DUBAI: Spanish luxury brand Loewe has named Egyptian actress Salma Abu Deif as its newest brand ambassador.
The star most recently attended Loewe’s Spring/Summer 2026 runway show in Paris, marking the first collection designed under the creative direction of Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez.
As the first Loewe brand ambassador in the Middle East, Abu Deif called it an “incredible honor” and said she had “long admired the house for its artistry and bold creativity.”
Spanish luxury brand Loewe shared images of Egyptian actress Salma Abu Deif. (Supplied)
She added: “This partnership allows me to express myself in new and meaningful ways. The brand’s ability to merge minimalism with innovation has always inspired me, and I deeply admire the way it champions individuality.”
Trained at New York’s Stella Adler Studio of Acting, Cairo-born Abu Deif has starred in numerous films, including playing singer Sherine in 2017’s “Sheikh Jackson.” The film, screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, was Egypt’s Academy Award submission for the Best International Feature Film category.
The actress has also appeared in series such as “Rag’een ya Hawa” and “Halawet El Donia.”
Abu Deif’s tenure comes as Loewe takes its first steps under new creative heads McCollough and Hernandez. They have taken up the mantle from Jonathan Anderson who stepped down in March after an 11-year stint for a move to Dior.
McCollough and Hernandez met at the Parsons New School of Design. In an unusual move, they chose to collaborate on their graduate collection, which was released in 2002 and picked up by Barneys New York. Their label, Proenza Schouler, is taken from their mother’s maiden names.
In 2004, the pair were awarded the inaugural Council of Fashion Designers of America Vogue Fashion Fund. They went on to win the CFDA’s Womenswear Designer of the Year award in 2007.
Fast forward to 2025 and the pair were tapped to lead Loewe into its next chapter. Fashion magazines speculated on where the duo would take the famed label — and the duo soon impressed.
The Spring/Summer 2026 collection was well received, with Women’s Wear Daily lauding it as “full of bold colors and clean, sculptural garments.”
“(It) felt future-looking but full of life and organic textures,” WWD’s Ashley Simpson added.
Stars gather in Saudi Arabia for the Red Sea International Film Festival
Updated 16 min 32 sec ago
Nada Hameed
JEDDAH: International stars from Hollywood, Bollywood and the Middle East and North African film industries gathered in Jeddah on Thursday for the launch of the Red Sea International Film Festival.
The 2025 edition of the festival is running from Dec 4-13 in the historic district of Al‑Balad in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia — the festival’s permanent home.
Oscar winner Adrien Brody on the red carpet. (Getty Images)
On Thursday night, the red carpet hosted the likes of Oscar winner Adrien Brody; US actresses Queen Latifah, Kirsten Dunst, Jessica Alba and Uma Therman; Cuban Spanish star Ana de Armas; British actor Daniel Kaluuya; and British singer Rita Ora. From the Middle East, Saudi star Sarah Taibah hit the red carpet, alongside Zeina Makki, Hanaa Mansour and more.
Jessica Alba on the red carpet in Jeddah. (Getty Images)
“This is my second time actually attending the Red Sea International Film Festival. And I'm very proud of the work that they're doing, and Saudi as a nation is doing, not just in film and the arts, but supporting their own culture,” “The Brutalist” actor Brody said to Arab News on the red carpet.
“There's a great sense of pride and joy I find, especially in young people here. They feel empowered and able to do things, which is an amazing thing to feel in this world. This festival, in particular, is really bringing a lot of visibility to underrepresented female voices in film … and also young, inspiring filmmakers are getting an opportunity here.”
British actor Daniel Kaluuya. (Getty Images)
British actor Michael Caine was also at the ceremony — he will earn a special honor at the event for his work in the film industry.
The jury also attended the opening ceremony, including Sean Baker, Lebanese director Nadine Labaki, British Oscar winner Riz Ahmed, actress Olga Kurylenko and actress Naomi Harris.
Saudi star Sarah Taibah on the red carpet in Jeddah. (Getty Images)
Now in its fifth year, RSIFF returns with the theme “For the Love of Cinema,” and promises more than 100 films from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, Asia and Africa, alongside exclusive screenings, industry initiatives and a renewed focus on women filmmakers and global collaborations.
“I've been very lucky to fall in with some extraordinary female filmmakers here … I think it's an important time to look at the global picture and, especially as a woman and a filmmaker and somebody who's very aware of the good and bad of AI, I feel like it's important to be here with the female filmmakers and really understand what's at stake for all of us,” US actress and director Natasha Lyonne told Arab News, highliting the key focus on female-led filmmaking at the festival.
Canadian actress Nina Dobrev on the red carpet. (Getty Images)
“Thirty-eight female filmmakers are being honored at this festival, which makes me really, really happy,” Canadian star Nina Dobrev added.
This year’s opening night gala launched with the UK-US biopic “Giant,” directed by Rowan Athale. The film chronicles the life of British Yemeni boxer Prince Naseem Hamed, played by Amir El-Masry.
Amir El-Masry stars in the opening film. (Getty Images)
“It's a film that we worked so hard on. It's one that encompasses both cultures, the East and the West. It is about a man who grew up in Sheffield, but is a Yemeni, a Muslim, Yemeni boxer who managed to get out of a turbulent time in his life in Sheffield and become world champion. That's no mean feat," El-Masry told Arab News on the red carpet.
“(It is) a hugely inspirational story, not just for Middle Easterners, like myself, but for people around the world.”
Riz Ahmed attends the opening night red carpet for "Giant" at the Red Sea International Film Festival 2025. (Getty Images)
Over the 10-day festival, audiences can expect more than 100 films from more than 70 countries, including a diverse lineup of world premieres, regional debuts and international titles including features, documentaries, animation and shorts.
The Arab Spectacular program will feature regional titles including “Palestine 36” by Annemarie Jacir; Haifaa Al-Mansour’s “Unidentified”; and “A Matter of Life and Death” by Anas Ba-Tahaf, starring Saudi Actress Sarah Taibah.
Olga Kurylenko attends the opening night red carpet for "Giant" at the Red Sea International Film Festival 2025. (Getty Images)
“I’m equally scared and excited. It’s a romantic dark comedy. I think it’s a very new genre in Saudi films. It’s very colorful ... I’m very excited and scared for people to see it,” Taibah told Arab News on the red carpet, adding she is “excited to watch so many films,” including “Hijra,” “Palestine 36” and “Sirat,” among others.
The International Spectacular will present global premieres such as “Couture” starring Angelina Jolie, “The Wizard of the Kremlin,” “Scarlet,” “Farruquito — A Flamenco Dynasty,” and “Desert Warrior,” which was filmed in Saudi Arabia.
Vin Diesel and Michael Caine attend the opening night red carpet for "Giant" at the Red Sea International Film Festival 2025. (Getty Images)
Beyond screenings, RSIFF is a major industry hub. The festival’s marketplace — the Red Sea Souk — returns from Dec. 6-10 with more than 160 exhibitors from more than 40 countries, industry panels, project-market pitches, masterclasses and networking sessions.
