Mideast Culture

Style, Translated: Headwear Revisited

Pardon last week’s hiatus, but I am sure you got your Mideast fashion fix with Erin Joyce’s insightful interview with fashion industry’s bigwig Georges Chakra.

In The Big Apple, New Arab Communities Find Friendly Aid

Nestled on the third floor of a small walk-up in Brooklyn Heights, a neighborhood known for its bars, restaurants and trendy stores, sits the Arab American Family Support Center – a safehaven for the growing Arab American population of New York City.

Aslan Media At The Olympics: Bayt Qatar

With the 2022 World Cup set to be hosted in Qatar, eager eyes are watching the country as the deadline towards the completion nears. Sure, 10 years may seem like a long time, but time flies by in the run-up to major events like these. I watched the UK’s Olympic bid in 2005 and can attest to that; it seems like just yesterday.

With this massive world event on Qatar’s horizon, the opening of its Olympic House, "Bayt Qatar," afforded them a unique occasion to make good impressions in advance of the World Cup. Not only did this venue give a brief glimpse into what Qatar plans for the 2022 world event, it would also gave an overall feel to what Qatar has in store for its visitors.

Fashion with a Capital F: Georges Chakra In the Spotlight

Fashion — it’s a loaded word. It embodies multiplicity of interpretations ranging from the most basic T-Shirt and jeans combination to the elite confections of haute couture. Fashion is something that, even if we don’t realize it, we interact with on a daily basis. It’s an art form that we literally live in.

We step into “fashion” each time we get dressed in the morning. The garments we select to adorn our bodies stem in some way, shape, or form from the runways. For example, if a designer features black lace prominently in a collection, it is pretty much guaranteed that black lace will filter its way down the fashion food-chain from high-end department stores to tween shops and bargain outlets. It makes a person wonder, then, who are these fashion elites that shape the way in which we represent our forms visually to the world?

Aslan Media At The Olympics: Exclusive Interview with Brunei’s First Female Athlete

Chosen as Brunei's flag bearer at the London Olympics opening ceremony, whilst making history by becoming the first Bruneian female to participate in the 2012 games, nineteen-year-old Maziah Mahusin was chosen to compete in the 400 meter hurdles. Brunei, along with Qatar and Saudi Arabia, have sent women to compete in the Olympics for the first time ever. The event also marks the first time that all participating nations will feature women athletes.