Vivienne Westwood to open Riyadh Fashion Week with debut Middle East show
Vivienne Westwood to open Riyadh Fashion Week with debut Middle East show/node/2618269/lifestyle
Vivienne Westwood to open Riyadh Fashion Week with debut Middle East show
Vivienne Westwood's show will take place on Oct. 16. (Instagram)
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Updated 12 sec ago
Arab News
Vivienne Westwood to open Riyadh Fashion Week with debut Middle East show
Plan to promote Saudi traditions and designers, says CEO Carlo D鈥橝mario
Updated 12 sec ago
Arab News
DUBAI: British brand Vivienne Westwood is set to make its Middle East debut at Riyadh Fashion Week on Oct. 16.
The label will open the event with a show that blends British fashion heritage with 黑料社区 craftsmanship.
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In a recent interview with WWD, the CEO of Vivienne Westwood, Carlo D鈥橝mario, outlined his plans.
鈥淲e are working on a special collection of embroidered gowns, a result of the union of the expertise of our couture team and the craftsmanship of local artisans 鈥 a concrete way to promote local traditions through an international perspective.鈥
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This marks the first time Riyadh Fashion Week has opened its calendar to international labels.
Returning for its third edition from Oct. 16 to 21, the six-day event will feature more than 25 runway shows, 10 designer presentations, a curated showroom, and citywide activations.
Organized by the Saudi Fashion Commission, a part of the Ministry of Culture, the event will also spotlight emerging and established Saudi designers.
鈥楴iy奴 Y奴rk鈥 exhibition explores MENA influence on the Big Apple听
Inside the first show dedicated to NYC鈥檚 Public Library鈥檚 Middle Eastern collections听听听
Updated 6 sec ago
Jasmine Bager
RIYADH: Outside The New York Public Library鈥檚 Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, the unmistakable scent of a halal food cart mingles with the sounds of various Arabic dialects, while two marble lions stand guard over Fifth Avenue. Inside, entire worlds are waiting to be discovered 鈥 including the often-overlooked stories of New York鈥檚 Middle Eastern and North African communities.
鈥淣iy奴 Y奴rk: Middle Eastern and North African Lives in the City,鈥 the first exhibition dedicated to the Library鈥檚 Middle Eastern collections, opened Oct. 4. It will remain on view in the Ispahani-Bartos Gallery until March 8.
Berenice Abbott鈥檚 photograph from the 1930s of Syrian-owned The Lebanon Restaurant and an Arabic record store next door on Washington Street in New York. (Courtesy of The New York Public Library)
Curated by Hiba Abid, the exhibition contains around 60 objects 鈥 photos, books, periodicals and audio 鈥 dating from the 1850s to 2024. It centers specifically on the library鈥檚 own holdings, rather than attempting to tell a comprehensive history of MENA life in New York, Abid tells Arab News.
Drawing from over a century of rare materials the exhibition uses tangible objects to express the intangible: memory, identity and immigrant culture.鈥
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a love letter. It鈥檚 a realistic letter,鈥 Abid says, adding that these communities have long navigated complex questions of belonging, language, and preservation.鈥
Curator Hiba Abid. (Supplied)
鈥淭he communities, from the very beginning, were wondering, 鈥榃here should our kids go to school? If they go to the public New York schools, they would probably lose their language, but we want them to still know Arabic and be aware of our traditions and values,鈥欌 she said.
The exhibition is divided into four chronological sections, designed to help guide visitors of all ages, from young children to seasoned scholars.
The first section, 鈥淩oads to New York,鈥 focuses on the earliest waves of immigration. One of the first featured figures is Hatchik Oscanyan 鈥 later known as Christopher Oscanyan 鈥 an Armenian man born in what is now T眉rkiye. He came to New York in the mid-19th century and sought to educate Americans about the complexity of the Ottoman Empire. He wrote plays and newspaper articles, as well as 鈥淭he Sultan and His People,鈥 a book that offers insight into the region鈥檚 diverse ethnic and religious makeup.
The second section, 鈥淎 Life in the City,鈥 explores how immigrant communities began to form and thrive in New York, including in what was once known as Little Syria on Manhattan鈥檚 Lower West Side 鈥 an area that still exists today. They were entrepreneurs who opened restaurants, shops, and began publishing Arabic newspapers.
