Princess Rajwa Al-Hussein shows off surprise Dolce & Gabbana … – Arab News
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DUBAI: Jordan’s new Princess Rajwa Al-Hussein, who is from Saudi Arabia, stepped out in a surprise second look at the state reception after she wed Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II on Thursday.
The bride greeted international royals and dignitaries in a white cap-sleeve ballgown with a sweetheart neckline and swirling embellishments by Italian luxury label Dolce & Gabbana — however, she retained the delicate diamond tiara, designed by Yan Sicard from Fred Jewelry, and matching earrings from earlier in the day.
Meanwhile, Queen Rania, who opted for a chic Dior look at the wedding ceremony, stepped into a cream-and-gold gown by Lebanese couturier Elie Saab for the reception dinner.
Guests included dignitaries and royals from around the world, including the UK’s Prince and Princess of Wales William and Kate Middleton; US First Lady Jill Biden; Qatar’s Sheikha Moza bint Nasser; the king and queen of Malaysia; the king and queen of The Netherlands; King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía of Spain; Prince Sébastien of Luxembourg; Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark; Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland; Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway and Hisako, Princess Takamado and her daughter, Princess Tsuguko of Takamado of Japan, among others.
The Princess of Wales showed off a gown by British designer Jenny Packham.
US First Lady Jill Biden wore a lilac dress, featuring heavy floral embroidery, accompanied by a light pink shawl.
UK’s Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, were also in attendance. While it marked the second time that Princess Beatrice, 34, wore a tiara in public, it also marked a first for her: the first time she sported the York tiara. The special headpiece was bought by Queen Elizabeth for her mother, Sarah Ferguson, and worn by Fergie at her 1986 wedding to Prince Andrew.
Earlier in the day, Al-Hussein unveiled her wedding gown as she married Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II in Amman.
The bride, formerly Rajwa Al-Saif, wore a classic white gown by celebrity-loved Lebanese couturier Elie Saab for the nuptials and following public reception. The full-sleeved gown featured a dramatic veil that trailed for several meters behind her, while the neckline stood out for its chic draping.
She accessorized the look with a glittering tiara and matching diamond earrings, along with white strappy shoes, as she held a bouquet with white flowers.
DUBAI: US Dutch Palestinian supermodel Gigi Hadid took to Instagram to show off snaps from her trip to Paris this week, including behind-the-scenes shots from the jury meeting of the coveted ANDAM Fashion Award.
Hadid, who is part of the jury, was on hand as designer Louis Gabriel Nouchi took home the coveted award on Thursday, beating five other finalists to score $327,645 and a one-year mentorship from Chloé CEO Riccardo Bellini.
The award was established in 1989 and is “recognized as a benchmark for designers, fashion professionals, and members of the international press, and as a pathway for young designers,” according to the award’s website.
Paris-based Nouchi accepted the prize during a ceremony at the Palais-Royal’s gardens in the French capital. He joins a well-regarded list of previous winners, including Viktor & Rolf, Christophe Lemaire, Jeremy Scott, Bianca Saunders and Marine Serre.
Nouchi, who founded his label in 2017, seeks to challenge traditional masculine style tropes through genderless collections inspired by literary and film references.
Gigi Hadid attended the ceremony wearing a statement black look from Chloé, styled by Mimi Cuttrell. Cuttrell also styled Hadid for the 2023 Met Gala in May, where she wore a sheer Givenchy couture look.
Meanwhile, Hadid has had a busy time in France and also walked the runway for French luxury label Jacquemus late last week.
The label invited guests to the canals of Château de Versailles for its Spring/Summer 2024 “LE CHOUCHOU” collection runway presentation where models including Hadid, Loli Bahia and Mona Tougaard showed off the line.
Hadid showed off a lingerie-style number, while French Algerian model Bahia wore an oversized jacket in a peachy cream shade.
Celebrity guests, including actress-director Eva Longoria, David and Victoria Beckham and Italian actress Monica Bellucci, watched the show from dainty white boats lined up along the runway.
Translucent lingerie and backless shirts were joined by laced vests and array of square-toed footwear in the form of ballet pumps and loafers in the new collection.
“A lil-bit of a-lot that got done in Paris this week (sic),” Hadid captioned a carousel of photos that highlighted key moments from her time in Paris. The model included shots of the runway show, as well as moments in her hotel room.
