If you’re in London this summer, you have reason to rejoice. The fourth iteration of London Arabia Art & Fashion Week starts tomorrow at Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel with an impressive roster of Arab designers and artists slated to participate. Held annually since 2016, the event has been doing its bit to cement the position of Arab aesthetic vocabulary on London’s cultural map.
This year, the event promises to be bigger than ever with an art exhibition, a fashion show, a photo shoot and the return of London Arabia pop-up shop, all aiming at opening doors for aspiring artists, designers and authors. The idea is to bring together smart tastemakers for a week that celebrates diversity and the unyielding spirit of Arab creatives. Here’s what to expect from the five-day event.
Art exhibition
Examining the impact that Arab art has had on the international creative community, the exhibition brings together a stellar mix of artists whose multimedia works are an exquisite meditation on the region. Don’t miss Emirati artist Maha A Almazrouei, whose impastoed works created with a palette knife, are a lesson in color and abstraction.
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Also, among the highlights are the gripping oeuvres of Kuwaiti artist Noora Alabdullhadi and Egyptian calligrapher Mounir Al- Shaarani. The exhibition is open to the public from 6-9 August.
Fashion show
Pick up your totes and head to the star-studded fashion show that will feature designs by the Algerian-born Ilyes Ouali, the winner of Fashion Star Arabia 2019, and Lebanese designer Abed Mahfouz. Ilyes is known to create edgy jackets and dresses with feather-work, sequins and hologram embroidery, while Abed is the master of evening- and bridal-wear.
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Pop-up shop
A highlight of each year, the pop-up shop returns with a selection of coveted Arab fashion and beauty accessories. Guess what? You’ll be able to buy products by House of Rawan, founded by Kuwaiti entrepreneur and social media sensation Rawan bin Hussain, who is the ambassador of LAAFW 2019.
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Panel talks
Indulge in some food for thought at the panel discussions that will be held during the event. Discussing ‘The Impact of Art And Culture On Society In The Arab World’ on 6 August will be professor Reina Lewis, actress-activist-entrepreneur Amina Maghrabi, lecturer Dr Linda Lee-Davies, and Emirati artist Maha A Almazrouei. On 7 August, you must attend the talk titled ‘How Fashion Is Empowering Women In The Arab World’, which will feature entrepreneur Rawan bin Hussain, journalist Julia Robson, Zeynab El-Helw aka fashion pirate, and Chantal Khoueiry, Chief Culture Officer at Bicester Village Shopping Collection.
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For more information, visit Londonarabia.co.uk.
