Footwear designer Amina Muaddi escapes to Dubai

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Updated 09 January 2021
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Footwear designer Amina Muaddi escapes to Dubai

DUBAI: Part-Jordanian footwear designer Amina Muaddi jetted off to Dubai this week for a quick getaway, she revealed on social media. The designer, who was born in Italy to a Romanian mother and a Jordanian father, posted a series of snaps on Instagram that offered a glimpse into her UAE escape. 

“For a few days,” she captioned the post, which included pictures and videos of palm trees, Dubai’s sprawling skyline and the stunning desert resort she was staying at.

The 33-year-old also posted two snaps of herself lounging on a wicker chair and wearing a pair of zebra-print platform sandals seemingly from her eponymous brand’s unreleased Spring 2021 collection. 

“The sandal, where is it from?” one Instagram user commented along with a series of fire emojis, prompting Muaddi to respond “SS21” with the nails and shushing emojis. 

Muaddi, who spends the bulk of her days creating collections, is also a travel enthusiast for whom, before the global lockdown, trips around the world were routine. 

But due to the pandemic, travel restrictions make it difficult to take holidays, however, if anyone deserves some time off for a little rest and rejuvenation, it’s Muaddi. 

The designer, whose vibrant footwear is a cult favorite in celebrity circles — stars like Kim Kardashian West and Hailey Bieber seek out her distinctive pumps and boots — has had quite the busy few months. 

In addition to consistently churning out new, covetable collections to line the wardrobes of her loyal celebrity clients, the designer recently picked up the FN Achievement Award alongside Rihanna and Jahleel Weaver for her collaboration with Fenty.

The duo dropped not one but two collections together in 2020. Following the sell-out success of Muaddi’s first Fenty collection, Rihanna enlisted the maker of her favorite heels to create four more shoes for the house just months later.

And those weren’t Muaddi’s only footwear collaborations in recent months. 

In December, the designer teamed up with US rapper A$AP Rocky on a new collection of AWGE x Amina Muaddi shoes. 

The Paris-based designer, who launched her eponymous footwear line in 2018 shortly after departing from Oscar Tiye, also expanded her footwear empire by adding jewelry and handbag pieces to her stylish repertoire.


Islamic Arts Biennale reveals dates for its third edition

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Islamic Arts Biennale reveals dates for its third edition

DUBAI: The Diriyah Biennale Foundation has announced the third edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale, open from Nov. 1, 2027, through March 1, 2028, at the Aga Khan Award–winning Western Hajj Terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Conceived and launched by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, the Islamic Arts Biennale is the first biennale in the world dedicated exclusively to the exploration of the arts of Islamic civilizations, past and present. The biennale brings together a large number of historical works — some of which have never been displayed before — into dialogue with contemporary commissions, to highlight questions and perspectives that resonate with the lives of people around the world today.

The third edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale and future editions of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale will open at the end of each year, allowing the foundation to deepen its focus on institutional partnerships and align with the Kingdom’s wider cultural calendar.

The Islamic Arts Biennale 2027 will build on the success of its inaugural and second editions, which presented over 500 historical objects from more than 40 institutions across more than 20 countries, with the second edition tripling the number of participating institutions.

Central to this expansion is AlMadar (“The Orbit”), an initiative conceived by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation to transform the biennale from a periodic exhibition into a sustained global platform for Islamic arts. Launched with the biennale’s first edition and reflecting an understanding of Islamic heritage as an evolving field, AlMadar reconsiders how works from across eras and geographies are convened, studied, and experienced. The initiative demonstrates the Kingdom’s commitment to cultural collaboration internationally and across disciplines.

AlMadar will evolve into a continuous, year-round initiative structured by four pillars: AlMadar Exhibition, presented at each edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale and accompanied by public programs; AlMadar Digital, a repository that leverages technology for research, collaboration, and storytelling; AlMadar Initiatives, consisting of symposia, talks, and workshops that support research and creative practice; and AlMadar Community, a network connecting member institutions for knowledge exchange and collaborative opportunities.