DUBAI: Lebanese design house Ashi Studio is pulling out all the stops at the Cannes Film Festival and has already dressed two international stars for their jaunt on the red carpet.
Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone took to the red carpet on Friday before the screening of the film “Ash is Purest White (Jiang hu er nv)” at the 71st edition of the festival. She statuesque star wore magenta Ashi Studio gown and could not stop smiling, giggling and apparently enjoying herself in the larger-than-life dress.
Her face was framed by huge pink ruffles, while the train of the voluminous, tiered skirt seemed almost never ending — she took special care as she strode up the famous steps at the film festival, taking the hand of a lucky usher who was presumably more than happy to help.
The brand also dressed British-Thai actress Araya Hargate for the same premiere. Hargate wore dramatic feathered jumpsuit with a V-shaped plunging neckline.
The white outfit stood out in a sea of traditional gowns due to its bootleg cut and heaping of fine, feathery wisps. Although the Abominable Snowman does come to mind, Hargate’s expertly curated jewelry and tight up-do place this outfit just on the right side of the blurred line between high fashion and hilarity.
Women are making headlines at Cannes, and thankfully it isn’t just for their outfits. They are the heroes of a new wave of films at the film festival, where Hollywood’s #MeToo moment may have just spawned its first big budget all-female blockbuster.
AFP reported that Jessica Chastain caused a stir Thursday by revealing a dream team cast of female talent including Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Lupita Nyong’o of “Black Panther” fame and Fan Bingbing for her new $75-million Bond-style caper called “355.”
The “Interstellar” and “Zero Dark Thirty” star said she came up with the idea after serving on the Cannes jury last year where she found the depiction of women in the line-up “quite disturbing.”
With little or no female-led action films in Cannes’ more commercial market, she decided to do something about it.
The top secret project leaked out when the A-listers were spotted meeting potential backers in a five-star Cannes hotel.
Chastain quickly went public, tweeting: “Top secret no more. Mission accepted.” And she walked out in style with her co-stars to promote the project.
“I love ‘Jason Bourne,’ the Bond films and ‘Mission Impossible,’ and I asked myself why, apart from ‘Charlie’s Angels,’ there has never been a female spy movie like that,” she said.
While fellow Hollywood stars Cate Blanchett and Kristen Stewart — who lead this year’s majority female jury — have been preaching empowerment at Cannes, other women are doing it for themselves in a series of new movies at the festival.
They go from an Icelandic eco-warrior outrunning the island’s army to Kurdish women fighters battling Daesh.
“Girls of the Sun,” with Iranian star Golshifteh Farahani heading a brigade of Yazidi women out for revenge on extremists, is only one of a number of estrogen-fueled films where women go well beyond the cinematic stereotypes.
Another contender in the running for the Palme d’Or top prize — Jia Zhangke’s “Ash is the Purest White” — has a young dancer pick up a pistol to defend her man from rival Chinese mobsters.
And among the festival’s most praised films so far is “One Day,” which follows a Hungarian working mother through a grueling 36 hours as she tries to juggle her job with the demands of her three children and a husband who may be about to stray.
The Hollywood Reporter raved about how it makes “painfully visible how much self-effacing effort goes into... the least appreciated job on the planet: being a mother.”
“No one thanks her but everyone expects her to remember and do a million little things every day,” it added.
Lebanon’s Ashi Studio takes over Cannes
Lebanon’s Ashi Studio takes over Cannes
- Lebanese design house Ashi Studio is taking over the red carpet at Cannes
- Bollywood star Deepika Padukone chose to wear the brand
Bella Hadid’s Orabella launches new collabaration
DUBAI: American Dutch Palestinian supermodel Bella Hadid is expanding her beauty brand, Orebella, into the world of accessories — and she’s doing it with a little help from her close friends.
Hadid has teamed up with Wildflower Cases co-founders Sydney and Devon Lee Carlson to launch a limited-edition collaboration featuring two dreamy new products: an iPhone case and a “Scentable Wristlet.”
Hadid took to Instagram to announce the launch, writing, “Feeling like the luckiest girl in the world to be able to be creative with my beauty boss sisters. Life is beautiful when we have the opportunity to watch our friends winning. So proud of you two. So proud of our teams. So proud of us. Love you all — thank you for bringing this vision to life.
