DUBAI: For many modest fashion designers, it was the difficulty of finding stylish, high-street staples that played a role in why they initially set up shop. For Mosika Zeid, it was during her transition to hijab that she had her very own “a-ha” moment.
“[It] was honestly a fashion disaster,” the designer says of her time when she first started to wear a headscarf. “Being someone who was very fashion-conscious, and who loved to keep up with the latest trends and always look their best, I was shocked that I could not find everyday, on-trend modest fashion that had a reasonable price tag.”
Zeid, 33, is founder and CEO of the UAE-based modest fashion brand Desert Cove. It was as a lawyer that the Australian designer of Palestinian descent made her foray into the world of fashion.
“I was exposed to the fashion industry when I first started working as a lawyer over 12 years ago in Sydney and had some of the largest luxury fashion houses as my clients,” Zeid said. “When I came to the UAE, I consulted for some of the largest retailers. Through this I got an even greater insight into the business of fashion, as well as apparel production, sampling, fabrics and the whole process. And I just loved it.”
In July 2016, Desert Cove was born.
“This was a very soft launch,” Zeid said.
“The idea was just to test the market response to the concept.”
Receiving “an amazing response” encouraged Zeid to continue, and now she’s working on her third collection. Most recently, her team headed to Indonesia to show at Jakarta Modest Fashion Week. “It was an amazing experience to connect with our South East Asian customers and to confirm that our sisters in that region are interested in Desert Cove,” she continued.
Another location that’s exciting to the designer at the moment is the Kingdom. “Saudi women have an impeccable sense of fashion and style. They are world class, so their requirements for fashion are also world class,” says Zeid.
“The fashion scene in Saudi Arabia is undergoing huge changes [and] this means that women are looking for day-to-day fashion inspiration, which meets their amazing fashion sense, while still not compromising on their modesty requirements.”
For Zeid, Desert Cove’s unique selling points are two-fold. “Firstly, we are one of the few brands dedicated to providing hijabis modest versions of the hottest mainstream fashion trends. Plus, we have a $50 price promise on our main collection items, and $100 on our exclusive retailer collections.”
Looking ahead, Zeid is now focusing on Desert Cove’s upcoming spring-summer 2019 collection, as well as distribution deals and Dubai Modest Fashion Week at the end of 2018. “We have just launched in House of Fraser in Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi and will be having a launch event in store in early October, which we are very excited about,” she revealed.
Needless to say, Zeid doesn’t have any regrets about setting up. “I am so happy that I did launch Desert Cove, as I really do feel that I am contributing to solving a problem that women are facing, helping them to feel better about themselves and lead their most active and productive lives that they can.”
UAE-based designer creates modest fashion at a modest price
UAE-based designer creates modest fashion at a modest price
Sofia Carson shows off Elie Saab gown on the red carpet
DUBAI: US actress Sofia Carson showed off a gown by Lebanese designer Elie Saab at the closing ceremony of the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival.
The star, who has showed off Lebanese labels on multiple red carpets in the past, opted for an olive-toned ensemble from the designer’s Spring/ Summer 2024 couture collection.
Styled by Erin Walsh, Carson posed for photos on the red carpet in the look that featured a draped skirt and embellishments on the neckline.
The latest red carpet appearance proves Carson is something of a fan of Lebanon’s couturiers — In 2022 the “Purple Hearts” actress was spotted in New York wearing an ensemble by Zuhair Murad. Carson attended the Global Citizen Festival in a coordinating look from Murad’s Resort 2023 collection. The outfit featured an embellished crop top and mini skirt set with matching thigh-high leather boots.
In late 2023, the actress cut an elegant figure in a Zuhair Murad gown at the second annual Cam for a Cause event in memory of her former co-star Cameron Boyce, who died at the age of 20 due to an epileptic seizure.
Fast forward to 2024 and the now-concluded Cannes Film Festival has played host to a number of Arab-created looks.
Saudi designer Eman Al-Ajlan dressed British model and TV presenter Leomie Anderson in a structured look featuring a mini dress with a net-like skirt fitted underneath at the 2024 amfAR Gala in Cannes.
A few celebrities opted for gowns by Murad at the same event, including German model Toni Garrn, sports commentator Alex Scott and Brazilian model Thayna Soares.
