Brands supporting Lebanon: Huda Beauty and Majid Al Futtaim donate $1.5million

Arab Fashion Council and Emergency Room Beirut are also running initiatives to support those affected by war

Sisters Huda and Mona Kattan are donating $500,000 to help those in need in Lebanon and Gaza: Photo Huda Beauty

Entrepreneurial sisters Huda and Mona Kattan are pledging $500,000 (Dh1.8 million) to Palestine and Lebanon.

Huda, who founded the successful beauty empire Huda Beauty, and Mona, who launched the Kayali perfume line, will be donating the sum to help assist the millions of people caught in a humanitarian crisis across the two countries.

Sharing the news on social media, they revealed the money will go to two charities that are already working in war-torn locations. The first is Doctors Without Borders, a charity providing medical assistance and supplies on the ground. As well as injuries and trauma directly caused by conflict, it also supports patients with long-standing conditions who struggle to receive treatment due to it. Doctors Without Borders is already operating across Egypt, Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza

The second charity is the Lebanese Red Cross, which is working to provide shelter, food and basic supplies to those who have been forced to relocate or have lost their homes due to the bombing.

Elsewhere, Majid Al Futtaim, the retail and real estate conglomerate, has vowed to donate $1 million (Dh3.6 million) to the Red Crescent Authority as part of the UAE Stands with Lebanon campaign. In addition to cash donations, the campaign calls for donations of items such as clothing and blankets, and Majid Al Futtaim is supporting this with drop-off points across its stores.

Ahmed Galal Ismail, chief executive of Majid Al Futtaim, said: “In solidarity with the Lebanese communities, Majid Al Futtaim has pledged $1 million to the relief campaign initiated by the Red Crescent Authority, with the objective of providing assistance to those who are most in need.”

The UAE Stands with Lebanon aid initiative was launched last week, and has already raised Dh110 million ($30 million) and will run until 21 October.

When the campaign was first announced, several fashion brands announced initiatives to support those affected by the ongoing crises in Lebanon and Gaza, such as That Concept Store and the Arab Fashion Council, who are teaming up for an auction.

Here are some of the labels coming together to show support in light of the ongoing crises.

Fashion brands donating to fundraising auction

A jewelled cuff by Bil Arabi, one of the brands taking part in the auction to raise money for Lebanon. Photo: That Concept Store

Fourteen regional designers will be donating their work to the auction, which has been on display in-store since Monday. The auction date has not yet been confirmed but will be in mid-November.

UAE designers contributing include the likes of jewellery house Bil Arabi, women's fashion brand Dima Ayad couturier Michael Cinco and urban label BLSSD. Bouguessa, known for its womenswear tailoring, is also taking part as is Sandra Mansour who, in 2020, became the first Arab designer to create a collection with H&M.

Mira Mikati will be donating a piece from its upbeat, colourful collections, while Mrs Keepa will bring its directional womenswear to the event. The jewellery brand Nada Ghazal is also involved, as well as Rizman Ruzaini, the Malaysian brand that had Naomi Campbell walk its runway at Dubai Fashion Week last year.

Zaid Farouki will be offering a ready-to-wear piece for auction while the jewellery names of Rock by GS and Azza Fahmy will both be donating items from their studios.

Michael Cinco is one of the regional designers donating items for the auction. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Emergency Room Beirut highlights small businesses to support

Customers can also buy online directly from small Lebanese brands to support them, the workers and the artisan studios they employ.

In Lebanon, Emergency Room Beirut – a brand that repurposes old clothes and deadstock materials into new pieces – has collated a list of small, independent Lebanese brands. The campaign, Stand With Lebanon, Support Local Brands, aims to highlight that amid the chaos, there are various avenues to help those caught up in the conflict.

"Lebanon is going through an incredibly tough time," says Eric Ritter, the label founder. "Now more than ever, Lebanese brands, craftsmen, makers and artisans need your support."

Listing 25 brands, Ritter has purposefully chosen many brands that have a wider social impact, be it keeping regional artisan skills alive or giving free fashion education to disadvantaged youth.

Names include Sarah's Bag, which employs 250 women to handmake its products; Creative Space Beirut, which offers vulnerable youths free fashion design education and career support; and Dar Onbaz, which has created a retail platform, art space and garden for art, music and performances.

L'Artisan du Liban is Lebanon’s first social enterprise safeguarding artisanal handicrafts and culture, while Salim Azzam creates clothing infused with the traditional craftsmanship of Mount Lebanon.

Another name, Orient 499, which supports small-scale makers and artisans across Lebanon, explained on social media that its website remains fully functional as "continuing to operate allows us to support the craftsman, artisans and workers who are at the heart of everything we do".