DUBAI: Lebanese designer Georges Hobeika solidified his status as one of the leading designers in the Middle East this week as he presented his Spring/Summer 2023 collection on the official Paris Haute Couture Week calendar.
Al-Zuhair showed off a glamorous pink-to-orange beaded look, complete with feathers. (Getty Images)
For his latest show, Hobeika broke runway norms by casting celebrity duos as well as models– and he also featured Saudi runway star Amira Al-Zuhair.
Al-Zuhair showed off a glamorous pink-to-orange beaded look, complete with feathers.
The celebrities included Lebanese Australian humanitarian and entrepreneur Jessica Kahawaty, her mother Rita Kahawaty, Lebanese actors Cynthia Samuel Bakri and Adam Bakri, Emirati twins Mohammed and Humaid Habdan, Lebanese TV presenter Diala Makki, Tunisian model Ameni Esseibi and German fashion influencer Leonie Hanne.
Jessica, who wore a voluminous satin gown in blue with an embroidered floor-length coat, said that walking her first Paris Haute Couture show with Hobeika was “a dream.”
“Walking right behind my mother in Paris Haute Couture for Georges Hobeika is a memory I’ll never forget,” she added in a post for her 1.2 million Instagram followers.
“57 years old, beat cancer three times, was in (the) hospital last week and there she is! Jessica wrote about her mother on her Instagram Stories, sharing a clip of Rita gracing the runway.
Rita wore a dress that matched her daughter’s gown. The form-fitting creation featured different shades of blue and was covered in sequins and intricate details.
It is also the first time Samuel and Bakri, who tied the knot in September, have walked a runway together. “Definitely one of the biggest PINCH ME moments of my life,” said the actress and model on Instagram.
“Honored is an understatement! From the bottom of our hearts, thank you Georges Hobeika and Jad Hobeika for having us walk your SS23 couture show,” the couple said in a shared Instagram post, referring to the designer’s son. “We are so proud of you. Congratulations on such a stunning collection! You always bring magic to everything you touch.”
Samuel wore a heavily embellished knee-high silver gown with a matching cape, while Bakri wore a long grey blazer with geometric designs and grey trousers.
The Emirati Habdan twins, who wore black suits, also made their runway debut with Hobeika. “Today is the first time we walk a fashion show (sic),” the brothers wrote on Instagram.