Paul Smith, the British fashion brand, organized an artistic evening that attracted many art and fashion lovers at The Archive Café in Dubai.
Reem Moussa, marketing executive at Chalhoub Group, put the evening together. “Paul Smith always looks for things that are linked to art as we are not very keen on typical sponsorship or advertising. We used up the whole space at the café to showcase various live art stations,” said Moussa.
At the first station, a young artist named Maryam sketches live sceneries and people, and places the sketches on a clothesline. Yasmine Richie is at the second station. Her unique and colorful artwork shows a scene from a movie, enriched with the very stripes that made Paul Smith famous.
The next station is a styling corner where different pieces of Paul Smith’s designs are styled in different ways and shapes to show how creative, varied and accessible they can be.
At the last station, an artist is working on a big canvas for the duration of the evening. He places his inspiration of Paul Smith’s latest spring/summer collection. “You can see the flowers blooming on his canvas in an amazing reflection of colors which is very much related to Paul Smith’s brand identity and narrative,” said Moussa.
In the café visitors admire a limited-edition scooter by Paul Smith. “There are only 600 Paul Smith scooters worldwide. This is the only one in the Middle East and the lucky raffle winner will be able to take it home.”
Sir Paul Smith, the creator and designer behind the brand is a very reputable name in the fashion industry. As opposed to many success stories of fashion designers, which usually refer to childhood enthusiasm for fashion and clothes, Smith’s story is quite different. The designer left school when he was 14 to become a racing cyclist. However, those dreams crumbled after he had an accident that kept him in hospital for a few months. As life has taught many of us in various ways, sometimes bad incidents do lead to extraordinary roads that may not have been discovered without taking a wrong turn. Smith made some friends in hospital who introduced him to the colorful world of art. From there he began designing clothes after taking classes in cutting and tailoring. In 1970, the designer opened his first shop in Nottingham and a few years after that he showed his first menswear collection in Paris.
From strength to strength, Paul Smith brand grew to be one of the most distinctive brands in fashion, with successful line extensions such as women’s wear, accessories, shoes, leather goods as well as fragrances. Now, the brand’s boutiques are distributed around the world in cities like Paris, London, New York, Japan, Dubai, Riyadh, Los Angeles, Milan, Las Vegas and many more. The designer is globally recognized for his vivid sense of art. Over decade ago, Queen Elizabeth II knighted him for his great contribution to the British fashion industry. Finally, one of the most important stations in Paul Smith’s history is designing Isle of Man stamps for the London Olympics in 2012.
The Paul Smith art evening will have another stop at Dubai Mall this week to spread awareness about the young artists the brand embraces and supports.
Paul Smith supports Dubai art scene
Paul Smith supports Dubai art scene
Riyadh celebrates Sudanese heritage in cultural week finale
- Visitors experience sounds of dalooka, rababa in lively spectacle
- Global Harmony 2 initiative has offered an integrated cultural experience highlighting 14 cultures
RIYADH: The Sudanese Culture Week continues in Riyadh until Dec. 20, attracting visitors from a variety of nationalities to diverse cultural performances, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The Ministry of Media has organized the events as part of the Global Harmony 2 initiative, in cooperation with the General Entertainment Authority and the Quality of Life Program.
Held at Al-Suwaidi Park, one of Riyadh Season’s zones, the week began with a celebratory parade featuring traditional Sudanese music which included the sounds of the dalooka and the rababa. A traditional Sudanese bridal procession was the subject of a tableau that also engaged visitors.
Sudanese Culture Week also includes musical concerts, entertainment sections, and cultural pavilions, with participation from Sudanese singers and influencers presenting activities that reflect the cultural diversity of the country’s regions and communities.
The event’s stage hosted the opening concerts, which were attended by thousands who enjoyed rababa performances and popular Sudanese songs.
Citizens and residents explored Sudanese culture through its folk arts, traditional music, and customs.
The celebration marks the final week of the Global Harmony 2 initiative’s cultural events. These have built on the program’s success in promoting cultural exchange and showcasing the cultures of communities residing in the Kingdom, reflecting the values of coexistence and cultural openness.
Over more than 40 days the Global Harmony 2 initiative has offered an integrated cultural experience highlighting 14 cultures.
Indian Culture Week was the first in a series featuring countries from Asia, Africa, and the Arab world.
Other weeks have placed the spotlight on regions such as the Philippines, Egypt, Pakistan, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Bangladesh, Yemen, Uganda, and Ethiopia, providing traditional arts and music, cuisine, and social activities.
The initiative has included more than 100 artists and creators presenting artistic and musical performances, along with areas showcasing traditional cuisine, clothing, handicrafts, and family-friendly interactive activities.
It has received wide acclaim for highlighting the lives of residents in the Kingdom and the services provided to them.
