It’s the end of the month, and you know what the means — we’re back with our monthly round up of all the newsworthy headlines from the MENA region and beyond. Here are the five fashion headlines you need to have on your radar!

ANDREA WAZEN DEBUTS A COLLECTION OF BAGS AND PURSES

FTA Prize 2020 winner, Andrea Wazen has released her debut collection of bags and purses. The exclusive drop features three styles: the Armid Bag, Trifora bag and Mandaloun Bag. All three styles are inspired by her Lebanese roots. The Armid takes its inspiration from the trapezoidal roofs of traditional Lebanese homes, featuring the brand’s signature embroidery on see-through mesh, while the Trifora bag is named after the three-light window of classic Lebanese architecture. The Mandaloun Bag is named after the type of mullioned window in traditional Lebanese architecture and takes its shape from the classic architectural feature, while featuring the brand’s arch embroidery on see-through mesh. The collection is available for purchase on https://andreawazen.com/shop/

FAI KHADRA COLLABORATES WITH OLIVER PEOPLES

Palestinian model and multidisciplinary creative, Fai Khadra has collaborated with famed American eyewear brand, Oliver Peoples for an “exclusive sunglass that fuses the design aesthetics of Oliver Peoples with the influential mindset of Fai.”  Khadra, who made his eyewear debut through this collaboration, wanted to connect contradictory worlds, while attempting them to merge them harmoniously. The unisex collection features five different styles and is available for purchase, globally, on https://www.oliverpeoples.com/usa/fai-khadra-collaboration

RAMI KADI IS SET TO RELEASE HIS FIRST NFT COLLECTION

Lebanese courtier, Rami Kadi is tapping into the digital realm, and is set to release his Spring/Summer 2022 collection in the form of NFTs in February. The collection, titled “Lucid Algorithms,” is the “very first human-computer couture co-creation of this scale.” Kadi will also be making history as the first designer to be featured on the Cardano blockchain.

ABDELGADER GRACES THE COVER OF VOGUE ARABIA

FTA Prize 2021 debut category winner, Abdel El Tayeb, graced the cover of Vogue Arabia’s January issue, titled “Creative Energy,” alongside Brazilian supermodel Adriana Lima. The cover was shot by famed Moroccan photographer Hassan Hajjaj Larache at the M7 HQ in Doha, Qatar. The designer spoke to CCI Advocate and multi-hyphenate, Rozan, about their shared love for their home country Sudan, as well as his plans for the future. The issue is on newsstands now.

ONE AND FOUR STUDIO X LEVIS

Egyptian ready-to-wear label, One and Four Studio collaborated with Levis by up-cycling unused denim to create one-of pieces including a top, skirt and gloves. Engy Mahdy, the creative director behind the emerging label, wanted to design the pieces without giving much thought to how they aligned with her brand. Her main focus was on how they looked and felt, both in terms of the way she operates, namely, her up-cycling process as well as the conversation at large. The pieces will not go on sale, but rather were created to focus on her craft as a designer and the options she has without being constrained by the need to create mass production pieces.