Designers inspired by wildlife and technology at Riyadh Fashion Week
Updated 21 October 2024
Rahaf Jambi
RIYADH: The third day of Riyadh Fashion Week (RFW) saw Saudi labels Mona Alshebil, Abadia, Razan Alazzouni, ArAm, and Kaf by Kaf present their latest collections, with designers exploring such themes as Saudi Arabia’s wildlife and the influence of technology on fashion.
A particular highlight was ArAm by Arwa Al-Ammari, whose fashion show was a celebration of Saudi Arabia's wildlife. The collection was inspired by the country’s rich natural heritage, focusing on animals that are seldom seen, such as the oryx, the Arabian leopard, the Arabian wolf, and the Arabian bustard. In addition to these creatures, the collection drew aesthetic influences from indigenous plants like sider (Ziziphus spina), arar (Juniper), arak (Salvadora Persica), sheh (Artemisia), sant (Acacia), gada (Haloxylon Persicum), and athoba (Senegalia Mellifera).
ArAm by Arwa Al-Ammari celebrated Saudi Arabia's wildlife. (AN Photo by Huda Bashatah)
These animals and plants hold significant cultural importance, often featuring in Arab poetry and idioms, serving as symbols of beauty and resilience deeply rooted in Saudi heritage.
A model shows off a look by ArAm by Arwa Al-Ammari. (AN Photo by Huda Bashatah)
Abdullah Al-Shehri, the only Saudi model on the runway at ArAm’s show, shared his experience, stating, “I represented the work of Arwa Al-Ammari today, and honestly, the show was spectacular. The collection was so creative, and I am really glad to be a part of this show at RFW for the second year in a row.”
A model shows off a look by ArAm by Arwa Al-Ammari. (AN Photo by Huda Bashatah)
Following the show, Kaf by Kaf took to the stage with a striking presentation of designer Kawthar Alhoraish’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection, aptly titled "Artificial Beauty." The collection explored the tension between technology and nature, delving into the contradictions that arise when organic forms collide with artificial constructs.
Kaf by Kaf took to the stage with a striking presentation of designer Kawthar Alhoraish’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection. (AN Photo by Huda Bashatah)
The collection was not only a showcase of fashion but also a commentary on the interplay between the organic and the synthetic.
Shouq, a prominent influencer who donned pieces from Kaf by Kaf, expressed her admiration for the collection. “When I first read the title 'Artificial Beauty,' I was intrigued. But when I saw the robot model strutting down the runway, everything clicked. The reflective skirts and the overall theme were executed brilliantly. I was truly wowed and found myself wanting every piece in the collection,” she told Arab News.
A robot model on the runway. (AN Photo by Huda Bashatah)
The use of a robot model was a bold choice, symbolizing the fusion of fashion and technology. It reinforced the theme of the collection, making a strong statement about the future of fashion. Kaf by Kaf’s exploration of artificial beauty challenges traditional notions and invites a conversation about the role of technology in our lives and how it shapes our understanding of aesthetics.
The collection featured dresses and co-ords. (AN Photo by Huda Bashatah)
As Riyadh Fashion Week continues to unfold, the diverse and thought-provoking presentations from designers like Aram and Kaf by Kaf highlight the vibrant creativity within Saudi fashion.
Joana Hadjithomas, Khalil Joreige on their latest exhibition ‘Remembering the Light’
Updated 15 August 2025
Adam Grundey
DUBAI: “We’ve been working a lot on questioning the writing of history in Lebanon — and elsewhere; the construction of imaginaries and stories kept secret,” says Lebanese artist and filmmaker Joana Hadjithomas.
In “Remembering the Light,” their solo exhibition which runs at Beirut’s Sursock Museum until September 4, Hadjithomas and her husband and creative partner Khalil Joreige present a collection of works that gather their wide-ranging influences and interests. Not just hidden histories — such as those revealed in the video installation “Remember the Light,” from which the show takes its title and in which divers head into the depths of the sea of Lebanon’s coast, drifting down past tanks, ships, and artifacts from ancient civilizations — but the power and necessity of art in troubled times, the cyclical nature of time, regeneration from chaos, and much more. It is also, as the title suggests, a show filled with hope, even though the bulk of the works on display were created at a time when hope was in short supply in Lebanon.
Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige. (Supplied)
“But My Head Is Still Singing,” the sixth work in their series “I Stared At Beauty So Much” — one of three main bodies of work around which the exhibition is based — is a prime example. It’s an installation in which looped videos are projected onto two screens made from layers of broken and salvaged glass. Glass from the duo’s studio and apartment, both of which were devastated by the explosion in the Port of Beirut in 2020.
“We wanted to transform the glass into something,” says Hadjithomas. “After the blast, it was very difficult to produce art… There was this question. ‘What for? How can art help with all this?’ And we thought about the figure of Orpheus (from Greek mythology), saddened by the loss of (his lover) Eurydice. He was dismembered by the maenads, but his head still kept singing. So, we brought together some friends, and we recited some verses from several poets (poetry and poets, she says later, can “counter chaos”) that refer to Orpheus. Even though our voices were exhausted, we were still singing, in a way. So you hear the voices and you can see some of the words on the screen.”
Collaboration such as this is key to the duo’s work (“We like to see through the eyes of others,” Hadjithomas says). Take the divers in “Remember the Light,” for example. That video, Joreige explains, is “about the feeling we have sometimes that our world is shrinking — losing some variation of color and the possibility of light, and we have to find it. The more you go down in water, the more the water will filter the light and you’ll lose the colors. But if you put a light here, all the color will reappear, and when you remove the light, the plankton remember the light and refract its luminescence.” It is, Hadjithomas adds, “a (reminder) to remember the light, even in times of despair.”
Message with(out) a code, 2022 Close-up, tapestries, different kind of yarn. (Supplied)
Collaboration is also central to their ongoing “Uncomformities” project, another of the show’s major bodies of work, and one which won the duo France’s most significant contemporary art prize in 2017. The works in the project — including “Palimpsests,” “Time Capsules,” “Message With(out) A Code,” and “Blow Up” — are based around their fascination with what lies hidden beneath our feet, particularly in three cities: Athens, Paris, and Beirut. The project was inspired by core samples taken by geologists and archeologists — which show the layers of stratification in the earth and can be “read” by experts.
“The fact that these things were taking us into really deep time was very interesting,” says Hadjithomas. “Archeologists talk about the way things are always changing and evolving. And at the moment like the one we are living, understanding that after disasters there’s always a regeneration is very important.”
“Most of the time, when you imagine sedimentation (in the earth), you think of a stratification that is linear,” Joreige says. “But what we discovered with archeology is that when you dig, what is old moves up, and what is new moves down … you are recycling, redoing, regenerating. You are using the traces of civilizations to build new ones.”
That’s apparent in “Time Capsules,” an installation that includes three large tubes of core samples taken from the area around the Sursock Museum, and which include traces of the tsunami that occurred following the Beirut Earthquake of 551 CE, killing tens of thousands.
“The undergrounds of cities help us understand the way histories are always cycles of construction and destruction and regeneration,” says Hadjithomas. “And this movement of deep time and history can help us when we are in situations (like today).”
“Unconformities” also includes “Message With(out) A Code,” a collection of tapestries based on large photographs the pair had collected of archeological traces from digs, woven in such a way that they appear three-dimensional, even though they are not.
“We were fascinated by these samples,” says Hadjithomas. “We started taking pictures of them, but without really knowing what they were.”
“We weren’t really able to understand what we were seeing. Like, you think you’re looking at stone, but actually you’re looking at teeth. You always need the eyes of others,” Joreige says, once again highlighting the benefits of their collaborative process, in this case working with archeologists.
While it’s clear that the duo’s work would not be what it is without the input of others, perhaps the most significant factor in all of it is their own natural curiosity. When they come across an object that most of us would discard, their instinct is to ask instead: “Why is this here and what can we learn from it?” They might keep that object for years before they figure out how to turn it into art, but inevitably they do. And with “Remembering the Light,” they hope once again to spark that same curiosity in others.
“We are trying to reveal a certain complexity,” says Joreige. “Sometimes you can’t explain because there’s nothing to explain. There’s no easy answer. But (for visitors), we hope that an encounter will occur. We want to share this moment of experiencing something uncommon.”
