Gigi Hadid hopes to take her Netflix show to the Emmy Awards
Updated 23 sec ago
Arab News
DUBAI: US Dutch Palestinian model Gigi Hadid this week urged fans to vote for her Netflix show “Next in Fashion,” which she co-hosts alongside British TV personality Tan France, to win an Emmy Award.
“If you’re an Emmy voter and enjoyed @nextinfashion as much as we did making it, we would LOVE your vote in the Competition Category and Host Category, SO much,” the pair shared on Instagram in a collaborative post. “Voting ends in a week. Let’s get NIF to the Emmy’s.”
The 75th edition of the prestigious award will take place on September 19.
The show was released on March 3 and featured a group of 12 up-and-coming talents who competed in weekly design challenges to win $200,000 and a chance to debut their collection on e-commerce platform Rent the Runway.
The promising designers included Amari Carter, Bao Tranchi, Courtney Smith, Danny Godoy, Deontre Hancock, Desyrée Nicole, Eliana Batsakis, James Ford, Megan O’Cain, Nigel Xavier, Qaysean Williams and Usama Ishtay.
The season boasted an ensemble of fashion royalty appearing alongside France and Hadid as guest judges.
In the show, Hadid was seen alongside A-list guest stars, including her supermodel sister Bella Hadid, Italian designer Donatella Versace, US model Hailey Bieber, French fashion designer Olivier Rousteing, South African model Candice Swanepoel, “Emily in Paris” star Ashley Park, Danish model Helena Christensen and US internet personality Emma Chamberlain.
The lineup certainly supported the title’s authority on future trends in the industry.
The first season of the fashion competition show, which premiered in January 2020, featured 18 designers who faced weekly design challenges to win a $250,000 prize and a chance to have their collection sold on Net-a-Porter.
DUBAI: Romanian Jordanian designer Amina Muaddi attended the Prada Spring/Summer 2024 show during Milan Men’s Fashion Week.
The footwear designer wore an oversized grey suit, with a long pencil skirt and a white tank top. She paired her look with a grey clutch and black heels from her eponymous label.
The Italian luxury fashion house’s collection was viewed through a wall of clear falling slime — a form of fluid architecture — that gathered on the metallic grate runway in piles of green foam. The moving architecture was a metaphor for a collection that was meant to express the fluidity of menswear, according to the show notes.
Co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons said they were experimenting with the idea of a fluid architecture that animates the male form, never constricting, The Associated Press reported.
The collection’s building blocks are the white shirt, mid-thigh shorts, black socks and thick-soled shiny loafers. The collection also includes jeans, blazers and raincoats. Leather bags are soft, with decorative pockets.
The textiles are super-light, allowing button-down shirts or jackets to be tucked neatly into shorts, which are gathered at the waist.
Hawaiian-inspired prints of sci-fi dragons were curtained with a long fringe, creating motion. Pockets on a reporter’s vest were more decorative than utilitarian, the designers said. Looks were finished with molded eyewear and headbands, conveying a kinetic energy.
Earlier this week, Muaddi landed on the shores of Lake Como with the opening of her first pop-up store, in partnership with Tessabit.
The shoemaker collaborated with the historic boutique, located inside Villa D’Este, in Como, for a seven-week-long pop-up.
To celebrate the opening of the pop-up, a special dinner was organized, featuring guests such as Moroccan Italian model Malika El-Maslouhi, Italian actress Sabrina Impacciatore, musician Joan Thiele, German blogger Caroline Daur and more.
El-Maslouhi also took to Instagram to support Muaddi’s pop-up, posting photos from Lake Como, alongside Daur and model Maty Diba. She captioned the post, “Amina’s Angels.”
Muaddi launched her eponymous footwear line in August 2018, about one year after departing from her role as co-founder and creative director of luxury footwear label Oscar Tiye.
The creator also helped design the shoes for Rihanna’s Fenty collection. The collaboration was so successful that it received the Collaborator of the Year award at the 34th edition of the FN Achievement Awards in 2020.
