Walk like an Egyptian: Chanel sends models down the runway in Egypt-inspired looks
Updated 08 December 2018
Arab News
DUBAI: Models hit the runway in Ancient Egypt-inspired looks as Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld took his traveling fashion show to New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art last week. Here are six looks from the show we loved. Going for gold
Gold shimmered all over the runway, as models strolled past the floodlit temple in everything from gold thigh-high boots to gold brimmed hats to glistening dresses with golden feather adornments, to shoulder-length gold earrings.
(AFP)
Catwalk celebs
A celebrity even walked the runway: Pharrell Williams wore a very Egyptian-looking gold mesh top adorned with designs resembling a wide, jeweled Egyptian necklace and shiny gold pants.
(AFP)
Denim darlings
There was also some distressed denim, and definitely some tweed, but shiny gold was the order of the day.
(AFP)
Mosaic madness
One particularly stunning shoulderless gown looked like an Egyptian mosaic, with interlocking tiles in the Egyptian color palette of light and dark blues, red, and of course, gold.
(AFP)
Egyptian sunset
Hieroglyph-inspired knitwear in bold shades and metallic trousers, which evoked the colors of a sunset over the Nile, also made an appearance on the runway.
(AFP)
Heat wave
The stiff ensemble radiated the heat of a hot, dusty Egyptian day with searing orange and electric yellow shades.
Manamah offers pajamas adorned with incense symbols — an emblem of goodness and hospitality in every Saudi home
Updated 04 July 2025
Rahaf Jambi
For those seeking soft, lightweight pajamas crafted from non-polyester fabrics made in Saudi Arabia, Manamah is the perfect choice.
The brand offers a variety of designs that are not only stylish but also deeply rooted in Saudi culture.
You will love their musk design, which combines cotton and nylon. This fabric blend ensures a soft touch against the skin while providing the breathability needed for warm summer nights. The heritage-inspired style adds a unique flair, making these pajamas more than just sleepwear.
The Saudi coffee cups pajama set, meanwhile, features a comfortable wide elastic waistband, ensuring a snug yet relaxed fit. The playful design not only looks great but also serves as a nod to the rich coffee culture in the Kingdom.
Manamah also offers pajamas adorned with incense symbols — an emblem of goodness and hospitality in every Saudi home. This design resonates deeply with the welcoming spirit of local culture, allowing wearers to feel a connection to their roots. Another favorite design features the iconic Saudi coffee pot, a symbol of hospitality that reflects the brand’s commitment to honoring tradition.
The name Manamah translates as “from a dream” or “deep state of sleep.” It encapsulates the essence of what sleepwear should provide: a cozy and restful experience that allows you to drift into a peaceful slumber.
The pajamas are priced at SR279 ($74). The price feels justified considering the quality of the materials and the cultural significance embedded in each design. Manamah’s commitment to using high-quality, non-polyester fabrics is a significant plus, especially for those who are conscious about the materials we wear.
A closer look at the 11 Saudi designers who exhibited during Paris Fashion Week last month
Updated 04 July 2025
Jean Grogan
PARIS: During Paris Men’s Fashion Week last month, the Saudi 100 Brands showcase by Tranoï took over the fifth floor of the LVMH-owned La Samaritaine department store in the French capital. Eleven Saudi designers showcased their creativity in an initiative from the Saudi Fashion Commission.
The top floor of the iconic address, with its historic peacock-mosaic frieze, Gustav Eiffel wrought-ironwork, and spectacular glass ceiling provided the perfect setting for the originality and exuberance of the young designers presenting their craftsmanship and heritage.
Visitors at the Saudi 100 Brands showcase in Paris. (Supplied)
Burak Cakmak, CEO of the Fashion Commission of Saudi Arabia, said: “Saudi Arabia is a fantastic hub of talent and expertise. This showroom at La Samaritaine represents a major opportunity for Saudi designers to showcase their collections during Paris Fashion Week. It is also a powerful way to strengthen ties between the Saudi Fashion Commission and international fashion players, including Tranoï.”
Here, we run down the 11 brands on show.
1886
Saudi streetwear brand 1886 on display in Paris. (Supplied)
Launched in 2016, 1886 was Saudi’s first premium streetwear brand. Renowned for its quality denim, the brand launched T-shirts this year featuring Jeddah, Al Ula and Abha to celebrate its Saudi heritage. Co-founder Fahad Aljomiah has a “Designed in KSA” sign on his office wall as a daily inspiration for his team. “We have the talent, knowledge, taste and willingness to work hard to set the industry standard, to put KSA definitely on the international fashion map,” he told Arab News.
REBIRTH
Tala Abukhaled launched her eco-friendly luxury resortwear label three years ago, to breathe new life into Saudi artistic craftsmanship and cultural traditions. “My clients tend to be people who love to travel, they’re adventurous, free-spirited and eco-conscious,” she said. One of Abukhaled’s recurring motifs is the integration of raffia made from palm fronds, and woven into macramé detailing. Her palette for her latest collection — Resort 25 — is neutral sand, with hot pink, tangerine orange and olive green.
AWAKEN
“Our slogan is ‘Open your eyes.’ We want to encourage people to wake up to their life, not to live in a virtual world,” said Khalid Almasoud, founder of the Riyadh-based streetwear brand. The brand’s logo is jaquard woven or serigraphed onto many of their pieces.