Richard Kasbaum鈥檚 photograph of Moroccan impresario Hassan Ben Ali, who toured the States with a troupe of acrobats, dancers, musicians and actors. (Courtesy of The New York Public Library)
One of the most groundbreaking was Al-Hoda, founded by Naoum Antoun Mokarzel and his brother Salloum. 鈥淚n the basement of Al-Hoda Press, they adapted the linotype machine from Latin characters to Arabic characters, which is very hard (because Arabic is) a cursive language,鈥 Abid says. 鈥淏y this technological innovation, he actually allowed other presses to form and to publish newspapers, periodicals, and books,鈥 which then circulated throughout North and Latin America 鈥 and back to the Middle East.
In other words, New York was instrumental in literally building the Arabic press and exporting news to the Middle East.
Abid emphasizes how vital the library鈥檚 historical collections are to telling these stories.
鈥淭he library has been collecting these materials since the late 19th century,鈥 she says, adding that many of them have been digitized, enabling audiences to interact with them in a new way.
The third section, 鈥淚mpressions,鈥 flips the gaze, revealing how Middle Eastern immigrants perceived New York and the US.
鈥淢any immigrant groups embraced American values鈥 but many (Arabs) actually didn鈥檛 like New York and didn鈥檛 like American values and left after a few years here or after a few months.鈥 The exhibit highlights these ambivalences and the tensions of assimilation.
The final section, 鈥淚n Our Own Skin,鈥 is the most contemporary and, for Abid, the most personal. It includes raw, vulnerable stories that reflect racial identity, Islamophobia, and resistance. Among the most powerful pieces is the short documentary 鈥淚n My Own Skin,鈥 directed by Jennifer Jajeh and Nikki Byrd, which features interviews with five Arab women in New York, and was filmed just one month after the events of Sept. 11, 2001.
鈥淭he interviews are absolutely amazing. Every time I talk about it, I have goosebumps,鈥 Abid says. 鈥淭he way they talk about it 鈥 it is still very relevant today, as if nothing changed much, except that we鈥檙e probably more powerful because we are aware of this and we know how to organize and to fight back. We have the vocabulary now, and the community.鈥
That spirit of organization is embodied by Malikah, a grassroots collective founded by Rana Abdelhamid in 2010 as a self-defense class for Muslim women on Steinway Street in Queens. The movement has since expanded into a larger project of empowerment, healing, and solidarity 鈥 and is featured in the exhibit鈥檚 final section. The powerful sound of the athan, or call to prayer, has been important to this cultural shift.
While images of the Statue of Liberty 鈥 based on an Egyptian woman 鈥 didn鈥檛 make the cut, but Abid stresses its significance on each guided tour. On this occasion, though, she wanted to focus the visitors on lesser-known gems.
Having lived in New York for the past four years as a Tunisian immigrant who spent much of her life in France, Abid says she finds New York to be more diverse than anywhere else she has ever lived.鈥
鈥淚 live on Atlantic Avenue in the Syrian corner. The things I witnessed here and in Middle Eastern parts of New York, like Astoria, I could never see anywhere else 鈥 even Paris,鈥 she says. 鈥淲hen you go to the exhibition, you actually think, 鈥楧amn! We actually did a lot. And we鈥檙e here, you know鈥攚e鈥檙e here.
鈥淚t shows how New York was central to all of these struggles and how New York 鈥 thanks to its MENA community 鈥 was actually connected and aware. It puts New York on a global map, you know? I think New York is incredible terrain for this. It鈥檚 the space for it. That鈥檚 what this show is about, ultimately.鈥濃
Saudi hotels earn Michelin Keys as two Mideast properties nab special awards at Paris ceremony
Four hotels in 黑料社区 were awarded two Michelin Keys, while three Saudi hotels earned one Michelin Key status
La Mamounia in Morocco, Kasbah Tamadot in Morocco, Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet district and Atlantis The Royal in Dubai all earned three Michelin Keys
Updated 09 October 2025
Saffiya Ansari
PARIS: Known for awarding coveted stars to restaurants around the world, the Michelin Guide also operates the Michelin Key Selection recognizing hotels, the latest awardees of which were named at a gala event in Paris on Wednesday with two hotels from the MENA region scoring special awards and multiple Saudi hotels earning Keys.