“We take people with us on a journey to experience and to share knowledge, share emotions and research. For me, it’s not about understanding everything, but to have, like, an impression,” Hadjithomas adds. “You just have to feel something, then understand more if you want. There’s a lot of layers. And you can dig as much as you want.”
‘Platonic’ season 2 — bigger laughs and deeper truths about friendship
Updated 15 August 2025
Shyama Krishna Kumar
DUBAI: Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne are back in “Platonic,” and the first three episodes of season two prove that their non-romantic chemistry remains the show’s not-so-secret weapon. The pair’s easy banter and instinctive comic timing once again anchor a series that takes the madcap energy of season one and parlays it into a more nuanced, heartfelt exploration of adult friendship.
The sophomore season of the Apple TV+ series opens with a major update in Will’s (Rogen) life — an engagement to a woman Sylvia (Byrne) doesn’t have a connection with. It’s an awkward adjustment for both, as their once effortless dynamic is suddenly subject to the gravitational pull of a third party. The early episodes mine this setup for all its comic potential — from misguided attempts at bonding to not-so-subtle turf wars over who knows Will best, and a bachelor party that goes sideways quick. The jokes are bigger, the hijinks just as outrageous, but there’s an added undercurrent of mature self-awareness that keeps the series from depending on laughs alone.
Byrne’s Sylvia continues to be one of TV’s most relatable depictions of mid-life contradictions. She’s a housewife and mother, but still clinging to the “cool girl” identity she once wore so easily. Her adventures with Will allow her to sidestep the mundanity of domestic life, even if they occasionally leave her with more to clean up — figuratively and literally. Byrne plays her with the perfect mix of warmth, femininity and clownery.
Rogen, meanwhile, tempers his trademark goofiness with shades of vulnerability. Will’s excitement over his engagement is genuine, but so is his anxiety over how it might change the friendship that’s been his emotional constant. His scenes with Byrne shimmer with an authenticity that makes their friendship feel lived-in, not manufactured for the camera.
Through it all, “Platonic” remains breezy, smart and devilishly funny. Season two doesn’t just retread the antics of its debut run — it builds on them, delivering sharper humor and a richer look at what it means to keep a friendship alive as life pulls you in different directions. If these first episodes are any indication, Rogen and Byrne’s love story — platonic though it is — might just be one of the best on TV.
Recipes for success: Omar Basiony offers advice and a tasty sea bass recipe
Updated 15 August 2025
Hams Saleh
DUBAI: For Omar Basiony, eating has always been more than just about meals, it has been a way to connect with culture, family and identity.
“I’ve always loved cooking,” he tells Arab News. “I’ve been passionate about cooking from a very young age.”
Born to Egyptian and Italian parents, Basiony’s culinary journey began when he was just 13. “My mom had sent me to spend the summer with my uncle in Padua, Italy, and he got me a job working in a restaurant,” he says. “I came back like, ‘OK, this is all I ever want to do with my life.’”
Bâoli Dubai. (Supplied)
Basiony grew up in Chicago, which he describes as “a city of neighborhoods drawn on very ethnic lines.” He adds: “It became this gateway for me to explore different cultures through food.”
After honing his skills at renowned kitchens in the US, including a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Chicago, he moved to Dubai in 2014 to help open La Serre. His current role as executive chef at Bâoli Dubai reflects both his fine-dining background and the wide range of culinary influences he has encountered throughout his career.
When you started out, what was the most common mistake you made?
Probably not tasting the food enough. If there’s any takeaway in my kitchen that I try to instill over and over, it would be that.
What’s your top tip for amateur chefs?
Invest in your tools, because that way they’re going to last a while. And it makes cooking much more enjoyable if you have a decent knife, a decent pan, good scales. Sometimes recipes fail just because you haven’t either measured the ingredients properly or you’ve compromised on the vessel that you’re going to cook it in, or the oven you’re going to cook it in.
Bâoli Dubai. (Supplied)
What’s one ingredient that can instantly improve any dish?
