Photos: Pro Production
Paris – Something felt different this season. Yes, the gowns were still breathtaking. The craftsmanship — still mind-blowing.
The settings — still impossibly glamorous. But look closer, and you realise: the fashion world is quietly, steadily changing. Arab designers are no longer just “guests” at Haute Couture Week. They’re here to stay. Fashion and art are becoming inseparable. And new platforms are emerging to celebrate not just the couturiers, but the entire creative ecosystem that makes this world tick.
Here’s the thing.
The Arab Couture Wave Is No Longer a Ripple
This season, 12.11 Pro Production once again brought Arab designers to Paris Haute Couture Week — and proved that this is no longer a one-off experiment. It’s a pattern. A statement. A movement.
Dana Almulla from Qatar presented Echoes of Timeless Art. Her inspiration? Islamic architecture. Domes became sculptural collars. Arches turned into refined necklines. Intricate ornaments — into hand embroidery you simply can’t look away from.
Egyptian couture house TEMRAZA, founded by Farida Temraz, unveiled its Archive Collection — a celebration of the brand’s most iconic creations. And guess what? It didn’t feel like a look back. Each piece felt like it was made yesterday. During the same event, Temraz received the Outstanding Fashion Designer Award. And honestly? Well deserved. She’s not just designing — she’s putting Egyptian fashion on the global map.
Fashion Week Is Becoming Art Week
Walk through Paris during Haute Couture Week these days. The shows are still there, of course. But they’re increasingly sharing the stage with exhibitions, performances, book launches — the whole cultural calendar is expanding.
Art curator Anna Sashina got it right. At Hôtel Particulier Monceau, she brought together an international group of artists. And not the kind who just make pretty things. The kind who tell stories.
Anita Staes – Belgian-Polish, founder of Anitafication Art – showed acrylic works that feel almost otherworldly. She uses crushed shells. Sand. Epoxy. Even diamond dust. The result? Luminous. Textured. Impossible to ignore. Her work explores nature and transformation – and you can feel both in every piece.
Elen Sharafullina took a different route. Part visual art, part literature, part luxury lifestyle. Based in France, she presented her book Etiquette on Board – all about yachting culture and international hospitality. A reminder that fashion doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s part of a bigger world of elegance and social codes.
But perhaps the most moving work came from Jasmin Bakar Omar, an artist from Zanzibar. Her paintings? Love letters to her homeland. Historic doors. Traditional dhows. Stone Town architecture. Fishermen. Everyday coastal life. Working with acrylics and palette knives, she brings a place and its people to life with remarkable warmth. Her work touches on resilience and freedom – but it never feels heavy. It feels like a celebration.
And then there was Anna Perevozchikova. A photographer whose work spans more than sixty countries and over a decade of visual storytelling. Her images have this quality – hard to define. They feel both documentary and deeply personal.
The opening night added another layer: a live performance by internationally acclaimed baritone Alan Starovoitov. Because why should fashion and visual art have all the fun? Music belongs in the conversation too.
The LAZIN Magazine Awards: Celebrating Creative Excellence – Globally
Speaking of conversations – the same multidisciplinary program hosted the LAZIN Magazine Awards 2026. And this wasn’t your standard industry ceremony. Around one hundred applications and nominations were considered. The selection process? Rigorous. An interdisciplinary expert committee finally chose eleven recipients – from fashion, beauty, visual art, media and cultural production.
Some of the winners you’ve already met:
Farida Temraz took home the Outstanding Fashion Designer Award – the same recognition she received during her show. Rare to see such alignment between runway and awards. But in Temraz’s case? It felt inevitable. Her contribution to contemporary couture and her role in bringing Egyptian fashion to the world – impossible to ignore.
Jasmin Bakar Omar received the Contemporary Impressionist Excellence Award, category: Visual Artis. Further cementing her place as one of the most compelling visual artists working today. Her dedication to cultural storytelling through art? That’s the kind of work that transcends trends.
But there were other fascinating names too:
Weiming Luo – Chinese hair artist and founder of Hanjingji – received the Master of Influence in Hair Art Award. Over two decades of experience. A resume that includes Paris Fashion Week collaborations. Luo represents something the industry desperately needs: the integration of traditional Eastern beauty culture with contemporary fashion.
Zuoni Meng – known in the industry as Ms. Monzoni – received the Haute Couture Excellence Award. Based in Italy, her work is defined by meticulous hand craftsmanship and rare textiles sourced from around the world. Her bespoke creations have attracted an exclusive international clientele. Proof that true artistry always finds its audience.
Italian footwear label CALESTE, founded by Natalia Sviderskaia, received the Luxury Shoe Brand Excellence Award. Produced in Tuscany, the brand combines Italian manufacturing traditions with modern elegance. The kind of label that reminds you why craftsmanship still matters.
Ilona Bizikova – fashion designer and Runway founder – received the Creative Excellence Award. Recognition of her distinctive vision and growing international presence.
Daria Tomilina – international hairstylist and educator with over fifteen years of experience – received the Best Hairstylist in Fashion Award, category Beauty. Backstage at Paris Fashion Week. Emirates Fashion Week. Events in Cannes, Monaco and Miami. Her versatility? Impressive.
Tatiana Timoshina received The Best Hait Stylist, International Excellence in Hair Art Award. Her credentials? Genuinely impressive: two-time world champion in hairstyling and makeup, international judge, creator of the Moonline™ Volume Technique. Twenty-five years in the industry – and still innovating.
Oleksandr Gorbatyi received the Creative Excellence in Cultural Storytelling Award, category Special Award. Fitting recognition for a screenwriter, playwright, actor and educator whose work connects television, theater, media and cross-cultural communication.
Yevhen Yevtushenko received the Best Hair Stylist in Fashion, category: Beauty. A career spanning international championship recognition, editorial work, and fashion projects in Ukraine, New York and Miami.
And then there was Valentina Varnavskaia. She received a special distinction: Contribution to the Fashion Industry – Fastest-Growing Fashion Project of the Year. Her work developing Florida Men’s Fashion Week and For Men’s Fashion Week? It’s created platforms that connect designers, models, artists and media professionals. The kind of infrastructure the industry needs to grow.