The organizers handed out four prizes for excellence in specific areas, including an Architecture and Design Award, Wellness Award, Local Gateway Award 鈥 for hotels that offer guests immersive connections to their surroundings 鈥 and the year鈥檚 Best New Opening Award.
Nominations for the four awards were unveiled over the past few months, with hotels from the Middle East making the cut.
La Fiermontina Ocean, Morocco was nominated for the Local Gateway Award for its 鈥渁uthentic access to rural Moroccan life; Atlantis The Royal in Dubai was nominated for the Architecture and Design Award for its 鈥渟tacked geometry redefining Dubai鈥檚 skyline; and Shebara Resort in 黑料社区 was nominated in the same category for its 鈥渇uturistic chrome pearls camouflaged by the Red Sea.鈥
On Wednesday night, La Fiermontina Ocean in Morocco scored the Local Gateway Award and Atlantis The Royal in Dubai nabbed the Architecture and Design Award.
The year鈥檚 Best New Opening Award went to The Burman Hotel, Estonia, and the Wellness Award went to B眉rgenstock Resort Switzerland.
Introduced over the past year in 15 countries across North America, Europe and Asia, the awards ceremony for the first-ever global list took place at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in the French capital. In total, 2,457 hotels received one (1,742), two (572) or three (143) Keys across the globe.
In the one Michelin Key category, awardees from the Gulf region included Banyan Tree AlUla in 黑料社区; The St. Regis Red Sea Resort in 黑料社区; Waldorf Astoria Jeddah - Qasr Al-Sharq; ERTH Hotel in Abu Dhabi; Jumeirah Saadiyat Island; The St. Regis Dubai, The Palm; Fairmont, Amman; Four Seasons Hotel, Amman; The Ritz-Carlton, Amman; The St. Regis, Amman; Bratus Hotel in Aqaba, Jordan, Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya; The St. Regis, Kuwait; The Chedi, Muscat; Six Senses Zighy Bay, Oman; Fairmont, Doha; Four Seasons, Doha; Mandarin Oriental; Doha; Marsa Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl in Doha; Rosewood Doha; Sharq Village & Spa, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Doha; The Ned Doha; Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers; Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island; Rixos Premium Saadiyat Island; Rosewood Abu Dhabi; Address Beach Resort; Al Maha, A Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa; Armani Hotel Dubai; Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa; Mandarin Oriental Jumeirah, Dubai; ME Dubai by Melia; The Lana, Dorchester Collection; The St. Regis Downtown Dubai; Anantara Qasr al Sarab Desert Resort.
Meanwhile, 49 hotel properties in Morocco, Turkey and Egypt were awarded one Key status.
In the two Michelin Key category, awardees from 黑料社区 included Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve; Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea; Shebara Resort; and Desert Rock Resort
Also awarded two Keys were La Fiermontina Ocean in Morocco; Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt; Royal Mansour Casablanca in Morocco; Raffles Al Areen Palace Bahrain; Alila Jabal Akhdar; Four Seasons Resort and Residences at The Pearl 鈥 Qatar; Raffles Doha; The Chedi Katara Hotel & Resort; Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental Abu Dhabi; Bulgari Resort Dubai; Burj Al Arab Jumeirah; and One&Only The Palm Dubai.
Across the rest of the region, hotels that earned two keys included Al Moudira Hotel in Egypt; Amanjena in Morocco; Royal Mansour in Marrakech; The Oberoi, Marrakech; Royal Mansour Tamuda Bay in Morocco; The Peninsula Istanbul; Argos in Cappadocia; and Museum Hotel in Turkey.
La Mamounia in Morocco, Kasbah Tamadot in Morocco, Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet district and Atlantis The Royal in Dubai all earned three Michelin Keys.
The candidates were assessed by Michelin Guide inspectors based on five criteria: excellence in interior design and architecture; quality and consistency in service, comfort and maintenance; consistency between the level of experience and the price paid; uniqueness, personality and authenticity; and whether the hotel was a gateway to a destination.
