DUBAI: It was a big week for Arab designers in Hollywood as a number of A-listers donned show-stopping creations from our neck of the woods.
The week kicked off with the 93rd edition of the annual Academy Awards, which saw a handful of celebrities take to the red carpet wearing dazzling creations from the likes of Georges Chakra, Rami Al-Ali and Marmar Halim.
But the Oscars fashion didn’t stop with the pre-awards red carpet.
Jasmine Tookes wearing Zuhair Murad to attend the Oscars 2021 after-party. Instagram
Much like the Academy Awards pre-show red carpet at Los Angeles on Sunday, the after-party guestlist for the Oscars certainly didn’t disappoint in terms of style. A number of models, actors and industry insiders turned to designers from the region to dress them for the Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards viewing party and the Spring Place’s Oscars Party for Andra Day and the cast of “The United States Vs. Billie Holiday.”
Victoria’s Secret model Jasmine Tookes turned heads in Bel Air wearing a gold and black dress with shoulder pads from Lebanese couturier Zuhair Murad. The 1980s-inspired black dress fell just below the knees and featured long sleeves and a slit carved into the torso.
The Ras Baalbek-born designer also found a fan in fellow Victoria’s Secret veteran Sara Sampaio, who opted for a plunging, sequined jumpsuit with silk lapels and padded shoulders.
Elsewhere, US actress Jurnee Smollett demanded a double-take wearing a dramatic, feather-embellished gown with a high slit from Beirut-born couturier Elie Saab’s Fall 2020 collection.
Also attending the Oscars 2021 after-party was “Hamilton” star Ariana DeBose, who chose a drapey, caped, green-colored gown from Saab for the occasion.
Meanwhile, Canadian model Winnie Harlow looked like a real-life Disney princess as she attended a private soiree in Beverly Hills wearing a blue Georges Hobeika couture gown. The dress, from the brand’s Spring 2021 collection, featured a sweetheart neckline, full A-line skirt and cascading ruffles that fell asymmetrically across the model’s body.
“Borat” star Maria Bakalova also opted for a design from Hobeika. The Best Supporting Actress nominee traded in her voluminous white Louis Vuitton gown for an embellished couture minidress plucked from the Lebanese couturier’s Fall 2021 offering.