“Cases ANDDDD our most special scented wristlets to keep the orebella scent of your choice on you at all times! Been wanting to make this accessory for a while, had the idea for scented bracelets and wristlets, and my sisters pulled it all together for us. Love you guys so much,” she added.
Teased earlier on Instagram through behind-the-scenes campaign shots, the collaboration blends Orebella’s fragrance-forward ethos with Wildflower’s unique phone accessory style.
The iPhone case is designed with a celestial sky motif and a delicate crescent moon, channeling Hadid’s signature mystical aesthetic — part of what the trio call a “girl gang collection,” celebrating the friendship between Bella, Devon, and Sydney.
Meanwhile, the Scentable Wristlet introduces a functional — and fragrant — twist. Designed to hold a small vial of Orebella’s signature scent, the wristlet allows users to carry their favorite fragrance with them wherever they go, seamlessly merging style with sensory self-expression.
Orebella, which launched in May last year with a sell-out line of clean fragrance mists, is rooted in Hadid’s love of scent layering, spirituality, and beauty rituals.
Hadid wrote on her website at the time: “For me, fragrance has always been at the center of my life — helping me feel in charge of who I am and my surroundings. From my home to nostalgic memories, to my own energy and connection with others, scent has been an outlet for me. It made me feel safe in my own world.”
Gigi Hadid’s latest cashmere launch inspired by New York
DUBAI: US Palestinian Dutch supermodel and brand founder Gigi Hadid has released her latest collection — and a new summer campaign — under her cashmere label Guest in Residence.
The new line was inspired by New York, according to Hadid, who founded her brand in 2022.
“I’m endlessly inspired by New York City — a place I’ve called home for many years — and the notion that we’re all guests here. For our collection, we embrace the great duality every New Yorker faces in Summer: the thrill of a busy day in the city, paired with the urge to hop in a car with friends and escape to somewhere quiet and laid-back. No matter where you find yourself, our cashmere pieces embrace a spirit of timelessness that always works,” Hadid is quoted as saying on the Guest in Residence Instagram page.
The launch was complemented by a video campaign shared on social media, in which Hadid is joined by fellow models as they explore New York in the summer.
Paolo Santosuosso acted as the campaign’s art director, while the looks were styled by Elizabeth Fraser-Bell.
Hadid launched her clothing label, which features soft, colorful knitwear, in September 2022.
“Over the last handful of years, I didn’t want to be backed into starting my own line just because there was an offer on the table or a deal to be made,” she wrote to her followers on Instagram at the time.
“The earliest days of Guest in Residence came about when I started to question the cashmere market, and those answers gave me a path,” she added.
“I believe that because of its sustainable qualities — natural and made to cherish and to pass down — cashmere is a luxury that should be more accessible.”
Celebrities including Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Taylor Swift and Bradley Cooper have been spotted wearing the label’s designs.
In June, Hadid also unveiled a new campaign with Brazilian footwear brand Havaianas.
The model, who launched a line with the flip flop label, starred in a vintage-inspired series of photographs. In the shots, she shows off slippers from her collection with the brand and is seen wearing retro outfits on a beach.
Amira Al-Zuhair celebrates her birthday
DUBAI: Birthday tributes poured in for part-Saudi model Amira Al-Zuhair, who celebrated her 24th birthday this week.
From producer Kawther Alrimawi to lifestyle publication Hia Magazine, fashion and entertainment industry insiders took to social media to wish the runway star a happy birthday.
The model wrapped up shooting a campaign for an unnamed brand in Milan when the clock struck midnight. She marked the beginning of her birthday with a candle-topped dessert at a restaurant in the Italian city.
Al-Zuhair, born in Paris to a French mother and Saudi father, has made her mark on the fashion world and appeared on the runway for an array of renowned fashion houses such as Missoni, Maison Alaia, Brunello Cucinelli, Balmain, Dolce & Gabbana, Giambattista Valli, Giorgio Armani, Elie Saab and many more.
In addition to her runway appearances, Al-Zuhair has featured in campaigns for high-profile brands such as Prada, Chanel and Carolina Herrera.
Al-Zuhair returned to the runway in May when she walked in Louis Vuitton’s high jewelry collection show, held at Bellver Castle on the island of Majorca, Spain.
The show marked her return to the runway after she hit the catwalk at the amfAR gala in Cannes in May, before which she walked for Australian label Zimmermann at Paris Fashion Week in March.
For Louis Vuitton, the model wore a strapless white gown featuring a fitted bodice and a soft, flowing skirt. The dress was detailed with cascading ruffles outlined in dark trim, which ran down the front and sides.
