DUBAI: Actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas has a well-documented penchant for Arab designers. The Indian star has been pictured donning looks from regional labels on plenty of occasions, including designs by Zuhair Murad and Nicolas Jebran, to name a few.
Just days after celebrating Diwali in Los Angeles with her husband, singer Nick Jonas, the former Miss World touched down in Dubai this week. She announced her visit on Instagram with a video of the city’s skyline, which she captioned “so happy to be back.”
The reason for her visit was to attend the launch of Italian luxury brand Bulgari’s latest “Jannah” collection. For the occasion, Chopra, who is a Bulgari ambassador, opted for a striking, saffron-colored design from sustainable Moroccan couture house Benchellal.
The orange air mesh blazer dress featured a draped shawl cape and pockets and was plucked from the label’s ninth collection. She wore it with slim-fitting black trousers and pumps.
Naturally, the actress accessorized the head-turning look with Bulgari jewels.
The ensemble was put together by celebrity stylist Law Roach, who is responsible for some of Zendaya and Kerry Washington’s most iconic outfits. In an Instagram post, she thanked Roach for “recognizing incredible talent from the world,” for her.
Indeed, Dutch-Moroccan couturier Mohamed Benchellal, who launched his namesake womenswear label in 2007, has made a name for himself with his elegant and upcycled eveningwear.
His striking, structural designs have been worn by popstar Camilla Cabello, actress and activist Jameela Jamil and supermodel Helena Christensen, to name a few.
The Moroccan-born, Amsterdam-based designer recently took home the eveningwear award at the 2021 Fashion Trust Arabia Prize ceremony for his dramatic, voluminous creations.
Arab designers have increasingly become the “go-to” for Indian celebrities at major events.
Ami Patel, one of India’s leading celebrity stylists, previously explained Bollywood’s love affair with Middle Eastern design talent to Arab News, saying: “I think Middle Eastern designers understand the Indian body type and silhouette very well. They know exactly what Indian celebrities want and cater to them.”
