LONDON: In a warehouse at London's sprawling Heathrow Airport, a border officer pulls open a cardboard box he suspects contains contraband goods. Bingo — his instincts are rewarded.
The box is packed with beige and black sneakers that to the untrained eye look identical to the limited edition Adidas Yeezy Boost, designed by rap star Kanye West, which sold out within minutes of being released last year and now have a resale value many times their original retail price.
In the past five years, the Border Force, the policing command under Britain's Home Office charged with immigration and customs controls, has seized thousands of consignments at Heathrow alone, valued at around £100 million ($125 million), said Peter Herron, senior officer for specialist operations. "Anything a counterfeiter can counterfeit, they will."
Annual trade in fake products was worth $461 billion in 2013, around 2.5 percent of total global trade, according to Piotr Stryszowski, an economist with the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The money goes to organized crime, and helps fund terrorism and the trafficking of drugs, people, sex and wildlife, as well as the lavish lifestyles of its kingpins.
"It's the globalized illicit business of the 21st century," says Stryszowski, who laments it's not taken as seriously as other contraband, such as cocaine.
Consumers may see fakes as "fun" and feel clever to buy sunglasses or sneakers that look like the real thing but cost a fraction of the price.
The reality, however, is anything but fun for the workers, many of them children, who toil in appalling, often slave-like conditions in secret factories making fake products for gang bosses who, Stryszowski says, "have no ethics and no respect for the law."
It's this human cost that makes counterfeit goods one of the most insidiously dangerous criminal activities in the world today.
London-based intellectual property lawyer Mary Bagnall describes scenes of horror — children chained to sewing machines; people locked in underground factories in remote corners of China — that characterize an industry so lucrative yet so low-risk that some crime gangs are getting out of the drugs and people-trafficking businesses and into fakes.
"This makes more money for organized crime with less risk for them," she told The Associated Press, describing counterfeiting as part of a "massive global web" of criminality. "It's difficult to communicate to consumers why it is not a victimless crime."
"Consumers are used to the idea of fake handbags and even fashion counterfeits, (which) alone amount to some 2.6 billion pounds ($3.24 billion) worth of lost sales and I think an estimated 40,000 lost jobs annually; and that's just in one industry," she said.
The total annual cost to the European Union's fashion industry is 26 billion euros ($27.5 billion), she said.
Consumers can understand the perils of fake air bags for cars, or fake toys or electrical goods that "could explode in the face of a child," Bagnall said. But the fake goods industry goes much further than that.
"What consumers are probably less aware of is the danger of counterfeits in relation to other products — I'm talking now about pharmaceuticals, I'm talking about cosmetics," she said.
Ingredients found in fake cosmetics include chemicals that can cause disfigurement or worse. Medicines made on the cheap and outside regulation can cause serious health problems.
"We have tested cosmetics and what we've found is that they will be containing ingredients such as cadmium, arsenic, lead, to very dangerous levels. The worst one we found contained cyanide," said Matthew Cridland, trading standards manager for Newport, a city 200 kilometers (125 miles) northwest of London.
The vast majority of fakes, more than 81 percent, come from China and Hong Kong. The biggest victims are in the United States, Italy, France and Switzerland, and include designers and manufacturers of everything from high-end fashion clothing, footwear, jewelry and watches, to cosmetics, perfumes and medicines.
Britain is an important destination for counterfeiters, since its purchasing power is high and its consumers enjoy buying brand-name merchandise. Also, like many markets for fakes, the internet has seen illicit profits grow for organized crime while the risk of detection shrinks.
Matt Cope, head of Digital Technology Policy with Britain's Intellectual Property Office, suggests that undetected volumes of fake merchandise are on the rise.
"With the explosion of online shopping, everybody is very used to ordering from online platforms, and you can order direct from manufacturers, from source countries like China," he said. "It is harder to track a larger number of small parcels than a smaller number of large shipping containers."
Some internet sites clearly sell fake goods at a cheap rate and are easily targeted by trademark owners and their lawyers. Others offer fake goods at close to the legitimate retail price to dupe buyers into believing they are getting the real thing at a discount. Still others, Bagnall said, offer genuine products on a "grey market" that bypasses the brand owner to produce illegal profits.