Meanwhile, German model Kim Dammer dazzled on the red carpet in a glamorous halter-neck black gown, intricately embroidered with geometric shapes by Lebanese couturier Rami Kadi. Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran was championed by Turkish actress Hande Ercel, who wore a black gown adorned with red and blue beads.
Egyptian actress Yasmine Sabri was also in attendance, wearing a sparkling silver dress by Lebanese designer Jean Pierre Khoury. The dress featured thousands of mirrored tube beads hand-sewn onto a corseted silhouette, according to the fashion house.
Saudi’s ‘Norah’ receives the Special Mention accolade at Cannes
DUBAI: Saudi film “Norah,” starring actress Maria Bahrawi, this week received the Special Mention accolade, which recognizes films for outstanding achievements, at the 77th Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard awards.
The cast and crew, accompanied by director Tawfik Al-Zaidi, stepped onto the stage to accept the accolade in front of a full house.
The film, shot entirely in AlUla, is set in 1990s Saudi Arabia when conservatism ruled and the professional pursuit of all art, including painting, was frowned upon. Besides Bahrawi, the movie also stars Yaqoub Al-Farhan and Abdullah Al-Satian. It follows the story of Norah and failed artist Nader as they encourage each other to realize their artistic potential in rural Saudi Arabia.
“Norah” had its official screening at the festival on Thursday, becoming the first film from the Kingdom to screen as part of the official calendar at the event.
The movie was backed by the Red Sea Fund — one of the Red Sea Film Foundation’s programs — and was filmed entirely in AlUla in northwest Saudi Arabia with an all-Saudi cast and a 40 percent Saudi crew.
Un Certain Regard’s mission is to highlight new trends in cinema and encourage innovative cinematic works.
Chaired by Canadian actor, director, screenwriter and producer Xavier Dolan, the jury included French Senegalese screenwriter and director Maimouna Doucoure, Moroccan director, screenwriter and producer Asmae El Moudir, German-Luxembourg actress Vicky Krieps, and American film critic, director and writer Todd McCarthy.
Chinese director Guan Hu’s “Black Dog” won the top prize in the Un Certain Regard section.
Marking Guan’s debut at Cannes, the film follows a former convict who forms an unexpected bond with the titular animal while clearing stray dogs in his remote hometown on the edge of the Gobi Desert.
The jury prize was awarded to “The Story of Souleymane,” directed by Boris Lojkine, marking his return to the festival after a decade since his 2014 feature “Hope.”
The film portrays the journey of a Guinean food delivery man who must create a compelling narrative for his asylum application interview in Lyon within a two-day timeframe.
World celebrities hit red carpet at Saudi-backed amfAR gala
- Red Sea International Film Festival sponsors for fourth year
- Demi Moore was host, which Elizabeth Taylor held in 1993
DUBAI: Some of the world’s biggest stars, in the French Riviera for the Cannes Film Festival, made appearances on Thursday at the 30th annual amfAR gala as Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival took on the role of presenting sponsor for the fourth consecutive year.
Among those in attendance were Demi Moore, Michelle Yeoh, Heidi Klum, Kelly Rowland, Andie MacDowell, Diane Kruger, Colman Domingo, Michelle Rodriguez, Winnie Harlow, Robin Thicke, Diplo, Paris Jackson, Petra Nemcova, Karolina Kurkova, Natasha Poly, and Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York.
The RSIFF’s CEO Mohammed Al-Turki and chairwoman Jomana Al-Rashid were also present.
The American Foundation for AIDS Research, or AmfAR, is dedicated to the support of AIDS research, prevention, education and advocacy. It has raised nearly $900 million since 1985.
Demi Moore, whose film “The Substance” caused a stir at Cannes, hosted this year’s gala, a role launched by Elizabeth Taylor in 1993.
The red carpet at the Hotel du Cap, Eden Roc, was awash with models, actors, singers and fashion designers as well as plenty of festival movers and shakers.
A few celebrities opted for gowns by Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad including German model Toni Garrn, sports commentator Alex Scott and Brazilian model Thayna Soares.
Garrn wore a purple beaded strapless gown with scalloped edges and spider web-like details, while Scott was adorned with a rose gold off-the-shoulder sheer tulle beaded gown, and Soares opted for a hooded gold beaded short dress with a plunging neckline and embroidered tassels.
