Mariah Idrissi calls out US fashion brand for hijab faux pas
Updated 31 July 2019
Arab News
DUBAI: British-Moroccan model and influencer Mariah Idrissi and Haute Hijab founder Melanie Elturk took to Instagram Tuesday to share their concerns about the misrepresentation of Muslim women in the fashion industry.
It all kicked off when Elturk, who founded accessories e-tailer Haute Hijab in 2010, shared a promotional image used by US clothing store Banana Republic on its website.
The image features a hijab-wearing woman wearing a short-sleeved t-shirt and while Elturk “(loves) that they’re representing our community,” she added that she is “personally going to let them know that… there are guidelines to hijab outside of just covering hair (sic).”
“While I love that (the) hijab is becoming more mainstream and applaud @bananarepublic for their efforts in inclusivity… I have to pause at the way it’s portrayed,” she added.
“Brands will continue to invest in this space, but without proper checks in place, you have images like this. All it would have taken was a consultation with a Muslim brand or group to advise in order to do it right and respect our values,” she said.
Idrissi echoed the need for big brands to choose the right consultants when targeting shoppers.
“I’m out here on… all these platforms to explain the importance of getting the right people to consult for brands that want to tap into the ‘Muslim dollar’ and then this happens. Why are these errors happening still?” she said, before adding that fashion brands should employ the right people to consult on or style photoshoots to avoid such issues.
Banana Republic launched its range of four hijabs on Tuesday.
Born and raised in London, Idrissi is of Moroccan-Pakistani descent and made headlines in 2015 when she became the first model to wear a hijab in a major international fashion campaign, starring in H&M’s “Close the Loop” adverts.
Since then, she has been at the forefront of the modest fashion movement, working with major retailers including MAC cosmetics and ASOS. She also featured in Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty campaign.
Referring to the feedback from her H&M campaign in that talk, she said, “It made me realize that I’m not only a hijabi model, I’ve also had this weight placed on me as a spokeswoman for hijab, for modesty, for fashion, for Islam… And, of course, I wouldn’t change it for the world, but it shows me that we still have a long way to go in changing people’s mentalities.”
Saudi Arabian history on display at Abu Dhabi Book Fair
Selections from London-based rare-book dealer Peter Harrington’s offering at the UAE fair
Updated 26 April 2024
Arab News
‘Ibn Saud press photograph’
According to notes from rare books specialists from Peter Harrington’s team, this image from archives of The Times newspaper was taken in what was then called Hejaz, following a “critical and secretive meeting between (founder of Saudi Arabia) Ibn Saud (center) and the British representative Sir Gilbert Clayton (left) — one of a pivotal series of negotiations which led to the Treaty of Jeddah in May 1927.” The two discussed “various outstanding questions affecting the relations of the Kingdom of the Hejaz and Nejd with the neighboring states of Iraq and Transjordan” to help determine the northern borders of Saudi Arabia. “Discussions over the borders were protracted and complex, with the towns of Maʿan and Kaf the object of particularly intense debate,” the notes state.
‘Pilgrimage to El-Medinah and Mecca’ by Richard F. Burton
In this three-volume first edition, complete with illustrations, of “one of the most extraordinary travel narratives of the 19th century,” the British explorer, writer and polyglot Richard Francis Burton recounts his Hajj journey, made “in complete disguise as a Muslim native of the Middle East” at a time when fewer than half-a-dozen Europeans had made the pilgrimage — forbidden to non-Muslims. “It surpassed all preceding Western accounts of the holy cities of Islam, made Burton famous, and became a classic of travel literature, described by T. E. Lawrence as ‘a most remarkable work of the highest value,’” the team from Peter Harrington note. In Makkah, Burton performed all the rites of the pilgrimage and his subterfuge remained undiscovered.
‘Map and Overview Presenting the Hejaz Railway Route’
This map from 1903 depicts the route of the ambitious Hejaz Railway project. It “depicts a very broad area, extending from just north of Hama, Syria, all the way south a little way past Makkah, in the Hejaz; it covers most of Syria, all of Palestine, the Sinai Peninsula, the Suez Canal, and all the north-western Arabian Peninsula,” Peter Harrington’s rare book experts write. “It clearly delineates those parts of the railway that are in place and those under construction … with each station labelled. Additionally, it depicts the two alternative routes proposed for extending the line to Makkah, employing broken lines, while another line traces the proposed (but unrealized) route of a rail line from Makkah to Jeddah. The map also labels important roads and caravan routes.”
Four years after this map was published, the book seller’s notes state, the railway reached AlUla, which is not marked on this map, although Mada’in Salah (now Hegra) is, which today is the site of one of two museums dedicated to the Hejaz Railway.
By 1908, the railway had reached Madinah, where, the notes state, “for various political reasons, it had to be terminated.” Nevertheless, they continue, “until the outbreak of the First World War, it allowed hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to make the Hajj in safety and with relative ease.”