Online marketplaces strive to keep fakes off their sites to protect their own brand integrity. EBay's global corporate affairs and communications manager Ryan Moore said the company works with "brand owners, retailers and law enforcement agencies to combat bad activity."
Governments, too, are working across borders to reduce, if not eliminate, the manufacture, distribution and sale of counterfeit goods, and to better inform consumers about the crime gangs, criminal operations and human misery it supports. The British government, for instance, stations a fake trade specialist at its Beijing embassy.
Nevertheless, reality prevails.
"It's a vast market and consumers always have an appetite for a bargain," said Cope. "Until they can easily identify whether those goods are genuine or not, it will be very difficult for them to make that choice."
Cope also says some people are going to buy fakes no matter what.
"It's something that will be very difficult to wipe out in its entirety, but we can make a dent," he said.
Fake fashion fuels vast illicit profits, sea of human misery
Fake fashion fuels vast illicit profits, sea of human misery
Imaan Hammam continues to highlight Arab culture
DUBAI: Dutch Moroccan Egyptian model Imaan Hammam touched down in Cairo this week for an undisclosed photoshoot and shared highlights from the trip on social media, set to music by the late Egyptian singer Abdel Halim Hafiz.
Posting to her 1.7 million Instagram followers, Hammam offered a visual diary of her stay, capturing a mix of street scenes, style moments and local ambiance.
The carousel opened with a mirror selfie in an elevator, where she wears a high-waisted printed maxi skirt paired with a black fitted top. In another shot, she appears in a more laid-back look featuring camouflage trousers, a white tank top, a grey hoodie and yellow sneakers.
She also shared a short video that captures her tuk-tuk ride through a narrow alley, followed by snapshots of Cairo’s street life, including a local bookstore and a rooftop view of a mosque at sunset.
Hammam’s Cairo visit reflects a growing interest in reconnecting with her roots, something that also drives her latest passion project, Ayni.
Launched earlier this year, Ayni is an archival platform dedicated to preserving and celebrating Arab artistic expression through Hammam’s perspective.
In a video she shared on the Ayni’s Instagram account, she said: “For me, its always been so much deeper than just fashion. It is about staying connected to my roots, telling stories that move me and shining a light on the voices that need to be heard.”
She said her hope for Ayni is for it to grow beyond a personal vision and become a “real community.”
Hammam is one of the most in-demand models in the industry. She was scouted in Amsterdam’s Centraal Station before making her catwalk debut in 2013 by walking in Jean Paul Gaultier’s couture show.
Hammam has appeared on the runway for leading fashion houses such as Burberry, Fendi, Prada, Bottega Veneta, Marc Jacobs, Moschino, Balenciaga and Carolina Herrera, to name a few, and starred in international campaigns for DKNY, Celine, Chanel, Versace, Givenchy, Giorgio Armani, Tiffany & Co. and others.
Amina Muaddi joins starry front row at Jacquemus show
DUBAI/ PARIS: Jordanian Romanian footwear designer Amina Muaddi joined the celebrity guest list at Sunday’s Jacquemus show during Paris Fashion Week for menswear.
The show took place on the final day of menswear fashion week at Versailles.
Muaddi, who showed off a casual monochrome look, was joined by the likes of Camila Alves McConaughey and her Hollywood actor husband Matthew McConaughey. South Korean singer Kim Hong Joong was on hand as US actress Emma Roberts also made an appearance.
Jacquemus has long attracted a cult celebrity following, with many glittering names attending its shows.
The spectacle of celebrity is a trend that dominated the global fashion industry this season — eclipsing fabric, form and even the wildest silhouettes.
In a year marked by global anxiety and a hunger for fantasy, star power flooded Paris Fashion Week, turning runways into gladiator arenas where A-list icons, K-pop idols and digital megastars became the main event.
Beyonce and Jay-Z didn’t just attend Louis Vuitton’s blockbuster show — they became the show.
As they swept into the Pompidou Center, cameras flashed and phones shot skyward. Before the first look even hit the runway, images of the couple ricocheted across the globe. K-pop idols like J-Hope and Jackson Wang livestreamed their arrival to millions, while crowds outside flooded social feeds with every glimpse of a star.
As the industry’s spring season wrapped up Sunday, it’s clear: Fashion’s global audience is focused less on what’s worn and more on who’s wearing it.
