CAIRO: When cancer patient Merhan Khalil had a bone marrow transplant and chemotherapy in 2012, her hair started to fall out in the shower. On Saturday she joined a Cairo workshop that teaches female cancer patients how to conceal signs of cancer treatment.
“It helps a lot mentally ... to feel beautiful and to feel that the medicine didn’t change us,” said Khalil, 46, who suffers from multiple myeloma, a blood plasma cancer.
The workshop is part of a program already in operation in Lebanon and the UAE called “Be Beautiful” that will be launched this month in at least seven hospitals in Egypt. It will offer women cancer patients makeup tips as well as mental health support and advice about nutrition.
“When the cancer patient feels that she is beautiful and when she gets proper nutrition that will have a positive effect on her mental state and that strengthens her immune system,” said Hanadi el-Imam, founder of the Hoda el-Imam Foundation, which is organizing the workshops.
She said the aim is to offer the workshops in five Egyptian governorates within a year.
Faten Fawzi, a breast cancer patient who was among a group of five patients learning how to paint their eyebrows and apply conditioner on dry skin at the Cairo Marriott Hotel, said she felt like her hair was burned after chemo.
“I went to my hairdresser and he shaved it off completely and I was devastated and started crying,” Fawzi, 46, told Reuters.
“But after that I put on a chic wig that looked like my hair and you couldn’t tell at all that I had cancer.”
While she recently got rid of the wig, Fawzi said she still paints her eyebrows and cares about her makeup routine because it makes her feel better.
Ghada Salah who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013, said she started to experiment with different wigs and colorful hats after she lost her hair to chemotherapy.
“I didn’t want to look sick,” she said. “I didn’t want people to think ‘poor her, she has cancer.’”
The organizers hope to serve 5,000 Egyptian women in the first year, said Dina Omar, a cardiologist and one of the founders of Be Beautiful.
Globally, cancer is responsible for one in six deaths, according to the World Health Organization. Approximately 70 percent of deaths from cancer happen in low and middle-income countries, WHO said.
Women cancer patients learn makeup tips in new Egypt workshop
Women cancer patients learn makeup tips in new Egypt workshop
- Workshop is part of a program already in operation in Lebanon and the UAE called “Be Beautiful”
- Will be launched this month in at least seven hospitals in Egypt
Saudi label KML unveils new collection in Paris
DUBAI: Siblings Razan and Ahmed Hassan presented their Fall/Winter 2026–2027 collection at Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday, continuing the rapid rise of their KML label.
The duo has gained international recognition since launching the brand in 2022, most recently being named semifinalists for the LVMH Prize — a prestigious annual award for emerging designers.
Creative director Ahmed’s minimalist designs and sharp tailoring mean KML — owned by his sister, Razan — has built its identity around reimagining traditional Saudi garments through a contemporary lens. Jackets are paired with shawl-like elements, large leather belts recall those historically worn by Bedouin men, and skirts nod to silhouettes once worn by men in the Eastern Province, Jazan and the Hijaz.
The approach is reflected in the new collection, which features a restrained palette of black, white and muted earth tones, leaning on wrap constructions, asymmetry and elongated proportions.
Flowing skirts, structured wrap tops and robe-like coats dominate the lineup, with some looks referencing classical draping while others lean toward utilitarian dressing, defined by sharp shoulders, cinched waists and clean, architectural lines.
In a previous interview with Arab News, Ahmed said their grandmother was a huge influence on their lives as he and his sister grew up in Riyadh. He fondly recalled both her progressive nature and inimitable style. As a young boy, Ahmed would often accompany her to fabric shops so she could get her designs stitched by a local tailor. The experience left an impression, though fashion was not an obvious initial career path.
Ahmed studied architecture and became an intern at Zaha Hadid Architects, where he developed an appreciation for structure and form. Razan, meanwhile, pursued law at Prince Sultan University and she went on to practice full-time.
“One summer, we both realized we weren’t doing what we truly wanted to do, so I decided to go to the UK to study creative writing, and Ahmed went to Central Saint Martins (in London) for a few courses,” Razan explained.
That was the catalyst for KML. In August 2023, they launched their debut capsule collection and towards the end of that year they applied to the Saudi 100 Brands program. The Fashion Commission recognized their potential, helping KML launch collections at fashion weeks in Paris, Riyadh and Milan.