‘Secret Invasion’ sees Samuel L. Jackson team up with Marvel newcomers Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman
Updated 20 June 2023
Shyama Krishna Kumar
DUBAI; The Marvel Cinematic Universe is gaining new ground with its latest Disney+ series, “Secret Invasion,” a tense spy thriller that sees a world-weary Nick Fury fight to protect Earth from an extremist group of Skrulls, who want to claim the planet for themselves.
At a recent virtual press conference, Marvel president Kevin Feige said of the show and its grim tone: “We love to do different genres for everything, and this was an attempt to really dive back into things we touched upon in ‘The Winter Soldier’ and ‘Captain America 2’ but hadn’t in a while, and really (delve) into the tone of a spy show.”
“Secret Invasion” — releasing in the Middle East on June 21 with weekly episodes dropping on Wednesday — is based on the comic book story of the same name by Brian Michael Bendis and Leinil Francis Yu. Reprising their past MCU roles in the new series are Samuel L. Jackson (Fury), Ben Mendelsohn (Talos), Cobie Smulders (Agent Maria Hill), Martin Freeman (Agent Everett Ross) and Don Cheadle (Rhodey/War Machine).
The series reunites Jackson and Smulders who have played SHIELD agents for the last 15 years and counting in the MCU.
“I remember meeting Cobie for the first time at the screen test. Because I screen-tested with all the people that were trying to be Maria Hill. She killed it. I mean, the audition was straight-up technobabble. And she had it down. She was one of the few people that knew all of it,” said Jackson of his co-star.
“And I have not gotten it right since,” quipped Smulders.
“Game of Thrones” star Emilia Clarke makes her Marvel debut with “Secret Invasion,” playing the mysterious Gi’ah.
When asked what made her want to join the MCU, the actress gestured to her co-stars. “All the people sitting right here. Like, literally. Who on Earth would ever not want to be sitting here with all of these incredible people? Even just a single one of these people on their own is enough. Altogether, it’s completely undeniable.”
Emilia Clarke and Ben Mendelsohn in ‘Secret Invasion.’ (Supplied)
Another newcomer to the MCU is Academy Award-winning English actress Olivia Colman, who plays MI6 agent Sonya.
“She likes wearing red. And she’s quite funny,” said Colman, trying to describe her character while avoiding a minefield of spoilers. “And she’s potentially a little bit not that nice sometimes.”
To which Jackson added: “And possibly, the most dangerous woman in the UK.”
The icon, who was formerly a member of boy band Take That, is a regular in the UAE and was in the country in late 2022 to unveil an exhibition of artwork.
Shown at Sotheby’s Dubai, the exhibition featured paintings by Robbie Williams and his creative partner, Ed Godrich. Under the name Williams Godrich, the exhibition – titled “Black and White Paintings II” – featured 15 paintings.
“Dubai has a special place in my heart, and it feels particularly fitting that after ringing in the New Years in the city, I will be closing the year by unveiling my art here,” said Williams, who performed at Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai for a New Year's show this year, in a statement at the time.
French Algerian star Sofia Boutella promotes ‘Rebel Moon’
Updated 19 June 2023
Arab News
DUBAI: French Algerian star Sofia Boutella took to Instagram to share a new poster for her latest film “Rebel Moon," which she just promoted alongside director Zack Snyder at Netflix’s Tudum global fan event in Brazil.
“War comes to every world. @RebelMoon. December 22 on Netflix,” Boutella captioned the post that showcased the latest poster for the sci-fi film.
Meanwhile, “Justice League” director Snyder was joined by his wife Deborah and Boutella, who plays the lead role in the film, in São Paulo to showcase the behind-the-scenes look into the making of the film this weekend.
“I’ve been working on this story for quite a while,” Snyder said on stage, according to Deadline. “It’s about a group of farmers on the edge of the galaxy that get visited by the armies of the Mother World which are the bad guys. The farmers have to decide to fight or submit.”
He continued, “I don’t want to give it all away, but if they had decided to fight, let’s say that was an option, they would have to travel around the galaxy to find warriors to fight with them. And so, it had us traveling quite a bit.”
In a first look interview with Vanity Fair last month, the director talked about the massive Netflix project, a concept Snyder has been developing since college.