I think improving a dish isn’t so much about ingredients as it is about understanding the different roles they play, and how balance plays such a big role. So, say you’ve over-seasoned something, there’s a role that fat can play in diminishing the salt. That all goes a long way to improving the overall flavor and complexity of the way something tastes.
When you go out to eat, do you find yourself critiquing the food?
I just feel like I’m getting ripped off most of the time. Sometimes I get a plate and I’m, like, “Come on. I know how much money is in this plate.” So yeah, my major critique is: what are people putting on their plates? What are they charging us for? But I can forgive a lot if the food is good and it’s made with heart and soul, and you can feel that someone cares about what they’re doing.
What’s your favorite cuisine to eat?
Asian — something within the scope of either Japanese or Korean. I have an eight-year-old son, and there was a time when I was actually afraid to be alone with him, he was that attached to his mother. The first time we really began to build a bond as father and son was over dim sum. I’d pick him up from nursery and take him out for dumplings and noodles. Since then, I think I’ve essentially hardwired him to enjoy Asian cuisine. I picked him up from school the other day, and brought him to Baoli. I try to offer him pizza, and he says, “No, it’s OK. I can get pizza anywhere. I want the signatures from the restaurant. Don’t try and push the cheap stuff.” But yes, as a family, we’ve really developed a strong appreciation for Asian cuisine overall.
What’s a customer request or behavior most annoys you?
Sometimes we get people who will either pre-order or push for food to arrive at a certain time. And then, you know, you activate this whole apparatus to make sure that happens, which is an undertaking, and then they don’t respect the time. I’m not a punctual person in my personal life, but in my professional life I’m very punctual.
What’s your favorite dish to cook?
I love to work over fire and over charcoal. So anything that’s coming off of the restaurant’s wood burning grill is a lot of fun. That element of dynamism that comes with cooking over live fire is very enjoyable. And it’s very much a craft — being able to harness it and utilize it in different ways.
What’s the most difficult dish for you to get right?
A perfect omelet is something that takes quite a level of mastery.
What are you like as a leader?
When I was a head chef, I was much more of a disciplinarian; there was a lot more yelling and shouting. Now, with a strong management team in place, I want them to feel empowered to run and manage the space themselves. A kitchen can very quickly become a tense, chaotic environment if everyone’s shouting. That’s never the kind of space I want people to work in. There’s only room for one voice of authority in a kitchen and, over time, I’ve learned that you don’t have to shout to earn respect or to maintain discipline. I do believe in the importance of discipline and, yes, at times there needs to be accountability. No one wants to be told they’re underperforming, but it’s worse when that message comes from everyone around them. That doesn’t motivate; it discourages. So, while I believe in maintaining standards, I also think it’s important to create an environment that encourages people to improve rather than fear failure.
Chef Omar’s sea bass Provençale
Provençale sauce
¼ cup olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
50gm pitted nicoise olives, quartered
1 tbsp capers
500gm cherry tomatoes, quartered
Sprig of thyme
Sprig of fresh oregano
½ cup semi dried tomatoes cut into chunks
Salt to taste
Method:
Combine the olive oil and garlic in a wide, flat-bottomed sauté pan on low heat and cook gently until the garlic becomes golden and very fragrant.
Add the olives and capers and continue to cook until aromatic.
Raise the heat to medium and add the quartered cherry tomatoes and herbs. Cook the tomatoes until they begin to break down, releasing their juices and creating a silky sauce.
Off the heat, add the semi-dried tomatoes and mix through the sauce. Adjust the seasoning as needed with salt.
Allow to cool before using.
When you’re ready to prepare the fish, start by preheating your oven to 200°C. You will need parchment paper and a baking tray large enough to fit the fillet or whole fish you will be baking.
Lay a sheet of parchment paper out on the table—the paper should be large enough to enclose your fish like a well-sealed envelope.
Drizzle a layer of oil on the paper and lay the fish on top. Season lightly with salt and add another drizzle of oil. Spread the prepared sauce evenly across the fish.
Close the parchment paper, folding the edges to seal it tightly, ensuring steam will stay trapped inside your parcel.
You may opt to also wrap the parchment in aluminium foil in case you are doubting your sealing skills.
Bake for 20 minutes at 200°C or until cooked through.