German model Kim Dammer dazzled on the red carpet in a glamorous halter-neck black gown, intricately embroidered with geometric shapes by Lebanese couturier Rami Kadi.
Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran was championed by Turkish actress Hande Ercel, who wore a black gown adorned with red and blue beads and featuring a plunging neckline.
Egyptian actress Yasmine Sabri was also in attendance, wearing a sparkly silver dress by Lebanese designer Jean Pierre Khoury. The dress featured thousands of mirrored tube beads hand-sewn onto a corseted silhouette, according to the designer.
The Roundup: 3 pop culture highlights from across the region
DUBAI: Here are three pop culture highlights from across the region.
‘Drawing Time: Duets’
This exhibition, from the collection of Sharjah Art Foundation, runs until August 4 at Al-Mureijah Art Spaces. The show, the organizers say, “grew out of a two-year research project into conserving paper” and brings together works from 15 artists (including Baya, whose “Femme au paon” is pictured here) that “present a composite picture of what drawing is and could be today.” It also “delves into the concept of the double” by presenting the works in “artistic duets.”
Gultrah
‘Revival’
The popular Tunisian alternative outfit’s second studio album is billed as “Tunisian reggae,” a “distinctive fusion” of “innovative blends” that “delves deep into introspection and self-acceptance.” With touches of funk, ska, and Afrobeat, the nine tracks on “Revival” address a number of social issues as well as “the quest for inner peace,” and should help Gultrah build on the success of their hit single “Win.”
Dima Ayad
The Dubai-based Lebanese fashion designer’s latest collection of dresses, pants and coats is based around “a harmonious fusion of nostalgic 90s style elements with contemporary sensibilities,” according to a press release. The collection features “warm earth tones,” blacks, whites, and splashes of bright pink, while the new one-shoulder dress provides “a unique twist to the (designer’s) knitted signature fabric.”
Cannes fashion highlights: Bella Hadid makes a statement, Mila Al-Zahrani hits the red carpet
DUBAI: US Dutch Palestinian supermodel Bella Hadid made a powerful fashion statement in Cannes, expressing her support for Palestine, while Saudi actress Mila Al-Zahrani stole the spotlight at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in a gown by Syrian designer Rami Al-Ali.
The star, who attended the screening of Kevin Costner’s “Horizon: An American Saga,” dazzled in a strapless, voluminous dress that was cinched at the waist from the designer’s ready-to-wear 2024/2025 collection.
Hadid turned heads with stylish appearances in Cannes too.
She made a bold statement in the streets of the French city by wearing a red and white dress inspired by the keffiyeh, showcasing her support for Palestine
The supermodel was also spotted in a striking silver dress from the DSquared Fall-Winter 2006 collection for Chopard’s “Once Upon A Time” Gala this week.
She was also seen in a vintage silk yellow Versace minidress at the Hotel Martinez.
During her time in Cannes, she was also photographed in a vintage beige low-cut halter neck midi dress, with a plunging neckline, from Gucci’s Spring/Summer 2005 collection.
For the “The Apprentice” red carpet, she opted for a sheer halter neck dress from Saint Laurent’s Fall 2024 collection.
Meanwhile, Arab designers have been dominating the red carpet with their creations worn by celebrities from around the world.
Canadian model Winnie Harlow was spotted on the red carpet of French adventure drama film “Le Comte de Monte-Cristo,” wearing a black lace dress with a mesh train and purple floral details from the Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad’s Fall 2023 collection.
Murad, the celebrity-loved designer, also dressed Brazilian model Izabel Goulart. She opted for a white chiffon gown with a black lace bodysuit and floral appliques that was also from the couturier’s Fall 2023 collection.
Rami Kadi also made a splash on the red carpet this week with his designs.
He was championed by US actress Loreto Peralta at the same screening as Harlow and Goulart.
She wore a mauve, off-the-shoulder gown embroidered with three-dimensional flowers from his “Les Miroirs” collection.
Brazilian actress and model Juliana Paes chose a metallic off-white gown by Emirati designer Hamda Al-Fahim. The dress featured side pleats, sequin detailing and a side-attached train.
