The world of Arab fashion and jewelry is taking over not just the region but the entire globe. When blockbusters and successful TV shows pick out your jewelry or fashion piece to dole up the characters, trust us, it is a big deal.
That is the case when the work of Arab fashion and jewelry designers takes center stage in major Hollywood films, TV shows, and productions. Let us meet the notable few:
Elie Saab’s Wedding Dress in Gossip Girl (2007)
*SPOILER ALERT*
If you’re a fan of Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass, you’ll have finished and probably re-watched Gossip Girl many times. If you’ve finished the show and are also a major fashion lover and expert, you would have picked up on the fact that when Waldorf and Bass tied the knot, the bride’s wedding dress was a beautifully designed sparkling long-sleeve belted blue Elie Saab original.
Saab is known as the Lebanese couturier who put Arab fashion on the international map, so it makes sense that one of his dresses made a major appearance in Hollywood.
Jude Benhalim Jewelry in Emily In Paris (2020)
Taking over our screens for the past period, Emily in Paris has been making crazy noise ever since it released its fourth season. The American marketeer with a heart of gold, Emily Cooper, managed to swoop us into her world of whirlwind romances and work adventures.
Along with us all wondering if we are team Alfie, Gabriel, or Marcello, we couldn’t help but notice the characters played by Melia Kreiling, Ashley Park, Lily Collins, and Camille Japy, all slaying Jude Benahlim’s jewellery. The Egyptian jeweller not only boasts sustainability but also ensures that each of her pieces fuses Eastern and Western aesthetics.
Zuhair Murad in Marry Me (2022)
When the plot of the film is that a Latin pop star ends up marrying a random fan from her audience after she finds out her fiance cheated on her, the wedding dress for this film has to be a literal showstopper, and that it is. It was plucked from the runway of Zuhair Murad’s bridal collection.
This dress is really something else. It is basically a strapless Cinderella-esque rose-gold metallic gown with nine layers constructed of silk taffeta, horsehair, and tulle.
Being a Murad original is special on its own, seeing how the Lebanese couturier dressed major stars, including Beyoncé and Priyanka Chopra. He is a big name in the fashion world.
Azzedine Alaïa in A View to a Kill (1985)
It isn’t just the beloved leads who get to dress up and look good in films; sometimes, villains also get the glamming experience. In what was known as the last film in which Roger Moore played James Bond in the series, the action flick saw its villain, Grace Jone’s character May Day, dress up for the part.
Tunisian designer Azzedine Alaïa brought to life the body-hugging hooded dress. He was famous for his pioneering hyper-fitted silhouettes and unique fashion sense.
Seeing how the Arab fashion and jewelry world managed to seep its way into mainstream Hollywood entertainment means there is more to come!