Sky-High Fashion
Passengers travelling in Etihad’s first class and those staying in The Residence on board the A380 fleet are in for a treat. The airline has teamed up with Emirati brand A Friend of Mine by Xpoze to launch an exclusive luxury loungewear line for its favoured guests.
Made of anti-bacterial and hypoallergenic Modal, the pieces have done away with unnecessary stitching and embellishments to offer stylish but simple comfort based on traditional Arabic dress. The material is also crease-resistant and breathable and comes in a selection of earthy colours.
Big Names in Saudi
Big name designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier showed alongside regional favourites like Arwa al-Banawi (pictured) at Saudi Arabia’s first fashion week. The event, held in Riyadh, got under way two weeks later than planned due to logistical problems and visa issues for travelling models and designers. But, not surprisingly, it attracted an enthusiastic, all-female audience. And, though there were some restrictions on what could be shown, with designers briefed to avoid cleavage and make sure legs were covered above the knee, there was also a strong message of empowerment with the inclusion of women’s business suits. A second fashion week is planned for Riyadh in the autumn.
Equality at Cannes
Race to Equality will be the theme of this year’s Fashion For Relief charity gala focusing on education, health and culture. The news was announced by organiser Naomi Campbell, who will, as always, enlist her star pals to offer their support. Taking place alongside the Cannes Film Festival, the event has raised millions since its launch in 2005.
Save the Children and Time’s Up will be amongst the charities benefiting this year and guests will enjoy the Fashion For Relief show, accompanied by a special live music performance, a gala dinner and live auction.
Modest Beauty
Dubai-born modest fashion brand, Desert Cove, which is soon to launch in Bahrain, has caught the attention of the Miss Muslimah Pageant USA, North America’s most anticipated and revolutionary pageant for Muslim women. Designed by Maghrib Abdush-Shahid to break the preconceived ideas about Muslim women, the pageant focuses on intelligence, spirituality and inner beauty.
A deal between Maghrib and Mosika Zeid, of Desert Cove, will see the brand to become the official fashion sponsor for this year’s pageant taking place in Columbus, Ohio, on June 30. The sponsorship is part of Desert Cove’s ongoing commitment to building a community of strong, inspirational young Muslim women. And the founders hope to bring the contest to Dubai in the future.
Sustainable Ambition
Spanish international fashion retailer, Mango, has joined the Better Cotton Initiative and has set itself the target of using 50 per cent sustainably sourced cotton by 2022. By joining this initiative, the company undertakes to support good practices within the cotton sector and to promote the procurement of more sustainably-grown cotton.
The third Mango Committed collection has launched as part of the Take Action programme, which aims to increase the use of sustainable fabrics and contribute to a circular economy model
The goal of the Better Cotton Initiative is to transform the global production of cotton, based on the three pillars of sustainability: the environmental, social and economic aspects, and to succeed in making Better Cotton a mainstream commodity. Through the Better Cotton Initiative and its partners, farmers receive training on how to use water efficiently, care for the health of the soil and natural habitats, reduce use of the most harmful chemicals and apply decent work principles.
Fashion Film Fun
Look out for what’s shaping up to be the fashion film of the summer. If the trailer for Crazy Rich Asians is anything to go by, we’re in for a treat. Based on the 2013 book of the same name, it tells the story of an American woman who visits her super-rich boyfriend’s family in Singapore. It’s not scheduled for release until August but it’s already creating excitement and there’s even talk that it might unseat Ocean’s 8, the all-female spin-off of Steven Soderbergh’s The Oceans Trilogy, which features big-name leading ladies wearing some seriously good threads.
