London Celebrates Arab Culture for the 3rd Year.
London is set to play host to the third London Arabia Art & Fashion Week in an annual celebration of Arab culture in the heart of London. The event organised by London Arabia Organisation will be held from the 1-16th of August, across multiple locations in and around London, including Harvey Nichols, the Jumeriah Carlton Tower Hotel, Regents University London, Bicester Village and Waddesdon Manor. The event will include a fashion show, art exhibition and pop-up shop aimed at supporting Arab designers and artists, shining a positive light on Arab culture and bringing it to a new audience in London.
The event comes following the success at the 2016 & 2017 events, speaking about the event Omar Bdour, the CEO of London Arabia Organisation said that the event “provides the chance to celebrate the longstanding relationship between Great Britain and the Arab world.”
Omar later said, “We have been working closely with our partners to organise an event which will celebrate the cultural talent from the Arab world and give them a platform to showcase their work in London.”
Desirée Bollier, Chair – Value Retail Management, said: “The Bicester Village Shopping Collection® is delighted to partner with London Arabia for the third consecutive year. London Arabia Art & Fashion Week is an important initiative that reflects the shared commitment of London Arabia and The Bicester Village Shopping Collection to support talented artists and designers from the Arab world by building a cultural programme in London that celebrates the relationship between Arab culture and British culture.”
The 2018 London Arabia Art & Fashion Week has expanded not only in length but also through its partnership with the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. This is in an attempt to highlight the incredible suffering felt by the refugees in the Arab world and bring it to the attention of the wider public. The fashion show will feature ‘Dress for our Time’, which was created by British designer Professor Helen Storey (London College of Fashion, UAL) from a decommissioned UNHCR tent, which had been the home of a Syrian family in Za’atari camp in Jordan.
UNHCR’s Representative to the UK Gonzalo Vargas Llosa said: “We very much welcome the support of the London Arab Organisation. At a time when record levels of people are being forced from their homes due to war or persecution, solidarity with refugees is needed more than ever.”
The 2018 event is held at Harvey Nichols London in partnership with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the Bicester Village Shopping Collection, the Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel, Regents University London, Sloane Street and Y Asset Management.
The event will open on the evening of the 1st of August with a private fashion show and art exhibition. The 2nd and 3rd of August at the Carlton is open to everyone and will feature incredible Arab art. From the 2nd-16th of August the London Arabia Pop-Up shop will be held at Harvey Nichols, it will sell designs from a number of talented Arab designers. On the 6th of August the designers from the event will be taking part in a photoshoot at the Waddesdon Manor, a sprawling Rothschild estate set in the heart of Buckinghamshire.
The participants will then also have the exciting opportunity to visit Bicester Village where they will engage with British brands helping to strengthen the links between the regions.
By Liam Sancaster
The adventurous spirit behind the pages of British Muslim magazine. As the Editor-in-Chief, Natasha leads with a passion for exploration and a pen dipped in wanderlust. With a keen eye for halal travel experiences and an insatiable curiosity for new experiences, she brings readers along on captivating journeys to far-flung destinations. Through her vibrant storytelling, Natasha invites readers on enriching adventures, where every experience is a window into the muslim world.
