Ashley Park shows off Elie Saab look in New York

Ashley Park showed off an Elie Saab gown in New York. (Getty Images)
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Updated 12 October 2024
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Ashley Park shows off Elie Saab look in New York

DUBAI: US actress and musician Ashley Park showed off a glittering gown by Lebanese designer Elie Saab in New York.

Best known for her portrayal of Mindy Chen on the Netflix comedy series “Emily in Paris,” the actress attended the Time100 Next gala in a halter-neck dress from Saab’s Fall 2024 collection. The figure-hugging number was embellished with spherical sequins and minute stars overlain on a geometric gridwork of beading.

The stars of the show are known for championing Arab designers, with Egyptian jewelry label Jude Benhalim nabbing a starring role in the latest season of the hit Netflix series that was released in September.

Throughout multiple scenes, the Cairo-based label’s pieces are featured prominently on several characters in different episodes.

In episode six of season five, the Ripple Ring in gold is seen on Emily Cooper, portrayed by Lily Collins. Also in episode six, Camille’s mother, Louise, played by Camille Japy, shines in the Droplet Earrings in white.

Additionally, Park’s character is spotted wearing the Elea Hoops in the same episode.

Benhalim, who is part-Libyan and part-Syrian and grew up in Egypt, founded her eponymous brand in 2011 when she was just 17 and has since gone on to release a number of lines that each pay tribute to her heritage, finding fans in a handful of celebrities.

Meanwhile, Elie Saab has no shortage of celebrity fans and recently unveiled his Spring/Summer 2025 collection at Paris Fashion Week in front of a star-studded crowd.

The designer showcased a mesmerizing journey through the African savannah that felt fresh, vibrant, and completely devoid of tired clichés, according to the Associated Press’s Thomas Adamson.

Right from the start, Saab showed he wasn’t afraid to play with the safari staples — but with a twist. Safari suits, reimagined as roomy linen separates and sleek crepe jumpsuits, traded their usual khaki for the blazing red of fireball lilies, moody elephant gray, and the ochre dust of West Africa. It was a palette that brought the raw, natural beauty of the continent to life without falling into the predictable tropes. These looks weren’t the romanticized garb of the intrepid explorer; they were effortlessly chic, perfectly fitted for today’s cosmopolitan adventurer.


UK entrepreneur says people who disagree with his Palestine solidarity should not shop at his stores

Updated 22 December 2025
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UK entrepreneur says people who disagree with his Palestine solidarity should not shop at his stores

  • Mark Constantine shut all British branches of cosmetics retailer Lush earlier this year in solidarity with Gaza
  • ‘I don’t think being compassionate has a political stance,’ he tells the BBC

LONDON: A British cosmetics entrepreneur has told people who disagree with his support for Palestine not to shop at his businesses.

Mark Constantine is the co-founder and CEO of the Lush chain of cosmetic stores, which temporarily closed all of its UK outlets earlier this year in an act of solidarity with the people of Gaza.

He told the BBC that people should be “kind, sympathetic and compassionate,” that those who are “unkind to others” would not “get on very well with me,” and that anyone who disagrees with his views “shouldn’t come into my shop.”

He told the “Big Boss Interview” podcast: “I’m often called left wing because I’m interested in compassion. I don’t think being compassionate has a political stance.

“I think being kind, being sympathetic, being compassionate is something we’re all capable of and all want to do in certain areas.”

In September, every branch of Lush in the UK, as well as the company’s website, were shut down to show solidarity for the people of Gaza.

A statement on the page where the website was hosted read: “Across the Lush business we share the anguish that millions of people feel seeing the images of starving people in Gaza, Palestine.”

Messages were also posted in the windows of all the shuttered stores, stating: “Stop starving Gaza, we are closed in solidarity.”

Constantine was asked if he thought his views on Gaza could harm his business, and whether people might decide not to deal with him as a result.

“You shouldn’t come into my shop (if you don’t agree),” he said. “Because I’m going to take those profits you’re giving me and I’m going to do more of that — so you absolutely shouldn’t support me.

“The only problem is, who are you going to support? And what are you supporting when you do that? What is your position?”