Arab style stars front new Michael Kors campaign

Jessica Kahawaty was born in Australia. (File/AFP)
Updated 13 November 2018
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Arab style stars front new Michael Kors campaign

  • Lebanese beauty queen and model Jessica Kahawaty takes the lead in the Michael Kors campaign
  • The special-edition Whitney bag will be unveiled on Nov. 14

DUBAI: Fashion powerhouse Michael Kors (MK) has enlisted the region’s style icons to unveil an exclusive Middle East design of a limited-edition shoulder bag.

Lebanese beauty queen and model Jessica Kahawaty takes the lead in the elite portrait series showcasing a special-edition of the Whitney bag, set to be unveiled at an exclusive event in Dubai on Nov. 14.

The beauty queen took to Instagram to announce the stint, where she posted a picture of herself along with other Arab fashion icons strutting the newly redesigned Whitney bag, including Dubai-based influencer Leena Al Ghouti, fashion blogger Ola Faharat, and filmmaker Lana Al Beik..

“So honored to be fronting this @michaelkors campaign for their new Whitney bag. My MK family is here in Dubai all the way from New York for the celebration this week and I couldn’t think of more powerful ladies to share this photograph with,” Kahawaty wrote.

Dubbed as the Whitney, the compact bag is one of the newest additions to the fashion label’s exclusive accessory collection. The bag is crafted in panel-quilted lambskin, accompanied by a sleek chain strap.

“We were able to incorporate a very subtle M-shaped outline, something I’ve been sketching since I was in middle school,” American designer Michael Kors himself said.

The Middle East edition will be released in a rich blue, which Kors described as “the perfect blend of sophistication and luxury for our customers” in the region.

Kors has expressed how the Middle East is an important region for his fashion label, saying “our customers in the Middle East truly love fashion and glamour, which makes it a fun and exciting place to be as a designer.”

MK, widely known for its premium leather handbags, recently bought luxury designer Versace for $2.05 billion, bolstering its position against its larger European rivals.

“With the acquisition of Versace we have created one of the world’s leading fashion and luxury groups,” said John Idol, chairman and CEO of Michael Kors Holdings.

This came a year after it also acquired British stiletto-heel maker Jimmy Choo for $1.2 billion.


Amina Muaddi spotlights Rihanna’s love for her designs

Updated 27 December 2025
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Amina Muaddi spotlights Rihanna’s love for her designs

DUBAI: Romanian Jordanian designer Amina Muaddi this week shared a selection of her favorite looks worn by Rihanna throughout December, highlighting several recent public appearances.

Earlier this week, Muaddi posted an image of the Fenty Beauty founder in Los Angeles, where she was spotted grocery shopping wearing snake-printed pointed-toe heels from the designer’s collection.

Rihanna styled the shoes with a bright-red leather jacket layered over a white top, pairing the oversized, structured piece with loose black wide-leg trousers worn low on the waist.

She later wore a similar snake-print design, this time in boot form, for a dinner outing. For that look, Rihanna opted for a plaid zip-up jacket by Miu Miu, styled with a long Balenciaga skirt.

Another outfit shared by Muaddi was from Rihanna’s appearance at the 35th Gotham Film Awards in New York City. The singer stepped out in a flowing lavender satin gown worn off the shoulders, featuring a relaxed, draped silhouette. She completed the ensemble with open-toe stiletto sandals from Muaddi’s designs in a matching pale lilac shade.

Muaddi also highlighted a more casual winter outing, where Rihanna wore pointed-toe snake-embossed stiletto pumps styled with a brown-and-cream faux-fur coat draped over a black top, paired with slim trousers, tinted rectangular sunglasses and minimal jewelry.

No one has an affinity for Muaddi’s shoes quite like Rihanna.

The singer-turned-designer has an unparalleled collection of heels by the designer, which have become her go-to choice of footwear whether she is attending red-carpet events, fundraising galas, taking an off-duty stroll or stepping out to dinner with her partner A$AP Rocky.

The artists have both collaborated with the designer in the past.

In 2020, the Paris-based designer teamed up with the rapper’s creative agency AWGE on a four-piece collection of flared pumps and lace-up heels.

The collection marked A$AP Rocky’s first foray into women’s footwear and was Muaddi’s first collaboration for her own brand, though she also released a limited-edition footwear capsule collection with Rihanna’s Fenty label that same year.

The collaboration was honored as Collaborator of the Year at the 34th FN Achievement Awards.

Following the sell-out success of the first collection, Rihanna enlisted Muaddi to design yet another collection for Fenty.