Just two weeks ago, Bebe Rexha claimed labels were turning down the chance to dress her for the 2019 Grammy Awards due to her size - however, one Middle Eastern label came to the rescue.
The I'm a Mess singer turned to Monsoori, the brand by Bahraini designer Shaima Al Mansoori, for her red carpet look on Sunday evening, sporting a voluminous red ruffled dress she described as "amazing".
"I wanted to go for a princess look, but not only that, I had Karl Lagerfeld, Jeremy Scott, Moschino, Christian Siriano and Michael Costello all send me stuff and that was really awesome," Rexha, 29, told Entertainment Tonight. "I really didn't expect that."
She also joked that the tulle gown allowed her to "have a burger and I can eat and you won't see it".
The hitmaker, who was nominated in two categories at this year's Grammy Awards, called out designers ahead of the ceremony refusing to cater for her UK size 10-12 figure.
“So I finally get nominated at the Grammys, and it’s like the coolest thing ever,” New York-born Rexha stated in a video uploaded to her Instagram account in January. “And a lot of times artists will go and talk to designers, and they’ll make them custom dresses to walk the red carpet, right So I had my team hit [up] a lot of designers, and a lot of them do not want to dress me because I’m too big. Literally, like, I’m too big."
Explaining her predicament to her 7.3 million followers, the singer revealed she would refuse to wear clothes by any designers who raised concerns about her size.
"If a [US] size 6/8 is too big, then I don’t know what to tell you," she continued. "Then I don’t want to wear your dresses because that’s crazy. You’re saying that all the women in the world that are a size 8 and up are not beautiful and they cannot wear your dresses.”
The star reiterated her outrage in her caption, adding: "If you don’t like my fashion style or my music that’s one thing. But don’t say you can’t dress someone that isn’t a runway size.”
Monsoori has previously dressed stars such as singers Kesha and Kelly Rowland, and actress Ashley Greene.
On the red carpet, Rexha also opened up about the outpouring of support she received after opening up about her wardrobe dilemma.
"It's been amazing. I didn't expect it," she told E!'s Ryan Seacrest. "I just did the video because I was really heartbroken. They said I was too big or fat and I love my body and I just want other girls to love their bodies."
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
ANALYSTS’ TOP PICKS OF SAUDI BANKS IN 2019
Analyst: Aqib Mehboob of Saudi Fransi Capital
Top pick: National Commercial Bank
Reason: It will be at the forefront of project financing for government-led projects
Analyst: Shabbir Malik of EFG-Hermes
Top pick: Al Rajhi Bank
Reason: Defensive balance sheet, well positioned in retail segment and positively geared for rising rates
Analyst: Chiradeep Ghosh of Sico Bank
Top pick: Arab National Bank
Reason: Attractive valuation and good growth potential in terms of both balance sheet and dividends
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday Spezia v Lazio (6pm), Juventus v Torino (9pm), Inter Milan v Bologna (7.45pm)
Sunday Verona v Cagliari (3.30pm), Parma v Benevento, AS Roma v Sassuolo, Udinese v Atalanta (all 6pm), Crotone v Napoli (9pm), Sampdoria v AC Milan (11.45pm)
Monday Fiorentina v Genoa (11.45pm)
In numbers
Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m
Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’ in Dubai is worth... $600m
China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn
The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn
Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn
What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
MATCH INFO
First Test at Barbados
West Indies won by 381 runs
Second Test at Antigua
West Indies won by 10 wickets
Third Test at St Lucia
February 9-13