This interplay between celebrity and fashion is hardly new, but in 2025, the desire for escapism and star-driven spectacle is peaking like never before.
“It’s about celebrity clickbait, and it’s at a tipping point now. Celebrities have replaced the designers and stylists as the tastemakers,” said Anna Barr, a fashion magazine editor who attended shows.
Beyonce's appearance this week encapsulated a truth that every major brand — from Louis Vuitton to Dior, Hermès to Saint Laurent — now understands: The real front row isn’t in Paris, but on Instagram, TikTok and Weibo. And nothing sells quite like a star.
What once was a private preview for buyers and editors is now a worldwide entertainment event. Designers don’t just stage shows — they produce spectacles.
Amira Al-Zuhair walks for AWGE in Paris
DUBAI/PARIS: Saudi French model Amira Al-Zuhair hit the runway at the AWGE show as part of Paris Men's Fashion Week.
The 24-year-old model showed off an ensemble featuring a trench coat layered over a white vest and tartan-style miniskirt by A$AP Rocky’s label.
Rapper-designer A$AP Rocky’s second fashion show was attended by his long-term partner Rihanna, who sat front row with their son Riot. His sophomore collection, titled “Obligatory Clothing,” was just (about) how you take the simple uniform or the purpose of a uniform, and how people correlate that to profession, lifestyle and everything,” Rocky said after the show, according to WWD.
The show was a riot of color, with its precision tailoring praised by a number of fashion critics.
It came as colors ran wild and silhouettes softened at Paris Men's Fashion Week, which ended Sunday, as designers brought a rare breath of fresh air to a gloomy fashion climate.
Despite the economic turbulence affecting the luxury sector, this Fashion Week was a “shot of creativity that felt incredibly good,” Alice Feillard, men's buying director at Galeries Lafayette, told AFP.
The Spring/Summer 2026 season “is much more creative than the previous ones, which were a bit duller”, said Adrien Communier, the fashion editor at GQ France.
Both experts observed a more relaxed vibe, with Feillard pointing to “good humor” and “optimism,” while Communier noted a “lighter mood.”
“With so many debuts, there was a sense of renewal. And so, I found that people were more curious,” he added.
After a notable women's show in March, Julian Klausner made waves Thursday with his first menswear show for Dries Van Noten, while Jonathan Anderson's long-awaited debut at Dior drew applause on Friday.
A renewed burst of creativity lit up the runways, most visibly through bold color choices. Brown tones and pastels made way for a richer, more saturated palette for next summer.
Saint Laurent opened the week with violet, navy, orange and moss green, while Pharrell Williams at Louis Vuitton channeled Indian motifs and hues.
Dries Van Noten made a splash with bold fuchsia and blood red, while Kenzo exploded with candy pink, aquatic blue and chick yellow.
Hourglass Cosmetics expands into Saudi Arabia with vegan, purpose-driven line
DUBAI: A little while ago, I attended a masterclass for Hourglass Cosmetics in Dubai. As someone who does not wear much makeup — I do not own foundation or even basic tools — I was curious to see whether this much-talked-about brand could change my mind.
As the class unfolded and the makeup artist demonstrated how to create their signature “dewy” look, I wondered: Is this brand for someone like me? After the session, I browsed the range, got shade-matched, and tested a few brushes. A few days later, I received a curated selection of cult favourites: the Airbrush Primer, Skin Tint, a clump-free mascara, a richly pigmented liquid blush, a volumising glossy balm, and other treats.
I decided to put it all to the test. The results surprised me. I did not look overly made up — my sun spots were still visible beneath the tint — but my skin looked fresh, and my cheeks had that light, rosy flush you usually only get from a good mood or better lighting.
The next test was longevity. I applied the entire routine at 5 a.m. before a flight to Rome. By 11 p.m. local time, my friends were amazed that my makeup was still intact. It was time for a purge — ditch the old products and restock with what really worked. So I decided to learn more about the Hourglass brand; its philosophy, iconic products and their foray into the Gulf Cooperation Council region, especially Saudi Arabia.
Founded by beauty entrepreneur Carisa Janes in 2004, Hourglass was born to challenge the traditional idea of luxury beauty. “From the outset, my vision was to merge innovation with integrity,” Janes tells Arab News. “I wanted to prove that you don’t have to compromise on ethics to experience exceptional quality.”
