March is the fashion month we all dream of. From new collections, to celebrities endorsing our community of MENA designers, there is so much to unpack today, so let’s get right into it!
Yassmin Saleh releases “Conviviality” Tattoo Series inspired by a Lebanese summer
Lebanese ready-to-wear designer Yassmin Saleh released her latest tattoo series, a signature of the label, titled “Conviviality.” The collection celebrates love and togetherness and is inspired by summers in Lebanon. “It is about conviviality, the man’oushe for breakfast and about the coffee after lunch,” the company shared in a press release. The collection features intricate drawings of the “little things” that make a Lebanese summer special, such as waves, flowers, hugs, coffee, power, and love. Made from stretch-mesh, that aims to give the wearer a skin like fit, each drawing is carefully placed to create a realistic tattoo effect and is available online in three styles and colors. Shop the collection here: https://yassminsaleh.com/collections/conviviality-tattoo-series
Maison Rabih Kayrouz teams up with Eres for a holiday capsule collection
Lebanese couturier Rabih Kayrouz joined forces with renowned Paris-based swimwear and lingerie brand Eres for a holiday-inspired 10-piece capsule collection, featuring four swimsuits and six ready-to-wear pieces. The collection “perfectly combines both savoir-faire of the Maisons: the ERES expertise in the world of swimwear and the iconic ready-to-wear creations of Maison Rabih Kayrouz,” they shared in an online statement. The collection is meant to invoke the couturier memory of “the great and beautiful years of Beirut,” Kayrouz said. The collection, which includes travel wardrobe essentials, is designed to take you from the beach to the dinner table. It also features the Maison’s signature hand-drawn inkblot leopard print and gold lame, which is present in their ready-to-wear and couture collections. Shop the collaboration here: https://www.eresparis.com/eu/en/eres-x-mrk.html
Jordanian resort-wear label ARAK releases SS22 collection
Jordanian resort-wear label ARAK released their SS22 collection, titled “Psychedelic Desert.” The brand, best known for its exploration of Palestinian embroidery, was inspired by a fantasy world set in a utopian, psychedelic desert where everyone has the right to feel and be free this spring/summer season. The rotated and mirrored stitches in the designs “create a sense of optical illusion, reflecting the theme present in this collection,” according to the company. Following the success of the previous season, the brand has introduced two new styles in the form of two swimsuits made from end-fabrics and a tailored jacket, expanding its resort wear line-up, offering men a versatile selection of garments just in time for summer! Shop the collection here: https://www.arakstudio.com/shop
Palestinian powerhouses Fai Kahdra and Elyanna Star are the new faces of Eye’M
Palestinian model Fai Khadra and Chilean/ Palestinian singer Elyanna star in Eye’M Eyewear’s new campaign, exclusively at MAGRABI. Set in Los Angeles, against backdrops of a retro drive-in cinema and a vintage motel, the campaign was shot and directed by Lebanese creative director Eli Rezkallah. The collection features everything from rectangle spectacles to oversized and cat-eye frames, catering to every face shape, highlighting the brand’s ethos of identity and individuality
Season-less ready-to-wear Saudi label, Abadia, release “Collection 11”
Saudi-Dubai based season-less ready-to-wear label, Abadia, released “Collection 11” inspired by the wispy clouds in the sky and fresh soil of the earth. The ethical luxury label that celebrates culture through contemporary designs dug deeper into their signature essence with “Collection 11,” while pushing their creative boundaries on style and aesthetics. Known for their careful attention to fabric and detail, this season’s fabrics included “earthly Ochre, bold sunshine gold, cloud blue tones and colorful patterned prints.” Shop the collection here: https://shop.abadia.me/collections/collection-11
From Farfetch to Pharell Williams, Zaid Farouki makes big moves
Palestinian-Jordanian designer Zaid Farouki launched an exclusive Ramadan capsule collection for Farfetch, making him the only regional menswear label to create a capsule collection for the fashion website this Ramadan season. Additionally, Pharell Williams stepped out this month in one of the brand’s green tuxedo suits to attend the Richard Mille Prize in Abu Dhabi. Farouki exclusively tells Pulse: “It was super exciting. I had no idea to be honest, it was pulled out with zero expectancy that he would wear it and it was so surreal that we didn’t know he was going to wear that suit until he went out on stage, it was insane, to be honest. It was definitely a moment right there.”
Lama Jouni is now stocked at Printemps
FTA 2021 ready-to-wear finalist, Lama Jouni is now stocked at the iconic Parisian department store, Printemps. Lama Jouni is a Lebanese, Dubai-based label, best known for their reinterpretation of essential garments that are both bold and refined. At the FTA 2021 showcase in Doha last year, Jouni shared how all her pieces are not only sustainable, but can also function without the use of buttons or zippers. “I couldn’t find sustainable alternatives to buttons or zippers, so I had to design the pieces to function without them,” she explains.
The Jewels of Arabia Exhibition: The rebirth of ancient civilizations takes place in Riyadh
HRH princess Nourah Alfaisal, founder and creative director of Saudi jeweler brand Nuun Jewels, and jewelry designer Yasmeen Marzouq joined forces to celebrate the journey of ancient civilizations to touch the magic of a bygone era through “Jewels of Arabia.” The Jewels of Arabia award is a jewelry design competition which targets emerging designers in Saudi Arabia. It aims to shed the light on local talents in the Kingdom and enable them on an industrial, and commercial level. This season, the award was inspired by the Dadan civilization, one of the oldest in the Arabian Peninsula and designers were tasked with creating unique jewelry pieces that not only expressed their style and creativity, but also that depict the authenticity and history of the Arabian Peninsula.
