Manama: A week dedicated to fashion will be organized by the French Embassy in partnership with the Royal University for Women (RUW) and the Alliance Française on October 24-30. The history of the natural pearls in Bahrain with the engagement of the Luxury Industry with Danat CEO Noora Jamsheer, the Mattar Family and the Al Mahmood Family. On October 25, Bahraini designers will share their history, journey, vision, wishes and work through an exhibition of their creations and informative talk.
The event will feature Noof Al Shekar, an entrepreneur and owner of NS by Noof and Perla Perfumes Bahrain, Aisha Abdulmalek, the rising Bahraini designer who launched her brand in 2014 under the name Aisha Jewels at the age of 17, Nada and Noor who shaped Annada, and Mark Asfahani. On October 26, a documentary that looks at the history of the ELLE magazine will be screened at the Alliance Française. The documentary will focus on the establishment of ELLE, its history shared with the women’s movement for 60 years, and its regular presence in the history of fashions and trends.
On October 27, Valériane Van Der Noorda, an expert and consultant in sustainability in the world of luxury and fashion, and Shereen Fekri, co-founder of a company that aims to normalize sustainable fashion practices for the GCC consumers, will talk about fast fashion, the overconsumption of clothing and accessories. On October 28, students from RUW will join Casting Manager and Fashion Consultant Ines Jourde and Press Relations and Communications Director Valériane Van Der Noorda for a conversation on understanding how fashion shows are a fundamental part of the fashion industry. The week will end with three major events, starting with the Shopping Monsters – a two-hour shopping marathon in pairs. Participants create a complete look from head to toe, realize a photo shoot with their partners and present their final look to the jury.
Creations from Bahraini designers will be put at their disposal, and professional hairstylists and makeup artists will help them to complete the look. In the afternoon, Khémaïs Ben Lakhdar, a teacher of the history of Fashion at the Institut Français de la Mode in Paris, will talk about the influence of the Arab-Muslim world in Parisian haute couture. In the evening, a fashion show will highlight the creations of the students at the Royal University for Women’s Bachelor of Art in Fashion Design. The collection will showcase garments and accessories of Bahraini traditional roots with global fashion aesthetics, including ‘jellabiya’ and ‘thobes’ – traditional Bahraini wear for women and men, respectively. A contemporary and trendy collection, designed, developed and inspired by RUW students, will also be presented.