This philosophy has been at the heart of Hourglass since day one, setting them apart in an industry that, at the time, was not prioritizing cruelty-free beauty at a luxury level. The brand quickly carved a niche for itself by combining high-performance formulations with a cruelty-free philosophy — something rarely seen in luxury beauty at the time — and eventually made the bold move to go fully vegan. “At the time, luxury beauty was so often synonymous with indulgence, with little consideration for animal welfare. I could not accept that performance had to come at the cost of compassion.”
Every product they create is designed to push boundaries, both in innovation and impact. The Unlocked Collection, for instance, is rooted in the brand’s commitment to animal welfare, with 5 percent of net profits supporting the Nonhuman Rights Project’s work to secure fundamental rights for animals. “The collection embodies the fusion of luxury and performance, offering high-impact, radiant formulas that feel as indulgent as they are purposeful,” Janes said.
Equally groundbreaking is the Ambient Lighting Collection, inspired by the transformative power of light. “I wanted to develop powders that could recreate the most flattering lighting effects — whether it is the soft glow of candlelight or the diffused radiance of golden hour,” she says. The result was a finely milled, photoluminescent formula that enhances the complexion in an almost ethereal way — subtle yet transformative, and now one of Hourglass’s most iconic innovations.
A staple among celebrity makeup artists and celebrities alike, the brand is now fast extending its presence within the GCC, especially the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Janes said the Kingdom “is an incredibly exciting market. There’s a distinct appreciation for artistry, luxury, and innovation — qualities that are intrinsic to Hourglass.”
As Saudi consumers increasingly seek brands that align with their values, Hourglass’s cruelty-free, vegan philosophy feels especially timely. Janes notes that Hourglass has seen strong momentum across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and the expansion into Saudi Arabia is a natural step in their global strategy.
“The Kingdom represents a key market in our global expansion, with a beauty industry that continues to grow at a remarkable pace,” she said.
Janes’ ultimate vision for Hourglass is to redefine luxury beauty for the future — to prove that artistry, innovation and ethics can coexist at the highest level. “I hope that when people think of Hourglass, they don’t just see a brand, but a movement — one that proves luxury can be transformative, not just for those who wear it, but for the world at large.”
Sofia Carson wears Elie Saab at Biarritz Film Festival
DUBAI: American actor and singer Sofia Carson attended the third Nouvelles Vagues International Biarritz Film Festival this week, wearing a black ensemble by Lebanese designer Elie Saab.
Her outfit featured a long-sleeved dress with a bow-tied collar and layered ruffle detailing along the sleeves and bodice. The skirt was tiered and embellished with black sequins and sheer mesh panels, creating a structured silhouette with varied textures. She completed the look with black pointed-toe heels and diamond earrings.
Held annually in the southwestern coastal town of Biarritz, the festival highlights emerging voices in global cinema and focuses on innovation in storytelling.
Carson appeared on the red carpet alongside other guests and filmmakers as the festival launched its week-long program of screenings, panels, and industry discussions.
She later shared photos from the event on Instagram, writing: “Honored to be a part of a jury of extraordinary young artists, filmmakers, directors, lovers of cinema. Merci @festivalnouvellesvagues for celebrating the power, responsibility, and artistry of youth in cinema.”
Carson has long been a fan of Saab’s designs. Earlier this month she showcased multiple looks by the couturier during Netflix-related events.
In the lead-up to Netflix Tudum 2025: The Live Event, the platform’s global celebration of fandom and storytelling, Carson wore a white ensemble featuring a tailored blazer, wide-leg trousers and a matching shirt.
On a separate occasion she wore an all-black outfit composed of wide-leg trousers and a sheer top with cape-like sleeves, tied at the neck with a long scarf. Both outfits were from Saab’s Ready-to-Wear Pre-Fall 2025 Collection.
She appeared in one of the designer’s ensembles in March while promoting her latest project, “The Life List.” She also wore a green dress from the designer’s Ready-to-Wear Fall/Winter 2023–2024 Collection during an appearance on “CBS Mornings” in New York. The look featured an oversized floral embellishment at the neck in shades of yellow and white, styled with deep green knee-high boots and a matching bag.
Later that same week, she wore another look by the designer, a black dress with a fitted silhouette and structured shoulders. She styled it with long leather gloves, sheer black stockings and pointed-toe pumps.
