Six headlines of the past four weeks Keeping up with the latest fashion news can be quite exhausting, but things are about to become a lot simpler. Pulse is rounding up all last month’s newsworthy Arab headlines you need to have on your radar!
Nafsika Skourti vs. OAV
Nafsika Skourti took to Instagram to call out Saudi-based designer OAV, for allegedly copying the brand’s “Tuxedo Dress” which features their signature sculptural couture sleeves. The OAV piece made headlines after it was worn by Saudi influencer Yara Alnamlah, who boasts 1.2 million followers on Instagram, during Paris Fashion Week. Skourti left a comment under Alnmlah’s post saying “It’s nice to see you supporting local, especially at [Paris Fashion Week]. It’s a shame that the designer you chose is shamelessly copying our bestselling designs. Please note that we are still a small brand so the implications are huge. I hope you understand.” While the similarities between the two designs are undeniable, namely the ivory couture sleeves against a black bodice, the issue raises greater concern regarding the creative integrity in our region. Where’s our Arab Diet Prada?
Shop Benchellal’s Timeless Pieces on Net-a-Porter
FTA Prize Evening-Wear 2021 Finalist Mohamed Benchellal debuted a collection made up of 8 timeless re-editions from previous collections on fashion e-commerce giant, Net-A-Porter. The exclusive selection of “Grand Classics” in Midnight Black, Porcelain White, Scarlet Red and Deep Sea Blue, are pieces that are designed to last – marking a new era in fashion driven by transparency. Not only is a full list of suppliers and manufacturers made available to the public, the collection also includes a variety of sizes, celebrating body positivity. The collection is part of the website’s sustainability division, titled “Net Sustain.”
Angelina Jolies Stuns in Harithand
Angelina Jolie attended Variety’s Power of Women event in Beverly Hills, wearing a loose fitting caramel brown silk dress from FTA Prize Evening-Wear 2021 Finalist, Harith Hashim’s “Sunset Dream” prêt-à-porter collection. The maxi-length with open back silk dress made headlines, and the Iraqi-Lebanese designer has been dubbed as the “Next Great Red Carpet Label” by US Vogue.
Salim Azzam’s “A New Land”
FTA Prize winner in the 2019 Ready-to-Wear category, Salim Azzam, released his debut menswear collection, titled “A New Land.” The collection is a celebration of a fresh start and represent a place where the wildest dreams can take us. The collection features new signature cross stitching and square-to-square techniques to transform illustrations into crochet pieces aiming “to emulate the abstraction and elegance of a new passage” and a new way forward. The collection is now available to buy on www.salimazzam.com
Mônot, from Venice to Paris!
From Venice to Paris, Mônot’s Eli Mizrahi is marking his territory in the fashion industry. Last month, the FTA 2021 Evening-Wear Finalist gathered a star-studded guest list of leading women including Kate Hudson, Demi Moore, SooJoo Park and Adesuwa Aighewi at the Aman Hotel in Venice for a dinner to celebrate women in cinema with the Red Sea International Film. This month, the brand presented its Spring / Summer 2022 collection at the Ritz Hotel in Paris.
MiuMiu X Meriem Bennani
MiuMiu’s Spring / Summer 2022 explored North Africa with an Arab twist we didn’t know we needed! The brand pitched Moroccan artist Meriem Bennani for their Paris Fashion Week live stream via a series of artistic interventions. “Alongside reality, fantasy: the physical and virtual spaces of the MiuMiu show are punctuated with works by the artist Meriem Bennani, whose body of work explores intimate relationships mediated through the camera,” the brand said in a statement. The video, which starred Bennani’s own mother and Moroccan photographer, Ilyes Grieb, is very much influenced by the artist’s heritage, and it certainly does not disappoint. Watch the director’s cut on MiuMiu.com.