You can serve it directly to the table in the parchment paper, cutting the parcel open in front of your guests to many ooohs and aaahs, and a pleasant puff of steam and delicious cooking aromas.
You can garnish with a pinch of fresh chopped herbs and a drizzle of olive oil.
After uproar, documentary on Hamas 2023 attack will screen at Toronto Film Festival
Earlier this week, TIFF withdrew its invitation to the film “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue,” citing legal clearance for footage used in the documentary
The film chronicles the story of retired Israeli Gen. Noam Tibon, whose efforts to save his family and others during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack was profiled in a “60 Minutes” segment
Updated 15 August 2025
AP
NEW YORK: The Toronto International Film Festival will screen a documentary on the 2023 Hamas attack, after all, following an uproar over the film’s disinvitation from the upcoming festival.
Earlier this week, TIFF withdrew its invitation to the film “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue.” The festival said the decision was based in part on legal clearance for footage used in the documentary. Deadline, which first reported the news, said a sticking point was the identification and legal clearance of Hamas militants’ own livestreaming of the attack.
On Thursday evening, TIFF chief executive Cameron Bailey and “The Road Between Us” filmmaker Barry Avrich issued a joint statement announcing the film’s selection.
“Both TIFF and the filmmakers have heard the pain and frustration expressed by the public and we want to address this together,” said Bailey and Avrich. “We have worked together to find a resolution to satisfy important safety, legal, and programming concerns.”
“In this case, TIFF’s communication around its requirements did not clearly articulate the concerns and roadblocks that arose and for that, we are sorry,” they continued.
The film chronicles the story of retired Israeli Gen. Noam Tibon, whose efforts to save his family and others during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack was profiled in a “60 Minutes” segment.
After being informed that the film wouldn’t screen at the festival, the “Road Between Us” filmmakers issued a statement claiming TIFF “censored its own programming by refusing the film.”
Bailey disputed that allegation, and pleaded that the situation demanded sensitivity.
“The events of October 7, 2023, and the ongoing suffering in Gaza weigh heavily on us, underscoring the urgent need for compassion amid rising antisemitism and Islamophobia,” Bailey said on Wednesday.
The Toronto International Film Festival, North America’s largest film festival, runs Sept. 4–14.
Where We Are Going Today: Taqado Mexican Kitchen in Riyadh
Updated 15 August 2025
Ghadi Joudah
Taqado Mexican Kitchen in Riyadh serves up vibrant flavors in a fast-casual setting that immediately captures one’s attention.
The space has a bold counter adorned with colorful patterned tiles, where staff in crisp white, red, and yellow shirts assemble orders beneath illuminated menu boards in Arabic and English.
The open kitchen buzzes with efficiency, offering a lively backdrop for quick lunches or relaxed dinners.
Standout dishes include the Chili Cheese Fries — a generous pile of crispy fries smothered in rich chili con carne, spicy jalapeno cheese sauce, cool sour cream, and fresh coriander.
The Chicken Quesadilla features well-seasoned grilled chicken and fajita vegetables but would be brighter with more toasting for optimal texture.
Meanwhile, the Asian crispy chicken burrito delivers a satisfying crunch, expertly balanced by tangy soy pickles, cabbage slaw, and creamy guacamole. To be frank, the burritos are a mouthful, but the flavors make the experience worth it.
The Asian crispy chicken burrito delivered a satisfying crunch, expertly balancing crispy chicken, tangy soy pickles, cabbage slaw, and creamy guacamole. (Instagram: @Taqadomexicankitchen.ksa)
Less successful are the birria tacos, where the beef lacks depth despite fresh garnishes, and the accompanying broth felt underwhelming. The steak and shrimp bowl also falls short, its promising quinoa base and pineapple salsa undermined by rubbery shrimp and under-seasoned components.
Health-conscious diners can opt for the spinach quesadilla, the protein-rich steak and shrimp bowl, or the fresh Mexicali salad.
Taqado has mastered customizable Mexican comfort food, especially its loaded fries and fusion burrito, in a spirited atmosphere.
While some textures and seasonings need refinement, its efficient service and vivid setting make it ideal for casual meals.