DUBAI: Longtime scholar Linda Jacobs calls it “the best-kept secret in New York history.” She is talking about New York City’s forgotten Syrian enclave of immigrants (often referred to as Little Syria) that once thrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, forming the first Arab-speaking community in the US.
As part of an initiative supported by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Jacobs led in-person walking tours on Washington Street, the main hub of Little Syria, this summer. For Jacobs, it is a story that hits close to home.
All four of her grandparents emmigrated from modern-day Lebanon in the late 1800s, moving to Washington Street. “I was just interested in doing my family genealogy, and more importantly, for me, understanding if the myths or stories we were told as children in our family matched the reality … Some made it, some didn’t,” she told Arab News.
Aside from the presence of Arabs, Washington Street was home to other nationalities, including German and Irish families. It was an economic and cultural center, full of stores, cafes, and factories. It was not a bed of roses, though, according to Jacobs.
Built on landfill, Washington Street suffered from poor living conditions and a lack of clean air. Because the area was located near the tidal Hudson River, water would come up through the basements of tenement buildings.
To make matters worse, the rate of infant mortality, due to tuberculosis, was high. “It makes you cry, it’s really sad,” said Jacobs. “You can imagine that people did not want to remember this time of their lives, and I think that’s why my grandmother never talked about it. She never mentioned the word(s) ‘Washington Street’.”
A majority of the people referred to as Syrians who came to New York City most likely hailed from Lebanon, seeking better economic opportunities. Those who initially arrived were farmers and laborers, later followed by wealthier classes. The lucrative trade of peddling was a common profession amongst Syrians, who saved up money to open their own businesses and relocate to safer boroughs, such as Brooklyn.
By the 1940s, the Syrian community was non-existent on the street. The physical neighborhood was destroyed, making way for building the Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel. Today, Washington Street is a neglected area, where only three buildings, including the facade of St. George’s Melkite Church of the Syrian Community, have survived, but most lack landmark status granted by the city.
Conducting such walking tours around the area is important for Jacobs. “All were surprised because no one had any idea that this community existed,” she remarked. “It’s a mixed blessing, because in a way, it’s a real lesson to others to try and save their communities from total destruction. And on the other side, it’s very sad to have it all be gone.”
DUBAI: US actress America Ferrera stood out in a delicate Elie Saab maxi dress at the press junket and photo call for “Barbie” in Los Angeles recently.
From the Lebanese label’s spring 2023 collection, the dress featured capped sleeves, scalloped edges and sheer white lace paneling.
A post shared by America Ferrera (@americaferrera)
“Barbie” — set to release in theaters across the Middle East on July 20 — is directed by Greta Gerwig. It features a star-studded ensemble cast led by Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.
In the film, Ferrera plays a human named Gloria who forges a connection with Robbie’s Barbie when she and Ken (Gosling) arrive in the real world.
“Hijinks ensue from there, and I think that’s all I’m allowed to say,” Ferrera said on an episode of “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Dua Lipa, Will Ferrell, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Hari Nef, Emma Mackey, Sharon Rooney, Simi Liu, Michael Cera, Alexandra Shipp and Nicola Coughlan also star in the film.
The film follows Robbie’s central Barbie as she experiences an existential crisis and embarks on a trip to the real world.
A post shared by ELIE SAAB (@eliesaabworld)
Meanwhile, Saab most recently dressed the new Crown Princess of Jordan Rajwa Al-Hussein as she married Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II in Amman on June 1.
The bride, formerly Rajwa Al-Saif, wore a classic white gown by the Lebanese couturier. The full-sleeved gown featured a dramatic veil that trailed for several meters behind her, while the neckline stood out for its chic draping.
A post shared by ELIE SAAB (@eliesaabworld)
The celebrity-loved designer was also famously picked by Taylor Swift as she brought her blockbuster “Eras Tour” to the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in May this year.
The singer-songwriter stepped on stage in a dreamy tulle gown with a wide skirt and an embellished corset. Swift performed the track “Enchanted” while wearing the gown from the famed Lebanese couturier.
“There is one thing I dream of with the childlike wonder of a hundred birthdays — the first night of MetLife,” Swift said at the beginning of her set, according to Billboard.
