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DUBAI: Romanian Jordanian designer Amina Muaddi attended the Maison Alaia Summer/Fall 2025 fashion show during Paris Fashion Week.

The footwear designer was spotted wearing an all-black ensemble featuring a sleek leather set with a structured, oversized silhouette. The standout element of her look was a fringe-detailed top that cascaded from her shoulders.

Her hair was slicked back into a bun, complementing her sharp, defined makeup, which featured a bronzed complexion, sculpted brows and a nude glossy lip.

Muaddi watched from the front row as models walked the runway in the brand’s latest designs, including regional catwalk stars like French Algerian model Loli Bahia and Mona Tougaard, who has Danish, Turkish, Somali and Ethiopian ancestry.

Bahia wore a black, high-gloss, oversized leather coat with a padded structure, a wide belt cinching the waist, and long, voluminous sleeves. The coat also featured a cushioned collar wrapping around the neck.

Meanwhile, Tougaard was dressed in a fitted, long-sleeved burgundy bodysuit with an attached padded circular hood framing her face. The bodysuit was tucked into a high-waisted, off-white pleated maxi skirt that fell to the ankles.

“The Summer Fall 2025 collection began with thoughts of history, of geography, of sculpture, and always of women. They are all part of the clothes, within them,” the brand, which was founded by late Tunisian couturier Azzedine Alaia, said in show notes. 

The runway featured garments with kinetic movement, brought to life through pleats and drapes. Designs included hoods that framed the face, structured silhouettes and layered fabrics. The pieces were shaped to highlight the body's curves, incorporating padding. 

The venue featured sculptures by Dutch artist Mark Manders, highlighting the connection between fashion and art. 

The show’s soundtrack, “Liefde,” composed by Gustave Rudman, featured Egyptian soprano Fatma Said’s rendition of “Aatini al-Nay wa-Ghanni,” with lyrics by Lebanese poet Khalil Gibran. 

Muaddi had a busy evening in Paris. After the Alaia show, we went to the Musée du Louvre to attend the Le Grand Dîner du Louvre, the fundraising event that celebrates the new Louvre Couture exhibition that opened on Jan. 24. 

Celebrities including Victoria and David Beckham, Michelle Yeoh, Danai Gurira and Jisoo arrived in style, while supermodels Carla Bruni, Naomi Campbell and Gigi Hadid were also in attendance.

DUBAI: The recently inaugurated Nuhad Es-Said pavilion at the National Museum of Beirut is envisioned as a space where Lebanese from all walks of life can unite to celebrate culture and art.

Dedicated to the memory of Lebanese art connoisseur and curator Nuhad Es-Said, it occupies a special area within the museum, creating an environment that encourages artistic and cultural conversations.

“We want to reiterate the museum’s position in society and the pavilion will be viewed as a cultural hub and unite all Lebanese people,” Lama Salam, a member of the National Heritage Foundation in Lebanon, told Arab News.

“As Lebanese people, our culture and heritage unite us. The more we sit down, research and discuss our heritage and see that we have so much to be proud of the more we realize how beautiful our culture is,” she added.

The pavilion features a restaurant and multi-purpose seating area that can be rented out and used for galleries, showcases and events.

Salam said the design of the pavilion features large gates and archways as an ode to the museum’s architecture.

“Gates were already part of the museum’s foundation but we chose to incorporate them more to symbolize something more significant,” said Salam.

“The gates act as symbolic portals from the past leading to the present and hopefully into the future. As you pass through all these gates you walk through the past, the present and, God willing, through to the beginning of the future.”

Salam described visiting the pavilion as a unique experience unlike offerings at traditional museums.

“When you sit in the restaurant, you are surrounded by history, the preserved iron gates, the historic wall, and a beautiful view of Beirut’s green racetrack with pine trees in the background.

“Since this pavilion is an annex to the national museum, which we consider a cultural treasure, it offers a unique experience,” she said.