‘Material from the library of Peter O’Toole by T.E. Lawrence’
Billed by Peter Harrington as an “insightful archive, spanning Lawrence’s transformation from man of the moment to unwilling celebrity, from the library of Peter O’Toole, whose breakthrough portrayal in David Lean’s 1962 biopic still shapes perceptions of the famous Arabist. Autograph material from Lawrence is always highly prized, but rarely is its provenance so apposite.”
The centerpiece of the material is a photograph and an unpublished letter written by Lawrence (who became known as Lawrence of Arabia following his journeys across the Middle East, including modern-day Saudi Arabia), framed as a piece and gifted to the English actor who played Lawrence in the aforementioned biopic by his wife, Sian, and a friend not long before the premiere of the movie. The letter makes clear Lawrence’s difficult relationship with his celebrity, and is cutting about his own book, “The Seven Pillars of Wisdom,” saying that he did not own a copy himself (“No man yet has ever wanted to read his own book”) but that his mother and “little brother” did, “and that is plenty for the family. Nobody reads it: it is worth too much money. ... It is a rotten book, you know.”
‘Oil Region in the Desert of Saudi Arabia’
This 1950 image, “after a painting by the German artist Michael Mathias Kiefer,” is one of a series of geographical pictures intended for use in the curriculum of German schools. “The painting juxtaposes Arab figures in traditional garb with images of drilling rigs, a lorry, and oil storage tanks, creating a strikingly orientalist image,” Peter Harrington’s notes state. “In the middle of the composition, a pipeline bisects the image, a forceful reminder of the centrality of oil to the modern Saudi Arabian economy. In the foreground, members of a group of travelers, possibly intended to be Bedouins, rest on a carpet and let their camels drink from a water tank. Away in the background, before a distant oasis, more travelers arrive at a campsite, their camels heavily laden. Their destination is the oil infrastructure that crowds the right of the image.”
Recipes for Success: Chef Antonio De Crecchio offers advice and a gnocchi with duck ragu recipe
Updated 26 April 2024
Shyama Krishna Kumar
DUBAI: Antonio De Crecchio began his career back in 2006, working as a pizza chef in Naples, Italy. He was, he says, just 14 years old.
“I’ve always loved food and cooking, but that’s when I truly fell in love with cooking,” he tells Arab News. “My first boss was tough on me, but it taught me a lot about handling the job and pushing myself to get better.”
Antonio De Crecchio began his career back in 2006. (Supplied)
He continued to work as a pizza chef at various Rossopomodoro outlets across the UK, including London, Birmingham, and Newcastle, before returning to Italy to lead the team at Rossopomodoro in Torino and Milano. In 2019, he moved to the UAE, taking a job as pizza chef at Antica Pizzeria da Michele in Dubai. He is currently executive chef of Amò at Via Toledo in Dubai’s Address Beach Resort.
“Working here has been emotional for me,” he says. “After spending many years in a casual dining restaurant, opening a fine dining restaurant feels like reaching a higher level,” he said.
Here, De Crecchio — affectionately known as Chef Toto — discusses tips for amateur chefs, his love for Italian cuisine, and his most challenging dish.
Amò is at Via Toledo in Dubai’s Address Beach Resort. (Supplied)
What’s your top tip for amateur chefs cooking at home?
Invest in a Bimby. It’s a great tool for making pizza dough, ensuring that the result matches what you’d get at a restaurant. Plus it saves a lot of time, allowing you to focus on other tasks. Making dough correctly requires a lot of experience, so having the right equipment can make a big difference.
When you go out to eat, do you find yourself critiquing the food?
Yes. Often.
And what’s the most common issue that you find in other restaurants?
One thing I notice, especially with Italian food, is that the pasta is not always cooked al dente, as it should be. This can be challenging for me because I have a strong preference for the traditional Italian food that my grandma used to make.
Tiramisu. (Supplied)
What’s your favorite cuisine when you go out?
My favorite cuisine is Italian, especially pasta. It reminds me of my home country and brings back fond memories.
What customer request or behavior most annoys you?
The requests that annoy me the most are when they ask for pasta with chicken and pizza with pineapple.
What’s your favorite dish to cook?
My favorite dish to cook is pasta, because it reminds me of Sundays back home when my mom used to prepare it for our family lunches.
Pizza Chiena, a savory pie. (Supplied)
What’s the most difficult dish for you to get right?
The most challenging dish for me to perfect is our egg dish. It requires cooking at a low temperature to maintain a soft interior, and achieving the right texture for the foam that accompanies it is crucial. If you don’t achieve the exact balance, then the dish loses its identity.
As a head chef, what are you like? Are you a disciplinarian? Or are you more laid back?
As a head chef, I prioritize discipline, but I avoid shouting at my staff. In the kitchen, maintaining both discipline and empathy with my team is essential for success.
