NEW YORK: The hijab and abaya dazzled center stage on the New York runway Thursday as up-and-coming Indonesian designers kicked off an increasingly diverse fashion week, hoping to change prejudices in the West.
“We’re not oppressed and we just want to show the world that we still can be beautiful, stylish with our hijab on,” said designer Dian Pelangi, 26, who has 4.8 million followers on Instagram.
She was one of five Indonesian luxury ready-to-wear designers, joined by an accessories designer, who presented collections at the show “Indonesian Diversity” — held opposite a special needs school in Chelsea on the first day of fashion week.
Two of the five fell into the category “modest fashion” — in this instance designed specifically for the affluent, modern, religiously observant Muslim woman — and featured models all of whom covered their hair Islamic style.
Pelangi was one, Vivi Zubedi, 30, the other. Making her New York fashion week debut, Zubedi felt moved to come partly because of Donald Trump, who has sought to restrict immigration from certain Muslim majority countries.
“Mr. President, I love your country and also I love your people, and we will not (do) anything to you or your people. We are all the same, it’s about humanity,” the Jakarta-based designer told AFP, overcome with emotion.
Instead of the usual stick thin, white model types, the front row featured guests dressed to the nines in hijabs and Chanel bags, black women dressed to accentuate every curve, Latinas, and guests from across Asia and the Middle East.
Pelangi’s elegant collection was a riot of colorful Indonesian materials, Batik print and tie dye — covering women from head to toe in full skirts, wide pants, loose fitting jackets and rich brocade.
Covering the models hair were statement scarfs wrapped over and under raised head pieces as aristocratic as a noble woman’s in Medieval or Renaissance Europe.
Pelangi said inspiration came from the bestselling book “Humans of New York” by US photographer Brandon Stanton who documents the diversity of the 8.5 million people who live in the city.
Zubedi’s look was more conservative still — her signature abaya — the loose flowing head to toe black garment obligatory in Saudi Arabia and adopted by some of the most strictly observant Muslim women elsewhere.
Sewn onto the back of her colorful gowns were “Makkah, Madinah, Jannah” — two sites of Muslim pilgrimage and the Arabic word for paradise — and the phrase “all colors matter.”
“I love the US every much and I have a lot of clients here,” Zubedi told AFP. “Hijab is beautiful, we are all still human no matter what religion you are. We are still the same.”
Diversity is a buzz word this season as the fashion establishment makes known its disgust with the Trump administration. Models of all sizes and colors are more prominent and social media is challenging the monopoly once set by editors.
Thursday’s show comes a year after Indonesia’s Anniesa Hasibuan broke new ground by staging the first New York runway show featuring models all wearing the hijab.
‘Hijabs beautiful’, Indonesians tell NY fashion week
‘Hijabs beautiful’, Indonesians tell NY fashion week
Jordan’s Princess Rajwa turns heads with maternity fashion statement
DUBAI: Princess Rajwa Al-Hussein of Jordan was spotted shopping in Amman on Wednesday, her growing baby bump proudly on show.
The princess, who is from Saudi Arabia, wore a blue denim maternity jumpsuit from the Tencel Denim Maternity range by British label Seraphine.
She completed her look with white sneakers and accessorized with a Bottega Veneta Mini Cabat Mini leather tote bag.
Princess Rajwa, the wife of Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II, celebrated her birthday last week. The crown prince took to social media to send her birthday greetings as an official portrait of the princess was unveiled.
“May God continue to bless and nurture the bond between us. Happy Birthday Rajwa,” he wrote on Instagram, sharing a new photo of the couple.
The new official portrait of Princess Rajwa shows the princess wearing a blue outfit from French label Rabanne against a matching blue background.
Earlier this month it was announced that the royal couple, who married in June last year, were expecting their first baby this summer.
Renowned London restaurant and Emirati fashion label launch t-shirt collection
DUBAI: Acclaimed Persian restaurant Berenjak Dubai, hailing from London, has joined forces with Shabab Intl. to launch a range of stylish t-shirts.
The limited-edition garments are now on sale at the restaurant’s branch in Dubai and will soon be available in London.
In sleek black, the t-shirts feature a Berenjak-inspired print on the back. The logos of both the restaurant and Shabab Intl. are depicted on the front.
Images for the launch campaign were shot by Dubai creative Cheb Moha, who leads the fashion label.
“We’re thrilled to be at Berenjak,” he told Arab News. “Personally, I am a huge fan and make it a point to dine there at least once especially when I’m in London.”
Moha’s deep appreciation for Berenjak stems from an enduring passion for Persian cuisine and cultural heritage, he said.
“Having Shabab there is particularly special for us, and I am confident that it will open doors for more collaborations. With our Shabab community present, it is exciting for them to witness this crossover between our origins and the spaces we inhabit at the restaurant. We are thrilled to stand alongside Berenjak and to have Shabab represented there.”
Moha added his t-shirt designs aimed for simplicity and clarity.
“I wanted to incorporate our identity with Berenjak’s identity and the identity of (the) city we are in, which is Dubai,” he said.
“If you notice, the graphic on the back of the t-shirt is sort of sun shaped. That is part of the Shabab spirit, the sunrise. And if you look in the windows, Berenjak also has a sun motif in the glass. I wanted to incorporate that and feel like there is a nice synergy between both brands.”
Moha also feels there is a crossover between fashion and food. “I feel like there’s always been a pipeline between both. They do complement each other in some way,” he said.
