Emirati model Rafeea Al Hajsi, in a gown by Lebanese designer Aiisha Ramadan, at Huawei Arab Fashion Week. Karim Sahib / AFP
Emirati model Rafeea Al Hajsi, in a gown by Lebanese designer Aiisha Ramadan, at Huawei Arab Fashion Week. Karim Sahib / AFP

Emirati runway model Rafeea Al Hajsi in the limelight at Huawei Arab Fashion Week



The world’s first Emirati model, Rafeea Al Hajsi stole the show as she walked the runway at the third edition of the Huawei Arab Fashion Week.

Held at Dubai’s Meydan Racecourse to promote regional talent, the biannual event, which concluded last week, showcased the ready-couture collections of local and international designers.

Al Hajsi – who is also a television presenter on Abu Dhabi TV – opened the fashion extravaganza wearing a gown by designer Ilse Jara from Paraguay, styled with a towering headpiece made from human hair.

“To be involved with Arab Fashion Week is a huge honour,” says Al Hajsi, from Dubai. “I feared walking with the hat – which was made by hair stylist and chief operating officer of the Arab Fashion Council, Fadi Nasr – but I just kept telling myself, ‘You can do it!’.

“People’s response to my taking part has been very positive and open-minded. It’s taken me eight years to get to this stage as a model and I’m so proud to have represented my country.”

In addition to being Master of Ceremonies at HAFW's glittering closing ceremony last Monday, Al Hajsi participated in the runway show of celebrated Dubai-based designer Aiisha Ramadan.

She strode the catwalk in floor-length crimson and black evening gowns from the Lebanese designer's collection of 35 hand-finished pieces, entitled Parc en Cielle.

“I have to choose carefully the dresses I wear, because of my culture and family,” says Al Hajsi. “Some designers don’t accept that I might need to ‘close this’ or ‘change that’ to make styles work for me. So, it’s important to work with the right ones, and Aiisha was perfect. I’ve always loved her classic, elegant dresses.”

Ramadan was one of seven Middle Eastern designers who presented their hybrid bespoke, pret-a-porter lines to industry professionals and the media at the Spring/Summer 2017 event.

“It’s my first participation in Arab Fashion Week,” says Ramadan. “Just like every international brand, mine needs the right home to nurture, protect and present it to the world. While there are other platforms that I admire and respect, HAFW is the perfect representation for me as an Arab, offering ready-couture to the world.

“From an event and expertise standpoint, this is the standard I wish my brand to be associated with.”

Regional contemporaries taking part included Emirati designer Lamya Abedin, with her range of carnival-inspired creations under the label Queen of Spades.

Ingie Chalhoub, from Lebanon, rolled out high-glamour ladieswear and kaftans for her brand, Ingie Paris, while Sheikha Alanoud Al Attiya from Qatar presented a selection of embellished sculptural gowns for her fashion label, Tiiya.

Completing the five-day schedule of shows, more than 30 established global brands – from the United States to Europe – presented alongside their Gulf counterparts.

The line-up included two esteemed members of the elite Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris. Jordanian-Canadian nonconformist Rad Hourani sent exquisitely tailored unisex tuxedo vests and belted tunics down the ramp to rapturous applause.

Hot on his heels was French-Algerian designer Yacine Aouadi, with his eponymous label's collection of ethereal coffee-and-cream gowns in silk chiffon, suede and python skin.

Flown in from New York and Shanghai to peruse the collections – which also included those by select accessory designers in dedicated showrooms – were buyers representing leading department stores and high-profile clients.

“Business cards were exchanged – now we’ll see if future collaborations and orders take place over the next six months,” says HAFW adviser and Arab Fashion Council board member, Jessica Garnetti. “Buyers were impressed and surprised by what they saw, which is great because it’s our aim to provide designers with the ‘lights, camera and action’ to grab their attention.”

Garnetti also invited Yifan Derek Dai, chief executive of Wonderka in New York, who flew to Dubai with his VIP client, Chinese designer Xing Lucas Zhou. Dai's art and fashion consultancy is committed to elevating foreign couture designers in China as well as promoting Chinese ones overseas.

“The quality at Arab Fashion has been superb and I’d very much like Chinese designers such as Xing to show here,” says Dai. “I’ve been amazed by the quality of the collections, which in parts have been as good as those you’d see in Paris or Milan.

“Many designers stood out for me, from Aiisha Ramadan to Rad Hourani’s very architectural pieces. I’m working on a project to launch a fashion city in China in the coming years, so perhaps there are ways to coordinate and cooperate with Dubai.

“I think Chinese clients will appreciate regional designs because they share a similar design aesthetic. Both markets respect tradition but also embrace change, desiring innovative, creative and unconventional pieces.”

The promotion of home-grown brands abroad is music to the ears of HAFW’s organisers, and the Arab Fashion Council, who are already planning to expand the schedule of next year’s show.

“We’re still crunching this season’s attendance figures, but it feels like around double on last season,” says Garnetti.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if HAFW doubles again when it returns in March. The fashion industry is never an easy one and our designers need our support to allow them to grow. So that’s what we’ll continue to do – develop them and help them compete.”

• Visit www.arabfashionweek.org for more information

rduane@thenational.ae

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The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
  2. Ovarian tissue surgically removed
  3. Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
  4. Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
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Game Changer

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TOURNAMENT INFO

Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier

Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November

UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

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Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

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Vidaamuyarchi

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5

 

Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
  • Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
  • Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
  • Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
 
 

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Director: Peyton Reed

Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas

Three stars

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Results

2.30pm: Dubai Creek Tower – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m; Winner: Marmara Xm, Gary Sanchez (jockey), Abdelkhir Adam (trainer)

3pm: Al Yasmeen – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: AS Hajez, Jesus Rosales, Khalifa Al Neyadi

3.30pm: Al Ferdous – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Soukainah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout

4pm: The Crown Prince Of Sharjah – Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: AF Thayer, Ray Dawson, Ernst Oertel

4.30pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup – Handicap (TB) Dh200,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: George Villiers, Antonio Fresu, Bhupat Seemar

5pm: Palma Spring – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Es Abu Mousa, Antonio Fresu, Abubakar Daud

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

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Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
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What is the FNC?

The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning. 
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Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval. 
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
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A Prayer Before Dawn

Director: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire

Starring: Joe Cole, Somluck Kamsing, Panya Yimmumphai

Three stars

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
if you go

The flights

Fly to Rome with Etihad (www.etihad.ae) or Emirates (www.emirates.com) from Dh2,480 return including taxes. The flight takes six hours. Fly from Rome to Trapani with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) from Dh420 return including taxes. The flight takes one hour 10 minutes. 

The hotels 

The author recommends the following hotels for this itinerary. In Trapani, Ai Lumi (www.ailumi.it); in Marsala, Viacolvento (www.viacolventomarsala.it); and in Marsala Del Vallo, the Meliaresort Dimore Storiche (www.meliaresort.it).