Arab designers ruled the red carpet in 2021, from Cannes to Venice


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By anyone's reckoning, 2021 has been a good year for Arab designers.

While there may have been slightly fewer red-carpet events because of the ongoing pandemic, across film festivals and even weddings, it seems famous women cannot get enough of regional talent.

At the high-profile Venice and Cannes film festivals, countless ladies turned to the region to find their perfect look, from Kate Hudson in Lebanese brand Monot to Nilufar Addati in white feathered Rami Kadi and Jessica Chastain in embellished Elie Saab.

This simply showed that, increasingly, celebrities are tuning into the high-octane, deeply feminine glamour on offer by Arab names.

Taylor Swift wearing an outfit from Zuhair Murad resort 2022 on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'. Photo: Instagram
Taylor Swift wearing an outfit from Zuhair Murad resort 2022 on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'. Photo: Instagram

With a rich heritage of couture and occasion dressing, designers in the region are well versed in creating rich looks for special events. Even Taylor Swift donned a resort 2022 dress by Lebanese atelier Zuhair Murad for an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in November.

Jennifer Lopez, too, has made no secret of her admiration for regional designers, stepping out in looks by Zuhair Murad, Elie Saab and Georges Hobeika over the years. For her performance at the Grammys this October, she wore a custom made, crystal-studded body suit by Zuhair Murad, with matching tights, and thigh-high boots.

Dubai influencer Farhana Bodi in Saudi Arabian label Eman Alajlan, for the premiere of 'The Card Counter' during the 78th Venice International Film Festival on September 2, 2021. Getty Images
Dubai influencer Farhana Bodi in Saudi Arabian label Eman Alajlan, for the premiere of 'The Card Counter' during the 78th Venice International Film Festival on September 2, 2021. Getty Images

However, for what must have been one of her most closely watched red-carpet moment, when she stepped out at the Venice Film Festival with her new (and former) partner, actor Ben Affleck, she turned to Lebanon's Georges Hobeika for her dress. In a deeply scooped, crystal-embellished, form-fitting gown, slashed high on the leg, she looked nothing short of spectacular.

Jennifer Lopez wore a spectacular Georges Hobeika couture gown, with a low-cut, crystal neckline to attend the premiere of 'The Last Duel' with partner Ben Affleck. Reuters
Jennifer Lopez wore a spectacular Georges Hobeika couture gown, with a low-cut, crystal neckline to attend the premiere of 'The Last Duel' with partner Ben Affleck. Reuters

Elsewhere, for a rare red-carpet moment with her daughter Zahara, Angelina Jolie turned to Lebanese-Iraqi name Harithand, for a demure tiered dress, while for her wedding in September, Victoria Secret model Jasmine Tookes opted for a high-necked, long-sleeved lace embellished gown with a train by Zuhair Murad.

Scroll through the photo gallery above to see more looks by Arab designers on red carpets in 2021.

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Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales
​​​​​​​Najlaa Khoury, Archipelago Books

White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogenChromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxideUltramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica contentOphiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on landOlivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour

Ain Dubai in numbers

126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure

1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch

16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.

9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.

5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place

192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.

The Africa Institute 101

Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction. 

Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Wicked: For Good

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater

Rating: 4/5

Updated: December 28, 2021, 1:23 PM