JEDDAH: Dubai-based fashion star Tamara Al-Gabbani has collaborated with the UAE’s Ministry of Happiness to promote the sunny side of life.
Al-Gabbani announced the collaboration in an Instagram post.
In a video, the Saudi designer, blogger and fashion icon talks about what she would tell her younger self. “Life is going to bring me some tragic moments but not to let me down ... it’s okay to be sad for a little while but then I have the tools and the tenacity to overcome them and that happiness is my choice,” she said. In a second video, Al-Gabbani shares with her fans how she copes with each day.
“I would say there is a series of happy moments in my life but everyday I wake up deciding that today whatever happens I am gonna go to sleep a happy girl,” she said.
“Positivity and happiness is most definitely a journey where you choose how to handle and manage your reactivity to life, emotions, moods, curve balls, circumstances ... etc,” Al-Gabbani wrote.
“It doesn’t mean not feeling the human response to a situation or moment, but rather feeling it and then taking the decision to accept what has happened, find the silver lining (if you can), and then moving on ... Happiness is a choice and a responsibility. No one is perfect, but we can use each day to work on ourselves and become better version of ourselves. Change is a good thing, and we are all capable of it,” she wrote on Instagram.
Arab fashion icon Tamara Al-Gabbani wants to inspire people to be happy
Arab fashion icon Tamara Al-Gabbani wants to inspire people to be happy
Georges Chakra presents new couture collection in Paris
- Chakra introduces ‘new Parisienne attitude’
- Top Arab designers also have shows in city
DUBAI: Lebanese designer Georges Chakra has presented his Spring/Summer 2026 couture collection at Paris Haute Couture Week, offering a contemporary interpretation of the house’s established design codes through refined silhouettes and detailed craftsmanship.
Drawing on the heritage of the maison, the collection revisited classic elements of elegance while introducing what the designer described in an Instagram post as a “new Parisienne attitude.”
Soft pastels, ivory and metallic tones defined the palette, moving between pale blue, blush, lavender and gold across the runway.
The show featured a range of sculpted looks, with structured bodices balanced by feathered appliques, floral embroidery and layers of sheer tulle.
Strapless gowns with petal-like embellishments appeared alongside column dresses finished with subtle shimmer, while ruffled sleeves, organza capes and sheer overlays created volume and movement.
White gowns formed a central part of the collection, ranging from minimal silhouettes with clean lines to more elaborate designs incorporating veils, hats and lattice-style embroidery.
Sequins, hand-applied florals and intricate beading appeared throughout the collection. The show concluded with a bridal look featuring sheer embroidery and floral detailing.
After beginning his career in Beirut, where he initially worked at his home studio following his graduation from an institution in Canada, Chakra founded his fashion house in 1985.
He later expanded his atelier to Paris, debuting on the Haute Couture Week calendar in 2002, and has since built an international reputation for couture and eveningwear, dressing a wide range of regional and global figures for major red-carpet appearances.
His designs have been worn by celebrities including Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Beyonce, Cara Delevingne, Tyra Banks, Jennifer Lopez, Helen Mirren, Molly Sims and Andra Day.
Chakra was among several Arab designers featured during Paris Haute Couture Week this season.
Georges Hobeika and Tony Ward had already presented their Spring/Summer 2026 couture collections earlier in the week, while Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad, Ashi Studio and Rami Al-Ali are scheduled to show later on the official calendar.
