amina Muaddi, founder of the eponymous luxury brand, turned heads at the Dior show at Paris Fashion Week, while part-Saudi model Amira Al-Zuhair graced the runway for Danish fashion label Ganni.
Muaddi opted for a classic white button-down shirt and a sleek black satin pencil skirt. (Getty Images)
Muaddi, who is a regular at Dior fashion shows, opted for a classic white button-down shirt and a sleek black satin pencil skirt. Her look was accessorized with a pair of dark, round sunglasses and a small, textured blue Dior handbag.
The Dior collection, by Maria Grazia Chiuri, took a sporty turn, blending athletic prowess with an urban menace. The designs evoked a 1960s sci-fi aesthetic, reminiscent of “Star Trek,” but with an edge — daring, asymmetrical shapes paired with knee-high boots that flirted with danger.
Chiuri’s intent was clear from the start: A nod to the power and autonomy of the female form. With a clear reference to Christian Dior’s iconic Amazone dress from the early 1950s, Chiuri reinterpreted the silhouette with sleek, athletic lines, the Associated Press reported.
It echoed the spirit of the recent Paris Olympics, as models walked in skin-tight black tops with geometric cut-outs, circular cutaway patterns, and lace-up boot sneakers. There was a dynamic tension between freedom of movement and structured control — a recurring theme in Chiuri’s work, which often explores the balance between comfort and couture.
Metallic accents, from shimmering embroidery to butterfly motifs, punctuated the otherwise severe palette, adding a touch of delicacy to the sharpness of the designs, according to AP.
Al-Zuhair walked the runway for Ganni in a dark grey, structured blazer styled over similarly colored tailored pants. (Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Al-Zuhair, whose mother is French, walked the runway for Ganni in a dark grey, structured blazer styled over similarly colored tailored pants. Adding an artistic touch, the model also wore a large, ruffled pale blue scarf around her neck, which contrasted with the dark tones of the outfit.
On Wednesday, Al-Zuhair also shared images of the Missoni show she participated in during Milan Fashion Week on Instagram.
She wore a dynamic, eye-catching ensemble featuring bold, wavy stripes in black, white and yellow. The outfit included an asymmetrical top adorned with exaggerated ruffled detailing that cascaded down one side, paired with a high-waisted bikini bottom. Completing the look were matching high-heeled sandals in vibrant yellow, adding an extra pop of color.
Saudi-backed Johnny Depp film gets standing ovation at San Sebastian
Updated 25 September 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: The cast of Johnny Depp-helmed “Modi – Three Days on the Wing of Madness” took to the San Sebastian Film Festival red carpet in Spain on Tuesday night to usher in the star’s second directorial feature.
The film was supported by Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Foundation through its Red Sea International Film Financing initiative.
Red Sea Film Foundation Managing Director Shivani Pandya, Saudi film producer Mohammed Al-Turki — who was previously the CEO of the Red Sea Film Festival — Depp, and stars Riccardo Scamarcio, Antonia Desplat, Bruno Gouery, Ryan McParland and Luisa Ranieri attended the premiere.
The period flick debuted out of competition in San Sebastian where it earned a long standing ovation, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“Modi” is Depp’s second directorial effort and comes 27 years after “The Brave,” his debut film as a director. Described as a “seventy-two-hour whirlwind in the life of bohemian artist Amedeo Modigliani,” the film follows the artist through a chaotic series of events through the streets of war-time Paris in 1916.
At the press conference ahead of the screening, Depp revealed that co-star Al Pacino advised him to helm the movie. “I got a very strange phone call from Al Pacino who said ‘Do remember this Modigliani project?’ and he said I should direct it,” Depp said, according to Deadline.
“For some reason, Al saw me driving this strange machine. And when Pacino speaks, you listen, so I ran with it. But I had no idea what it would be until the pieces of the puzzle came together.”