The sci-fi adventure, which will debut on the streaming platform on Dec. 22, follows a woman with a mysterious past who is sent out by a peaceful colony on the edge of the galaxy to find warriors after the area is threatened by a tyrant.
The project will be released in the form of two movies after the writer-director spoke with Netflix about his 72-page-script, which translated to a nearly-three-hour movie.
In addition to the two-parter, Snyder will also release two cuts of the film.
It will not be the first time Algiers-born Boutella has taken on the role of a sword-wielding extraterrestrial. The actress, who at the age of 10 fled to Paris with her family in 1992 during the Algerian civil war, is known for her breakout performance in the Oscar-nominated film “Star Trek Beyond” where she portrayed fierce alien warrior Jaylah.
Meet the Saudi woman transforming Arabic literature into wearable art
Abudeeb explained the design process: “After I write it (in calligraphy) to the best of my ability, the phrase is drawn into 3D using a specific program for jewelry design
Updated 18 June 2023
Sulafa Alkhunaizi
RIYADH: Maryah Abudeeb’s jewelry creations begin with the stroke of a calligraphy brush and end with the design of masterpieces inspired by poetry and literature.
Abudeeb, a sourcing specialist, is the founder of Mashq, a jewelry brand named after an ancient and classic form of calligraphy. The word translates to “stretch out,” which is what is done to Arabic letters in the calligraphy form.
Her inspiration began at a young age when she saw her father scribe and her mother create handcrafted pieces.
The designs feature verses and lines from some of her favorites works of Arabic poetry and literature. (Supplied)
Describing how they inspired her art, she said: “My dad is a great calligrapher. I grew up watching the beauty of Arabic calligraphy done by his hands, which to this day still inspires and drives me.
“My mother has a creative soul and creates beauty out of nothing, whether it’s a simple toy or an artistic masterpiece, which made me become passionate about anything crafted by hand.”
Traveling to various countries and seeing buildings adorned with historic Arabic writing opened up new worlds for Abudeeb.
The designs feature verses and lines from some of her favorites works of Arabic poetry and literature. (Supplied)
She was also moved when she came across jewelry that had calligraphy engraved on it, each piece telling a personal story.
Islamic art has a special place in Abudeeb’s heart, and she believes it “should be displayed and appreciated.”
“I like to read Islamic design books to educate myself on the various designs and phrases that are inspired by Islamic art,” she said.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, Abudeeb had an epiphany.
Mashq is a jewelry brand that specializes in Arabic calligraphy designs. (Supplied)
She thought to herself, “why not combine both of my passions, jewelry and Arabic handwriting, into one?”
That was the beginning of Mashq.
In March 2021, Abudeeb launched her first collection. She was involved in the process as the calligrapher and designer behind each piece of jewelry.
The designs feature verses and lines from some of her favorites works of Arabic poetry and literature.
The whole idea is that when the person wears the piece, the phrase becomes a reflection of how they feel or becomes a source of motivation.
Maryah Abudeeb, Jewelry designer
Abudeeb explained the design process: “After I write it (in calligraphy) to the best of my ability, the phrase is drawn into 3D using a specific program for jewelry design.
“The piece is then developed, either by hand or by a machine, depending on the size and design of the piece.”
According to Abudeeb, the key to the perfect piece of jewelry is the way it makes a person feel.
The designs feature verses and lines from some of her favorites works of Arabic poetry and literature. (Supplied)
Using different phrases and materials, such as silver, gold plating and gems, she creates each piece with the intention of helping the customers feel connected to the engraved words.
“The whole idea that when the person wears the piece, the phrase becomes a reflection of how they feel or becomes a source of motivation.”
For Abudeeb, working on collections for Mashq has been a learning process.
“As I started from scratch, I have gained so much knowledge in the jewelry industry, from drawing to repairing the piece itself,” she said.
Although learning about the jewelry industry from scratch was challenging for someone with limited practical experience, Abudeeb persevered and refused to be discouraged.
She hopes to release a larger collection in the future, using pure gold, and to expand the Mashq men’s collection.
