What We Are Reading Today: Gateway State by Sarah Miller-Davenport
Once a racially problematic overseas colony, by the 1960s, Hawaii had come to symbolize John F. Kennedy’s New Frontier
Updated 24 March 2019
Arab News
Gateway State explores the development of Hawai’i as a model for liberal multiculturalism and a tool of American global power in the era of decolonization. The establishment of Hawaii statehood in 1959 was a watershed moment, not only in the ways Americans defined their nation’s role on the international stage but also in the ways they understood the problems of social difference at home. Hawaii’s remarkable transition from territory to state heralded the emergence of postwar multiculturalism, which was a response both to independence movements abroad and to the limits of civil rights in the US.
Once a racially problematic overseas colony, by the 1960s, Hawaii had come to symbolize John F. Kennedy’s New Frontier. This was a more inclusive idea of who counted as American at home and what areas of the world were considered to be within the US sphere of influence. Statehood advocates argued that Hawaii and its majority Asian population could serve as a bridge to Cold War Asia — and as a global showcase of American democracy and racial harmony. Business leaders and policymakers worked to institutionalize and sell this ideal by capitalizing on Hawaii’s diversity.
Asian Americans in Hawaii never lost a perceived connection to Asia. Instead, their ethnic difference became a marketable resource to help other Americans navigate a decolonizing world.
Model Imaan Hammam walks for Ralph Lauren in New York
Updated 12 sec ago
DUBAI: Dutch Moroccan Egyptian model Imaan Hammam hit the runway in New York City on Monday at the Ralph Lauren Fall/Holiday 2024 show.
Hammam graced the catwalk in a soft, ethereal button-down silk dress in a radiant metallic cream hue. Her ensemble also featured a beige cardigan that was buttoned at the center.
Completing her look, a matching purse was draped over her shoulder and she flaunted shoulder-grazing dangling earrings.
The show, which was minimal in Ralph Lauren terms, was inspired by Lauren’s first women’s fashion show in 1972, where he displayed his wares to editors and friends in his own office.
In front of a typically starry front row that included actors Glenn Close, Jessica Chastain, Kerry Washington, Rebecca Hall and Jodie Turner-Smith, Lauren opened his show on a note of timelessness — his longtime ethos — with the appearance of muse and supermodel Christy Turlington, now 55, in a sleek beige wool coat.
The collection featured a series of designs in soothing neutral tones — tans, browns, grays, black and metallics. The soft palette characterized both daytime garments like tailored jackets and sweaters with trousers, and evening wear like slinky, sequined gowns. There were roomy sweaters, lots of boots and wide leather belts with “RL” buckles.
There were Lauren’s familiar Western accents, like long fringes on coats and jacket sleeves. And especially the occasional cowboy hat, which accompanied not only casual ensembles but, to close out the show with a memorable look, a backless gown dress in sparkly gold.
Lauren, 84, appeared briefly at the end, in well-worn jeans, to cheers from the crowd.
Close wore a white Lauren pantsuit. “This is a very, very special suit,” the actor said at the event. “It was made especially for me. Custom. Five years ago. I won a SAG award in it. So here I am. It looks just as beautiful. It’s a shame to wear something like this only once.”
Close added that growing up in New England, “the mentality was, you buy something that has great quality and then you wear it until it wears out. That’s how I was brought up.”
DUBAI: Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki will serve as a jury member at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, running from May 14 – 25, jury president Greta Gerwig announced.
Other members of the jury include Turkish screenwriter and photographer Ebru Ceylan; US actress Lily Gladstone; French actress Eva Green; Spanish director, producer, and screenwriter Juan Antonio Bayona; Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino; Japanese director Kore-eda Hirokazu; and French actor-producer Omar Sy.
The jury will take on the job of bestowing the coveted Palme d’Or upon one of the 22 films in competition.
Labaki, recipient of the Jury Prize at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival for “Capernaum,” shares a long history with the festival.
Labaki began her relationship with Cannes in 2004, writing and developing her first feature, “Caramel,” at the Cinéfoundation Residency before showcasing the film at the Director’s Fortnight in 2007. Both of Labaki’s subsequent films — “Where do We Go Now?” in 2011 and “Capernaum” in 2018 — debuted at the festival, each in increasingly competitive categories.
“I feel like I’m their baby, in a way. With a baby you start watching their first steps, see them grow, protect them, push them… They’ve accompanied me in this journey, and recognized and encouraged me. It’s great — I really love this festival. I think it’s the best festival in the world,” Labaki told Arab News in an earlier interview on the sidelines of the Cannes Film Festival in 2019.
Nadine Labaki with "Capernaum" star Zain Al-Rafeea in California. (File/Getty Images)
“Capernaum” also went on to be nominated for both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, with Labaki becoming the first woman from the Arab world to receive that honor.
This won’t be the first time Labaki is serving on a Cannes jury either. In 2018, Labaki was the president of the Un Certain Regard jury, the first Arab to do so.