WAAD ALOQAILI COUTURE
Each intricate creation of this label — founded in 2019 by sisters Waad and Ahlam Aloqaili — is strongly rooted in Saudi tradition, crafted with emotional elegance and cultural depth, with the goal of empowering women. Aloqaili’s hand-beaded teal and emerald mermaid gown with short train stole the show.
ELEVEN
Fusing innovation with comfort, the collection from this Riyadh-based label — bold, distinctive and contemporary —was entirely produced in Saudi, reflecting a strong local identity ready to be exported to the wider world.
HAJRUSS
Hajruss is a contemporary streetwear label fusing innovation and craftsmanship in its creations. The brand combines modernity and tradition, with particular attention to detail and high-end materials. “Each collection is a dialogue between heritage and innovation — where clothing becomes a medium for storytelling,” the catalogue for the showcase stated.
MIRAI
Mirai co-founders Abdulrahman Tarabeh (L) and Omar Shabra. (Supplied)
Mirai means ‘future’ in Japanese. The label fuses Saudi culture, style and energy with Japanese minimalism and attention to detail. “We chose the name Mirai because we believe that timelessness is the future,” said co-founder Abdulrahman Tarabeh. “We don’t follow trends, we don’t follow any fashion calendar; whatever we enjoy making, we make. With Omar (Shabra, his co-founder), we want to create a community where people can tell their personal stories through their clothes.’ Tarabeh pointed out a white jacket with tiny brown dots, “This is one of our signature designs. We sourced the fabric from Tuscany, Italy, and it’s coffee-washed,” he said. “The buttons are engraved with Sakura, Japanese cherry blossom.”
RAZAN ALAZZOUNI
With a background in sculpture and fine arts from Tufts University, Razan Alazzouni is known for “blending art, femininity, and craftsmanship” in her designs, which are “sculptural, delicate, and timeless” and “celebrate soft glamour and Saudi heritage through refined, handcrafted pieces made in her Riyadh atelier,” according to the catalogue.
RBA
Founded in 2017 in New York City, this “cross-cultural Saudi fashion brand” merges bold design, premium quality, and urban aesthetics to create unique streetwear pieces. “Each design is more than clothing — it’s a story woven with symbolism, culture, and modern elegance,” the catalogue stated. “RBA creates pieces that celebrate diversity, sustainability, and artistic expression.”
REEM ALKANHAL
Designer Reem Alkanhal in front of her eponymous label's collection. (Supplied)
This label designs clothing for women who like to express their femininity with simple elegance. The Sword collection, created for the show, “reflects this vision — merging traditional symbolism with modern sophistication for the confident, contemporary woman,” according to the catalogue.
YASMINA Q
Yasmina Q is a comtemporary womenwear label that seeks to create positive change through working mindfully with local communities, with a focus on knitwear. “We’re very focused on sustainably. I’m based in Saudi, we source our yarn from Italy and produce in London. Each piece we produce has zero waste,” said founder Yasmina Qanzal.
Saudi luxury brand Lavish Concepts opens London atelier
Updated 04 July 2025
Jasmine Bager
LONDON: On June 26, the luxury lifestyle brand Lavish Concepts, founded by Saudi businesswomen Nada Altobaishi and Hala Al-Sharekh, opened an atelier in Chiswick, London.
Described as “a slow, salon-style shopping experience,” the atelier showcases a carefully curated selection of fashion, jewelry and objets d’art that blend artisanal skill, cultural heritage and contemporary design. It is the first permanent home for Lavish Concepts, which has previously only staged temporary pop-ups in the UK capital.
“We wanted to reframe how people experience luxury: less noise, more nuance,” Altobaishi tells Arab News. “The Chiswick Atelier captures that in every detail. It’s not about volume; it’s about storytelling and voice.”
Lavish Concepts' co-founders Nada Altobaishi and Hala Al-Sharekh in their new London atelier on its launch night. (Supplied/Naela El Assad)
Nine Saudi brands are featured, including Dalsh Designs, Herfah, Yarakech, and Qormuz. The wider lineup also includes products from brands originating in the UK, US, UAE, Oman, Morocco and Jordan.
“Each selection is deeply intentional. With the Saudi brands, we looked for designers who are redefining heritage — not discarding it — and reworking it into something unapologetically current and wearable,” Al-Sharekh, officially designated as Lavish Concepts’ “brand visionary,” says.
Positioning Lavish Atelier as a “slow, salon-style” space rather than a conventional boutique was a deliberate decision on the part of its founders.
“The stories behind these pieces and our partner brands deserve more than a passing glance,” says Altobaishi. “We wanted a space that encourages pause; a place where conversation and great craftsmanship are given equal weight.”
The pair’s Saudi identity shapes every element of the atelier, says Al-Sharekh. “From the aesthetics to the hospitality, the way we curate is always filtered through a very Saudi sense of meaning and memory.”
So far, Lavish Concepts has yet to stage an event in Saudi Arabia, but plans are in place to do so within the next 18 months, the founders say.
Meanwhile, they hope that visitors to this new permanent home in London will walk away with a deeper appreciation of the craftsmanship and cultural richness behind each piece.
“This isn’t just an event, it’s an invitation to participate in the Lavish lifestyle. We hope people leave feeling like they’ve stepped into a slower, more considered rhythm, one that stays with them well beyond the double doors,” Altobaishi concludes.
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
Updated 30 June 2025
Arab News and AP
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.
Camila Alves McConaughey and Matthew McConaughey pose outside the Jacquemus show. (Getty Images)
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.