Berenjak, founded by chef Kian Samyani and award-winning London restaurant group JKS Restaurants, is a renowned Persian restaurant that has made its mark by bringing a contemporary twist to classic dishes.
Bella Hadid unveils debut fragrances from her new brand Orebella
- Model and runway star to launch brand with 3 perfumes
- Alcohol-free products highlight Hadid’s health concerns
DUBAI: American-Dutch-Palestinian model Bella Hadid has unveiled “skin perfumes,” the inaugural products of her new brand, Orebella.
The runway sensation turned to Instagram on Wednesday to showcase images of her fragrances, which are named “Salted Muse,” “Blooming Fire” and “Window2Soul.”
Crafted from glass and adorned with a gold cap, the bottles are offered in 10 ml, 50 ml and 100 ml.
Hadid in her caption described the fragrances as “hydrating, alcohol-free and enriched with essential oils.” She urged her followers to “shake to activate the transformative bi-phase formula.”
The “Salted Muse” perfume has “top notes” of sea salt, pink pepper and carbon dioxide extract, “heart notes” of olive tree accord, fig and lavender, and “base notes” of cedarwood, sandalwood and amber, according to reports.
The “Blooming Fire” fragrance has bergamot, cedarwood, clove leaf and cardamom, followed by Tahitian monoi and jasmine, and finishes with patchouli.
The “Window2Soul” scent has a blend of lemon, geranium and mint in its top notes, transitions to jasmine and damask rose, and concludes with a base of tonka bean.
The brand will launch on May 2.
Hadid wrote on her website: “For me, fragrance has always been at the center of my life — helping me feel in charge of who I am and my surroundings,” she said. “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.”
“Through my healing journey, I found that I was extremely sensitive to the alcohol in traditional perfumes — both physically and mentally — it became something that was more overwhelming than calming to me,” she added. “That is the main reason I wanted to find an alternative, so essential oils became an artistic and experimental process for me.”
She started growing lavender on her farm, walking through the garden every morning and learning about her family’s tradition of making homemade scents. “I realized I might have a calling in this. I found healing, joy, and love within nature’s scents,” she said.
“This is why I am so proud of Orebella. It was truly a dream and a passion, that through the universe and authentic dedication, was able to become this brand,” she wrote.
Simi, Haze Khadra thank Saudi fans after beauty masterclass
DUBAI: US Palestinian beauty moguls Simi and Haze Khadra concluded their beauty masterclass sessions in Riyadh this week, before flying to Dubai.
The masterclass sessions celebrate the Middle East launch of their eponymous label SimiHaze Beauty, with their products now available to purchase at Sephora stores in the region.
“Best day with all the amazing people in Riyadh. Thank you so much for all the love and so happy you all love everything,” the sisters posted on Instagram Stories.
The twins launched their US-born cosmetics brand in 2021 with a range of stick-on makeup designs that can be placed on the face for a bold beauty look achievable within seconds. The sticker book features an array of edgy designs inspired by their favorite DJ looks from the past, such as chrome wings, neon negative space eyeliner and holographic cat-eyes.
SimiHaze Beauty has expanded to include a range of products, including lipsticks, bronzing powders, a lifting mascara and more.
Floris London’s Edward Bodenham on designing scents for the Middle East
DUBAI: Established in 1730, British perfume label Floris London is the only perfumer to hold royal warrants in the UK. With a historic client list that includes British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe, the storied label is also particularly interested in the Arab world — besides designing bespoke fragrances for clientele in the region, the brand has released a men’s scent that is exclusive to the Middle East.
Having designed custom fragrances for individuals in the region before, Edward Bodenham, brand director of Floris London, told Arab News that that the perfumery team “noted a trend in warm, comforting, deep fragrances. Definitely, a strong connection to rose, patchouli and precious Cambodian oud oil … a particular highlight to the forward-thinking taste of these clients is their interest in dynamic notes like cashmere and smoke.”
The untrained nose will be able to detect the vast differences in typically European scents and those that are popular across the Middle East, and Bodenham made further distinctions between British perfumes and those found in mainland Europe.
“The differences between traditionally English or British fragrances and those that are popular in the Gulf is that our classic scents generally tend to be lighter in comparison. I would say that French and Italian fragrances, generally speaking, tend to be more intense though, so more similar to fragrances popular in the Gulf,” he said.
With regard to their latest regional offering, Santal Intense, Bodenham explained that it builds on the same notes found in the Santal Eau de Toilette that was released in the early 2000s.
“When creating the original Santal we wanted to compose a sandalwood themed fragrance for a new generation. We created a scent with a reassuring fougere theme, but with some modern and unexpected twists, like the inclusion of notes of green grass, black pepper, cardamom, nutmeg and tonka bean,” he said, using the term “fougere” that means “fern-like” in French and describes one of the main fragrance families.
“When creating Santal Intense we focused on increasing the levels of amber, woody amber and frankincense within the fragrance, which provided a greater depth and longevity as well as increasing the sillage of the scent,” he explained, referring to the scent trail that a perfume leaves behind as it evaporates.
Floris London’s royal warrants give the label the right to be named as an official supplier to the British royal family and use the royal coat of arms on their products.
“I think that, to some extent, holding royal warrants and having a connection to the British royal family does have an appeal, because, unlike a sponsorship from a celebrity who is paid to use and endorse a fragrance, the royal family remain impartial and are free to choose and support fragrances from any fragrance house they prefer,” Bodenham commented on the company’s royal connection.