“I don’t watch films as a filmmaker. Never,” she said at the time. “I watch the film as a human being… I don’t like the word jury. I don’t like to judge because I’ve been there. I’ve been in those very difficult situations, very fragile situations, where you’re making a film, where you’re doubting, where you don’t know, where you don’t have enough distance with what you’re doing, and you don’t have the right answers and you’re not taking the right decisions.”
Meanwhile, Moroccan director, screenwriter and producer Asmae El-Moudir will be part of the Un Certain Regard jury at the festival this year.
She will be joined by French Senegalese screenwriter and director Maïmouna Doucouré, German Luxembourg actress Vicky Krieps and American film critic, director, and writer Todd McCarthy.
Xavier Dolan will be the president of the Un Certain Regard jury.
The team will oversee the awarding of prizes for the Un Certain Regard section, which highlights art and discovery films by emerging auteurs, from a selection of 18 works, including eight debut films.
Ryan Reynolds named Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island ambassador
Updated 29 April 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: Unmasked as the mystery skydiving celebrity who appeared in a recent teaser campaign for the Abu Dhabi location, Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds is Yas Island’s newest “Chief Island Officer.”
The “Deadpool” actor takes up the role after US actor Jason Momoa, who in turn took over from US comedian Kevin Hart.
In the new promotional video, Reynolds is seen parachuting straight into the heart of the action amidst speeding cars on Yas Marina Circuit, missing his intended landing spot at the W Abu Dhabi.
“I've been an actor, a producer, a Welsh football club owner and I could go on. So I will …" begins Reynolds, but the rest of his speech is drowned out by the roar of F1 cars as they zoom around the circuit.
The trailer also features the actor enjoying the sights and sounds of Yas Island, as he zooms down water slides at Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi, explores Gotham City and takes rollercoaster rides at Warner Bros. World.
"With the appointment of Ryan Reynolds as our latest chief island officer of Yas Island Abu Dhabi, we continue the tradition of excellence established by Kevin Hart and Jason Momoa. Reynolds brings his own unique blend of charisma, energy, and enthusiasm to the role, promising to elevate the Yas Island experience to even greater heights. We're thrilled to embark on this exhilarating journey with him, inviting fans worldwide to be part of the legacy," said Liam Findlay, chief executive of Miral Destinations.
DUBAI: Helmed by Lebanese designer Eli Mizrahi, New York-based label Monot dressed US actress Fantasia Barrino-Taylor for a red carpet appearance at the 2024 Time100 Gala.
Barrino-Taylor showed off a custom look by the label, which featured head-to-toe sequins and wrist cuffs that flared dramatically to cover her hands. The backless number was figure hugging and Barrino-Taylor complemented the outfit with a black, sequined head wrap.
Mizrahi is no stranger to star power and made headlines in 2020 when he enlisted the likes of British supermodel Kate Moss, Italian star Mariacarla Boscono, British model Jourdan Dunn, US celebrity Amber Valletta and China’s Xiao Wen to star in a Monot campaign shot in Saudi Arabia.
The label has garnered a legion of celebrity fans, with US Olympian Simone Biles, model Kendall Jenner, Brazilian influencer Camila Coelho and US model Emily Ratajkowski donning Monot looks in the past.
Fantasia Barrino-Taylor also made headlines when she attended the Astra Film Awards in Los Angeles in January in a mandarin orange gown by Saudi designer Yousef Akbar. (Getty Images)
“The Color Purple” star Barrino-Taylor also made headlines when she attended the Astra Film Awards in Los Angeles in January in a mandarin orange gown by Saudi designer Yousef Akbar.
Barrino, who is also a singer, most recently starred as protagonist Celie in “The Color Purple,” a musical period drama film directed by Blitz Bazawule. The film’s screenplay is based on the stage musical of the same name, which in turn is based on the 1982 novel by Alice Walker. It is the second film adaptation of the novel, following the 1985 film directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Spielberg and Quincy Jones.
The movie tells the story of Celie, who is torn apart from her sister and her children and faces many hardships in life, including an abusive husband. With support from a sultry singer named Shug Avery, as well as her stand-her-ground stepdaughter, Celie ultimately finds strength.
Barrino showed off Akbar’s gown at an event in Los Angeles and paired it with chunky gold jewelry and slicked back hair.
Jordanian Crown Prince marks Princess Rajwa’s 30th birthday
Updated 28 April 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II took to social media to wish his Saudi-born wife Princess Rajwa Al-Hussein on her 30th birthday as a new official portrait of the princess was unveiled.
"May God continue to bless and nurture the bond between us. Happy Birthday Rajwa," the Crown Prince wrote on Instagram, sharing a brand new photo of the couple.
The Jordanian royal family also shared a new official portrait of Princess Rajwa to celebrate her birthday. Set against a blue background, the portrait shows the princess in a matching blue outfit from French label Rabanne.
The Jordanian royal family also shared a new official portrait of Princess Rajwa to celebrate her birthday. (Twitter)
Earlier this month, it was announced that the royal couple, who married last year in June, are now expecting their first baby.
The news of the pregnancy was announced by the Jordanian royal family in a statement.
“The Royal Hashemite Court is pleased to announce that their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II and Princess Rajwa Al Hussein are expecting their first baby this summer,” it read.
