Emirati-Yemeni singer Balqees Fathi has been announced as one of the new faces of luxury jewellery brand Piaget.
In a series of glossy images for the brand's Extraordinary Women campaign, the singer appears alongside other noteworthy women such as American actress Jessica Chastain, entrepreneur and influencer Olivia Palermo, British actress Cynthia Erivo and Korean actress Kong Hyo-jin.
Crazy Rich Asians star Constance Wu is another famous face selected by the brand, as is Chinese visual artist Chen Man, who also shot the images. With her trademark polished style Man, has put Chinese fashion photography on the map, and in turning her lens on this group of women, she is introducing them to a truly global audience.
The campaign was envisioned as a way to highlight the brand's glittering, diamond-encrusted Limelight Gala timepieces, and Sunlight and Possession jewellery collections, although Piaget has chosen to expand this into something much wider-reaching.
By choosing a global array of women famous in their fields, the jewellery house is celebrating these "independent, creative, strong, passionate" figures, proclaiming that women can be "whoever they want to be".
Of course, Fathi is already a household name in the Middle East. The daughter of famed musician Ahmed Fathi, Fathi has earned recognition for her own talent and drive.
In 2016 she was named the regional voice of the UN's initiative Planet 50-50, aiming to bring about gender equality, perhaps fitting given she was named after the Yemeni Queen Balqees, famous for her wise and peaceful rule.
As an artist, Fathi's first song was Masaa'la Sahla, and her first live performance was in 2013, when she joined the UAE National Symphony Orchestra, singing in both French and Italian. In 2016, she performed at du Arena in Abu Dhabi alongside Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli ,accompanied by the NSO Symphony Orchestra.
Since then she has amassed a devoted following (more than 10 million on social media, and counting), and this latest involvement with Piaget will see her introduced to an even wider audience.
______________
Read more:
Maryam Al Balooshi: the Emirati calligraphy artist who isn't afraid of colour
______________