She also made a statement at the Zimmermann show wearing a burnt-orange ensemble. The sleeveless, fitted dress featured draped, ruched detailing that added movement to the design. The look was finished off with strappy brown leather sandals and gold accessories, including chandelier earrings and bracelets.
In late May, Al-Zuhair also reflected on her recent campaign with Balmain, sharing photos from the Resort 2025 collection shoot. “Had so much fun shooting inside the Eiffel Tower herself!” she wrote in the caption.
It was not Al-Zuhair’s first collaboration with Balmain. She previously walked for the brand during Paris Fashion Week in September.
Designer Alina Anwar takes over Times Square
DUBAI: Dubai-based designer Alina Anwar, founder of Alina Anwar Couture, this week appeared on a digital billboard in Times Square, New York.
Well known for dressing celebrities in Hollywood and Bollywood, including Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton, Kareena Kapoor and Idina Menzel, Anwar has expanded her reach internationally with her gowns and suits.
The billboard featured Anwar, who is famous for her structured silhouettes and feminine designs, wearing a red sequined skirt from her own collection, accompanied by her brand’s statement: “My aim is to empower women through powerful dressing and to set them on a path of personal freedom and possibilities.”
In a statement she said: “I created this brand to empower women, to make them feel confident, unstoppable and seen. To have that vision now broadcast in Times Square is surreal, but it’s also just the beginning.”
Anwar’s brand is a luxury eveningwear label that creates gowns and tea-length dresses using contemporary couture techniques and French finishing. The brand’s pieces feature fine fabrics and detailed tailoring, and are made in the UAE.
In 2019, her work gained global attention when US singer Mariah Carey wore one of her designs in a remake of the “All I Want for Christmas Is You” music video, released to mark the song’s 25th anniversary. Carey wore a pine green, fully sequined, long-sleeved cocktail dress with a scooped neckline, designed by Anwar.
“I hope to see more and more Hollywood stars wear my brand and as a Dubai-based fashion label, I am so overwhelmed by the trust that they are giving me. I am here to advocate UAE-made products (that) are world-class,” Anwar said at the time.
Anwar is not the only regional figure to appear on a Times Square billboard.
Several Arab artists have featured in recent years.
Egyptian singer Amr Diab became the first Arab musical artist to appear on a Spotify billboard in Times Square in 2019.
Since then, others have followed, including Palestinian-Chilean singer Elyanna, who was featured in December as part of Spotify Arabia’s “EQUAL” campaign spotlighting female artists from the region.
From Shanghai to New York, stars show off Lebanese looks
DUBAI: International stars including Hollywood actress Emily Blunt and Chinese K-Pop singer Victoria Song showed off glittering looks by Lebanese designers at global events.
Blunt attended the American Institute for Stuttering's Annual Gala in New York late last week in a gown from Lebanese label Elie Saab’s pre-fall 2025 ready-to-wear collection.
The pleated gown came in a simmering shade of burnt sienna and incorporated a bouquet of ruffles on one shoulder. The Oscar-nominated actress chose to keep things relatively simple when it came to her accessories, opting for minimal earrings, bracelets and a few shimmering rings. Blunt’s look was put together by celebrity stylist Jessica Paster, who also works with singer Paris Jackson and actress and comedian Quinta Brunson. Launched in 1998, the American Institute for Stuttering is a non-profit organization offering speech therapy and community support for people of who stutter.
Blunt previously wore an Elie Saab design for the 2024 BAFTAs in London and proved she’s a fan of Lebanese creations by attending the Clooney Foundation for Justice’s Albie Awards in a hot red dress by Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad in September 2023.
Meanwhile, Chinese songstress Song showed off a full beaded lilac number by Elie Saab at the 2025 2025 Sina Weibo Movie Night Awards on Friday.
The red carpet in Shanghai, China, played host to a number of decadent Lebanese designs, with the likes of Elaine Zhong showing off a Zuhair Murad gown as Tong Li Ya opted for Georges Hobeika and Chen Du Ling stunned in Georges Chakra.
The actresses all opted for floor-length shimmering gowns in various shades of gold, with Zuhair Murad’s social media team describing the fashion house’s creation as “an embroidered corset with leaf petal detailing in champagne and silver paired with a draped silk chiffon skirt from the Zuhair Murad Couture Spring 2025 collection.”