Apart from wearing other Saab looks during the “Eras” tour, she also showed off a gown by Lebanese couturier Zuhair Murad in a peachy hue with starburst sequin work.
AMMAN: Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II on Friday shared a cute photograph on Instagram of himself and his wife, Princess Rajwa Al-Hussein, accompanied by a message in which they shared Eid greetings.
The recently wed couple looked relaxed as they huddled together in the photo. The caption read: “On behalf of Rajwa and myself, Adha mubarak to you and your families.”
A post shared by Al Hussein bin Abdullah II (@alhusseinjo)
Jordan’s 28-year-old heir to the throne and his bride, a 29-year-old Saudi architect, wed on June 1.
The princess sparked a social media frenzy with her wedding outfits. She wore a classic white gown by Lebanese fashion designer to the stars Elie Saab for the ceremony, and changed into a white, cap-sleeve ball gown by Italian luxury label Dolce & Gabbana for the reception.
A post shared by Al Hussein bin Abdullah II (@alhusseinjo)
Friday’s photograph of the royal couple in casual attire showed a different side of their new life together.
The princess was wearing a red and cream white floral shirt over a white, rib-neck tank top, while the prince sported a blue T-shirt with a pocket.
DUBAI: From remade classics to brand-new brilliance, here are the standout titles from the past six months.
‘The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’
Developer: Nintendo
The “Zelda” games have entertained generations of gamers now, going back to the original “Legend of Zelda” in 1986. This latest sprawling, magical open-world adventure game — a sequel to 2017’s excellent “Breath of the Wild” — has clearly been created by a team who love the franchise; the care and thought they have put into crafting the enormous and engrossing world of Hyrule (and its shady underworld) are apparent throughout. As usual, you play as Link, the elven hero with the magic arm. If you decide to follow the main quest then you’ll be helping Princess Zelda prevent the evil Ganondorf from trashing Hyrule, but you probably won’t be following the main quest for long — the great joy here is wandering off to explore the staggering amount of “background” in the game and the hugely satisfying ability to improvise by combining found objects. “Tears of the Kingdom” can be tricky and frustrating at times, but the payoff is always worth it. This is a masterpiece.
‘Street Fighter 6’
Developer: Capcom
The latest addition to one of the all-time great franchises was a triumph, selling 1 million copies within five days of its release and garnering critical acclaim too. All well-deserved for its engrossing mix of accessible gameplay (if you pick the right level for yourself), customizable characters, almost-faultless online competition, and the ability to focus on particular areas of combat that best suit your style — all of that on top of the iconic retro visuals that have entertained millions since the late-Eighties.
‘System Shock’
Developer: Nightdive Studios
The 1994 original wasn’t a huge success commercially, but is now seen as a seminal game in the history of first-person adventures. This remake might achieve similar status. The developers have stayed loyal to the source, but made full use of the technological advancements of the last 30 years to deliver a visual experience to match the excellent — and very difficult — gameplay. Set in a steampunk-style near future, you play a hacker responsible for reining in a malevolent and frighteningly powerful AI called SHODAN.
‘Meet Your Maker’
Developer: Behaviour Interactive
Relatively simple to pick up and very hard to put down, this enjoyable and unique first-person action shooter sees you play as a killer robot, raiding bases created by other players. How hard that proves to be depends on how devious and cruel the bases’ creators are. You’ll find yourself ‘dying’ in some remarkably original ways. But you can always get your own back via your own base designs.
‘Dredge’
Developer: Black Salt Games
No. Fishing simulators don’t usually end up in ‘Best Games of the Year’ lists, even in July. But then again, fishing simulators don’t usually have a sinister undertone like “Dredge” does. You play a struggling trawler captain leading his crew around a group of remote islands. You can trade your catches with the locals, and gradually improve your boat, skills and knowledge. But the more you find out about those locals, the more you’ll realize you’ll need all the help you can get to survive these waters.
‘Hi-Fi Rush’
Developer: Tango Gameworks
It probably won’t enjoy the longevity of a truly great game, but for a quick blast of unadulterated excitement, this over-the-top, cartoonish mayhem is hard to match. You play as wannabe rock star Chai, whose music player is accidentally embedded in his chest during experimental surgery. Now you have to defeat the evil execs of the company that did this to you, with fighting skills that require you to try and match the rhythms of the game’s killer soundtrack. Loud, dumb and lots of fun.