Arab celebrities and designers spotted at Cannes 2021: from Bella Hadid to Karen Wazen


Katy Gillett
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The 74th Cannes Film Festival, which was delayed because of the pandemic, is in full swing in the French Riviera, with plenty of well-heeled celebrities padding their way down the red carpets.

Premieres, screenings and press conferences are being hosted in abundance, as the festival, which runs until Saturday, July 17, brings together some of the film industry's most highly anticipated titles, as well as some of the silver screen's most famous faces.

There's plenty of representation from the Mena region, from Arab stars to big-name celebrities donning looks by Arab designers.

Take a look through the photo gallery above to see more looks from Arab stars and designers.

Arab stars on the red carpet at Cannes Film Festival

Karen Wazen, a fashion influencer who lives in Dubai, made an impression in a stark-white Tony Ward gown on the red carpet at the star-studded premiere of Aline, the Voice of Love.

Iranian director Asghar Farhadi looked sharp in a suit at the Ghahreman (A Hero) screening, while Tunisian actress Dorra Zarrouk stunned in a silk chiffon gown by Lebanese designer Rami Kadi at the Chopard Trophy dinner.

At the opening ceremony, Palestinian-Dutch supermodel Bella Hadid looked glam in Jean Paul Gaultier for the Annette screening.

Elisa Sednaoui, a model, actress and film director of Italian, Egyptian and French descent, wowed in Alberta Ferretti, while Leila Bekhti, a French-Algerian film and TV actress, looked stunning in Givenchy. Fellow French-Algerian star Tahar Rahim, who is among the jury alongside Maggie Gyllenhaal, arrived looking sharp in a suit.

French-Algerian director Mounia Meddour, who is part of this year's Un Certain Regard jury, attended a photo call in crisp white separates, while Ola Farahat, a fashion blogger and social media star in Dubai, arrived wearing an Alberta Ferretti strapless gown for the screening of Tout s'est bien passe (Everything Went Fine) on Wednesday.

Saudi model Hala Abdallah also attended the festival in a beautiful sequinned gown by Rami Kadi, while Reem Khabbazeh, an entrepreneur in Dubai, attended the Chopard event in an eye-catching red number.

Take a look through the photo gallery below to see more looks from the opening ceremony:

Celebrities wearing Arab designers

Fashion designers from across the region made an appearance on the red carpet in the form of stunning, embellished gowns.

The red carpet for the Aline, the Voice of Love premiere, in particular, was awash with gowns by Saudi and Lebanese designers.

Model Noel Capri Berry wore a canary yellow gown by Saudi Arabia's Ashi Studio, while fashion blogger Jessica Wang also chose a yellow gown by Lebanese-Italian designer Tony Ward. Brazilian model Isabeli Fontana opted for a silver sequinned gown by Rami Kadi, while Belgian model Rose Bertram wore a futuristic white gown with oversized pullover collar by Nicolas Jebran.

At The French Dispatch screening, Spanish model and TV presenter Nieves Alvarez wore a black halter gown by Elie Saab, while Iranian model Farnoush Hamidian donned a look by Rami Kadi.

Kuwaiti Instagram star Fatima Almomen looked radiant as she attended the Annette screening in a form-fitting "gazar column gown" by Tony Ward.

Elvira Jain, from Dubai, went to a Chopard dinner wearing Emirati label Dinal Melwani, a label much favoured by the model.

Meanwhile, Farhana Bodi, another fashion influencer from Dubai, wore a canary yellow ballgown by Oman's Atelier Zuhar at the opening ceremony.

A few other international stars have also opted for looks from the Middle East throughout the week, mostly by Lebanese designer Elie Saab.

Melita Toscan du Plantier, wife of the late French film producer Daniel Toscan du Plantier, was seen in a sea-green sequinned look by the Lebanese atelier, while German model Lorena Rae opted for a feather detailed dress. Spanish star Paz Vega dazzled in an embellished, sparkling dress, also by Elie Saab, at the Stillwater premiere.

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Updated: July 15, 2021, 9:21 AM