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DUBAI: On the closing day of Copenhagen Fashion Week, US Palestinian model, creative director and human rights activist Alana Hadid — who is the sister of supermodels Gigi and Bella Hadid — made a striking political and fashion statement when she wore a keffiyeh gown from Mailliw by William.

“I wear my pride wherever I go,” Hadid wrote on Instagram, posting photos of the gown as she strode down the street in Copenhagen.

Hadid on Wednesday took to Instagram to explain the symbolism behind the keffiyeh print and spotlight designers who have “highlighted the Palestinian cause over the years.”

Hadid recently sat down for an interview with The New Arab where she talked about her activism. “I’ve been talking about Palestine for a long time, and I’ve been saying that I’m a Palestinian for a long time, which, in a lot of ways, for a lot of people, was a revolutionary act,” she said. 

“As a family, we’ve generated quite a large platform, and I felt like I would be ridiculous if I didn’t use it for this cause.”

Meanwhile, last year, her sister Bella Hadid also made a powerful fashion statement on the sidelines of the Cannes Film Festival by wearing a red-and-white dress inspired by the keffiyeh. The dress was by US designers Michael Sears and Hushi Mortezaie in 2001.

Bella shared pictures of the dress with her 61.1 million followers on Instagram, describing the ensemble as “a beautiful way to represent the history, labor of love, resilience, and most importantly the art of historic Palestinian embroidery.”

She then explained the meanings behind the patterns of the Palestinian keffiyeh, and how they symbolize various themes.

The olive leaves represent “strength, resilience and perseverance,” she wrote. 

“The larger part of the keffiyeh is the fishnet pattern, which resembles the relationship between the Palestinian fisherman and the sea. It symbolizes abundance and grace,” she said. “To many of us, the sea also means freedom, especially to Palestinians living in the West Bank (who) have no access to the sea due to restricted movement.”

She added that the sea waves resemble the “strength and resilience” of those who “persevered after 73 years under military occupation and oppression.”

DUBAI: Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones was spotted this week in New York wearing sunglasses from Dubai-based eyewear label By Karen Wazen, founded by the Lebanese influencer. 

The actress was in New York to promote season two of Netflix’s hit series “Wednesday” on “Good Morning America.”

She opted for the Lily shades, a bold, oversized cat-eye design in glossy black acetate with dark lenses and gold logo detailing on the temples. 

For one appearance, she styled the sunglasses with a fitted black peplum jacket and matching midi skirt, both adorned with vibrant red floral embroidery cascading from the waist and sleeves down the skirt. She completed the look with glossy red pointed-toe stilettos for a pop of color.

Zeta-Jones also incorporated the Karen Wazen shades into another New York look, pairing them with a form-fitting, midi dress featuring a white base, dark burgundy floral patterns and subtle grey streaks. The dress, draped and gathered at the waist, was layered with a classic beige trench coat worn loosely over her shoulders.

“Wednesday” follows the teenage years of Wednesday Addams, played by Jenna Ortega, as she attends Nevermore Academy, a boarding school for outcasts with supernatural abilities. While honing her emerging psychic powers, she becomes involved in solving a murder mystery connected to her family’s past.

Zeta-Jones plays Morticia Addams, Wednesday’s glamorous, gothic and fiercely devoted mother. In season two, Morticia takes on a more central role, moving to the Nevermore Academy campus in a philanthropic position and becoming more involved in her daughter’s life, often to Wednesday’s irritation. 

Zeta-Jones stars alongside Luis Guzman as Gomez Addams, with new cast additions including Steve Buscemi, Thandiwe Newton and Lady Gaga.

The cast has been actively promoting the new season with appearances and events in the lead-up to its release set for Sept. 3. 

For the press tour in London, Ortega championed Arab talent by wearing a head-turning gown from Saudi designer Mohammed Ashi’s label, Ashi Studio. The dress took more than 200 hours of work, the designer said. 

“This look began with research into the idea of a second skin, inspired by exotic hides and snake sheds, their scales, faded textures and raw edges,” the designer wrote on Instagram. “We developed custom latex ‘snake skins’ through rare artisanal casting techniques. After sketching the design, the pieces were assembled with a latex specialist, with unfinished edges evoking shed skins.

“Jenna Ortega is wearing a top laid over a corset, paired with a mermaid skirt, the back is laced,” he added.