Like Michelin stars, the keys are awarded in line with a three-tier system.
One key signifies 鈥渁 very special stay,鈥 according to the guide. This is awarded to properties that 鈥渕ay break the mold, offer something different, or simply be one of the best of its type. Service always goes the extra mile and provides significantly more than similarly priced establishments.鈥
Two keys are awarded to properties that provide 鈥渁n exceptional stay 鈥 where a memorable experience is always guaranteed.鈥 These hotels also boast 鈥渃haracter, personality and charm that鈥檚 operated with obvious pride and considerable care 鈥 eye-catching design or architecture and a real sense of the locale make this an exceptional place to stay.鈥
Three keys indicate an extraordinary stay, according to the guide.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all about astonishment and indulgence here 鈥 this is the ultimate in comfort and service, style and elegance. It is one of the world鈥檚 most remarkable and extraordinary hotels and a destination for that trip of a lifetime. All the elements of truly great hospitality are here to ensure any stay will live long in the memory and hearts of travelers.鈥
Princess Rajwa Al-Hussein steps out in Saudi design in Paris/node/2618189/lifestyle
Princess Rajwa Al-Hussein steps out in Saudi design in Paris
Updated 12 min 6 sec ago
Arab News
DUBAI: Princess Rajwa Al-Hussein of Jordan showcased elegant royal style on Wednesday during her visit to France with her husband, Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah.
The couple are in Paris, where they met with French President Emmanuel Macron and first lady Brigitte Macron at the Elysee Palace.
The princess, who is of Saudi origins, stepped out wearing a design by Saudi designer Mona Al Shebil 鈥 the Crepe Collar Caped Buttoned Dress in black, featuring a structured collar.
She styled the look with Fendi mesh slingback pumps, a beige Bottega Veneta clutch, and Stephen Webster Thorn drop earrings paired with a matching necklace.
Following the crown prince鈥檚 visit to France, he is scheduled to travel to the UK, where he will hold meetings in London. He will meet with Prince William and British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
DUBAI: Part-Arab model Shanina Shaik turned heads in Paris this week when she appeared in new images shared by Victoria Beckham Beauty.
The Australia-born model 鈥 who is of Saudi, Pakistani, and Lithuanian descent 鈥 was featured in photos from a collaboration post on Instagram between her and the beauty brand, seen applying products such as the satin kajal liner and eye wear palette to create a soft, bronzed makeup look.
Shaik also attended the Victoria Beckham show during Paris Fashion Week, where the British designer presented her Spring/Summer 2026 collection at 17th century Val-de-Grace Abbey. For the occasion, Shaik wore a chocolate-brown satin halter-neck gown with a high neckline and open back, styled with minimal accessories and glossy waves for a sleek finish.
Before the show, Shaik shared a behind-the-scenes video of her getting ready for the event.
鈥淚 am so excited for this show. I am obviously a huge fan,鈥 she said in the video before breaking down the products she uses on her hair before styling.
She gave her followers a glimpse of her pre-show routine, sharing what she ate, followed by clips of her hair and makeup session. Shaik included shots from a photoshoot taken before the event, along with a short look at the show itself.
Beckham showed a collection of slip dresses, roomy suits and soft, leather jackets with crinkled edges for her namesake label鈥檚 show.
Models marched under the arched corridors in sharp-toed shoes, parading dresses cut in asymmetric shapes and uneven hems, the fabric bunched together in places, some covered with a dusting of spray paint.
Trousers were low-waisted, cinched with thin belts and paired with tops that were slit open in front, while suit jackets came in boxy shapes, without lapels. Handbags included a roomy duffle bag, a structured camera bag and one that resembled an accordion.
In written show notes, the brand described the collection as an 鈥渁bstract adaptation of the coming-of-age wardrobe,鈥 noting that Beckham had spent time reviewing photos of herself as a young adult.
Beckham has also been making headlines with her upcoming 鈥淰ictoria Beckham鈥 documentary, scheduled to premiere on Netflix on Oct. 9. In the three-part docuseries the former pop star-turned-fashion designer shares her story.
Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale announces theme, artists for 2026 edition听
Artistic directors Nora Razian and Sabih Ahmed discuss 鈥業n Interludes and Transitions鈥櫶
Updated 08 October 2025
Jasmine Bager
RIYADH: The 2026 edition of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 鈥 鈥淚n Interludes and Transitions,鈥 which opens Jan. 30 鈥 will bring together more than 70 artists, and include more than 20 new commissions at JAX, Diriyah鈥檚 creative district.
The title comes from a colloquial Arabic phrase that refers to the cycles of encampments and journeys in nomadic communities across the Arabian Peninsula, reflecting the movements, migrations, and transformations that continue to connect the Gulf region with the world.
Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale Artistic Director Nora Razian. (Courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation)
鈥淭here鈥檚 also this very contemporary conversation we鈥檙e presenting to complement that sentiment,鈥 artistic director Nora Razian tells Arab News. 鈥淚 think COVID changed the way people work, but I also think the whole 鈥榚verything going digital and online鈥 has kind of faded away now and people are already craving the intimate conviviality of sharing an experience together.
鈥淥f course, if you are Saudi you kind of know Diriyah, but it was always a little bit outside of the city. Now it鈥檚 very much integrated into the city, and the way that people think about the city. It鈥檚 become its own kind of place,鈥 she continues.
The biennale will explore movement, processions, and cultural transmission. Sound-based works will be presented along with visual art, music, and performance, offering audiences a full-bodied, cross-disciplinary experience, according to the organizers.
Artistic Director Sabih Ahmed. (Courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation)
While acknowledging that 鈥渟ome people may have been a little fatigued (by the number of biennales in the region, including the Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah, also run by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation),鈥 Razian鈥檚 fellow artistic director, Sabih Ahmed, tells Arab News that this edition feels 鈥渁 little bit like an edited anthology of many voices that come through together.鈥濃
Both artistic directors were drawn to the idea of processions as a curatorial thread. In a joint statement, they wrote: 鈥淧rocessions have produced relations and forms in this region. The movement of winds and the flow of trade, migration, and exile are carriers of stories, songs, and languages, producing rhythms and poetic meters such as the rajaz. Thinking of the world in procession 鈥 a braiding of movements that commemorate and celebrate 鈥 allows an understanding of cultural forms through exchange and transmissions; itineraries of travel, intersections, and mutations; and the retelling of fragments of exiled stories that have persisted through bodies, materials, rhythms, and cadences.鈥
Saudi artist Ahaad Alamoudi. (Photo by Zaynab Odunsi)
The biennale will unfold across multiple venues and outdoor spaces in Diriyah, with scenography by design studio Formafantasma and contributions from a team of international curators including Maan Abu Taleb, May Makki, Kabelo Malatsie, and Lantian Xie. Milan-based architect Sammy Zarka joins as associate architect and exhibition designer.
The preliminary list of participating artists features Saudi artist Ahaad Alamoudi alongside international figures including Pio Abad, Rand Abdul Jabbar, Yussef Agbo-Ola (Olaniyi Studio), Afra Al Dhaheri, Mohammed Alhamdan (7amdan), Ruba Al-Sweel, Taysir Batniji, Raven Chacon, Rohini Devasher, Merve Ertufan, Ivana Franke, Rahima Gambo, Petrit Halilaj, Aziz Hazara, Alana Hunt, Yazan Khalili, George Mahashe, Th茅o Mercier, Nour Mobarak, Nancy Mounir, Hussein Nassereddine, Daniel Otero Torres, Th岷 Nguy锚n Phan, Gala Porras-Kim, Sarker Protick, Raqs Media Collective, Oscar Santill谩n, Tr瓢啤ng C么ng T霉ng, Wolff Architects, Agustina Woodgate, and Yu Ji.
By blending visual art, music, and poetry 鈥 a hallmark of cultural expression across the Arab world 鈥 the biennale is intended to amplify continuity and resilience in times of uncertainty. Through song, stories, dance and collaborative processes, it highlights how art preserves memory, asserts the power of the collective, and sparks hope.
The Diriyah Biennale Foundation, chaired by Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al-Saud, continues to champion creativity and the transformative potential of culture. With the upcoming edition of the Contemporary Art Biennale, the foundation hopes that Diriyah can solidify its place as a generator of culture.鈥