1. Heat a pot on the stove until it reaches smoking point. Add blended oil.
2. Season the skin side of the duck legs with salt. Sear them until the outer surface of the meat is scorched, then transfer to a deep tray, cover them with their fat and place in the oven at 150°C for two hours.
3. In the same pot used for searing, add the celery, white onion and carrots to the duck fat and deglaze with approximately 4 liters of chicken stock.
4. Bring the stock to a boil, then slowly add each leg to the boiling stock.
5. Transfer the stock and duck legs into a large oven dish and heat in the oven at 160°C for two hours.
6. Remove the dish from the oven, take the duck legs out of the liquid and gently pull the meat from the duck legs, setting it aside.
7. Transfer the remaining liquid to a pot and reduce for one hour.
8. Allow the reduction to cool down, then mix it with the duck meat to prepare the duck ragu.
For the gnocchi
1. Steam the potatoes until tender, then mash.
2. Add grated parmesan cheese, salt, egg, and flour, and combine to form a dough.
3. Roll the dough into ropes and cut it into small pieces to form gnocchi.
4. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the gnocchi until they float to the surface. Remove and set aside.
5. Toast the cooked gnocchi with butter and additional parmesan cheese in a pan until lightly browned.
6. Plate the gnocchi and top with the prepared duck ragu.
Two Saudi hotels listed in Conde Nast’s Hot List of new openings from the last year
Updated 25 April 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: For those planning their next staycation, two hotels in Saudi Arabia have found a spot in Conde Nast’s prestigious annual Hot List, with one of them located in the heart of Riyadh.
The St Regis Riyadh and Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea have joined the list of best hotel openings from the last year, spanning the globe, from Argentina and Zimbabwe to Nepal and Spain, and more.
The St Regis Riyadh is “the only hotel inside Via Riyadh – a bijou mall of designer boutiques, hand-picked restaurants, and a cinema complex, wrapped within monumental sandstone walls at the edge of the Saudi capital’s Diplomatic Quarter – the St Regis Riyadh nods to the hotel brand’s New York heritage as well as its new Saudi home,” according to the publication.
Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea, is the first resort to open in the 28,000-square-kilometer expanse of sea, reefs, islands and inland desert known, simply, as The Red Sea. (Supplied)
Meanwhile, the new Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea, is the first resort to open in the 28,000-square-kilometer expanse of sea, reefs, islands and inland desert known, simply, as The Red Sea. It’s one of Saudi Arabia’s ambitious tourism-focused giga-projects, part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 aimed at diversifying the economy and heralding a new future for the nation.
Moroccan director Asmae El-Moudir joins Cannes’ Un Certain Regard jury
Updated 25 April 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: The Cannes Film Festival announced on Thursday that Moroccan director, screenwriter and producer Asmae El-Moudir will be part of the Un Certain Regard jury at the 77th edition of the event, set to take place from May 14-25.
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.
El-Moudir is the director of the critically acclaimed film “The Mother of All Lies.”
The movie took the honors in the Un Certain Regard section, as well as winning the prestigious L’oeil d’Or prize for best documentary at the festival in 2023. The film explores El-Moudir’s personal journey, unraveling the mysteries of her family’s history against the backdrop of the 1981 bread riots in Casablanca.
El-Moudir is not the only Arab joining the Cannes team.
Moroccan Belgian actress Lubna Azabal this week was appointed the president of the Short Film and La Cinef Jury of the festival. The La Cinef prizes are the festival’s selection dedicated to film schools.
Second Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Saudi Arabia planned for Neom
Updated 25 April 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: Marriott International, Inc. announced on Thursday that it has signed an agreement with Neom to open its second Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Saudi Arabia.
The hotel is anticipated to open in Trojena, a year-round mountain destination located in the northwest region of the country.
The resort is expected to feature 60 expansive one-to-four-bedroom villas. Plans also include a range of amenities including a spa, swimming pools and multiple culinary venues.
Chadi Hauch, the regional vice president of Lodging Development Middle East, Marriott International said in a statement: “Together with Neom, we look forward to bringing this ultra-luxury experience to Trojena. This signing also marks an important addition to our portfolio in Saudi Arabia where we continue to see a strong demand for our luxury brands.”
“Trojena is a rare destination, and we are delighted that Ritz-Carlton Reserve has hand-picked the mountains of Neom for their next property. Together we will create an experience that can’t be recreated anywhere else. Our visitors and residents will experience a sanctuary that will capture the magic of Saudi Arabia, embracing ultimate luxury in an unforgettable location,” executive director and Trojena region head Philip Gullett said in a statement.
Trojena, one of the flagship developments within Neom, is being developed and positioned as a year-round adventure sports destination that will include activities such as skiing, water sports, hiking and mountain biking. It will also include apartments, chalets, retail, dining, entertainment, leisure, sports and recreational facilities, and other hospitality offerings, including a W Hotel and a JW Marriott Hotel.
Ritz-Carlton Reserve currently boasts a collection of only six properties in destinations including Thailand, Indonesia, Puerto Rico and Mexico.
