Quinta Brunson opts for Lebanese gown in Los Angeles
DUBAI: Emmy-winning actress, comedian and writer Quinta Brunson showed off a gown by Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad at the 14th Annual Spring Break Gala by City Year Los Angeles.
For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @arabnews.lifestyle
Founded in 1988, City Year is a national service program that offers full-time community service. This weekend, the Los Angeles chapter held its annual gala, which was attended by the likes of US actress and film producer Viola Davis and 'Abbott Elementary' sitcom creator Brunson.
Brunson's column gown hailed from Zuhair Murad's Pre-Fall 2025 collection. The look featured star-like embellishments across the torso, bust and cuffs.
It is not the first time Brunson has worn a Lebanese creation on the red carpet — in September, she showed off a mermaid sculpted gown from Lebanese designer Georges Chakra's Fall/Winter 2024-2025 couture collection at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards in Hollywood.
Meanwhile, Murad has continued to attract celebrity clientele to his eveningwear label.
In late April, Murad made a statement at the 2025 Time 100 Gala with US actress Blake Lively, as well as singer and songwriter Nicole Scherzinger, showcasing his creations on the red carpet.
Lively, who attended the event with her husband Ryan Reynolds, wore a pink taffeta off-the-shoulder gown featuring a corseted bodice and a train detail from Murad's ready-to-wear Spring 2025 collection.
Scherzinger, meanwhile, chose a black off-the-shoulder sequin gown from Murad's ready-to-wear Pre-Fall 2025 collection.
One month earlier, Murad unveiled his latest collaboration with Italian label Marina Rinaldi. Murad designed the brand's Spring/Summer 2025 capsule collection inspired by China's Tang dynasty.
Drawing from the dynasty's introduction of peony cultivation in imperial gardens, Murad infused the collection with images of the flower.
The collection focuses largely on eveningwear.
'Grand evening gowns go beyond the pure object, they are a way of investing in one's personal history,' the designer said in a released statement. True to his signature style, the collection features hourglass silhouettes and intricate hand-embroidered details.
The collection's color palette mirrors another element of Tang dynasty artistry — delicate chinaware. Soft shades of cream, sky blue, aquamarine green and pink infuse the flowing chiffon gowns, pleated bodices and long plisse skirts.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
11 hours ago
- Arab News
‘Fever Dream' starring Fatima Al-Banawi lands on Netflix
DUBAI: Saudi filmmaker Faris Godus' latest feature 'Fever Dream' is now available to stream on Netflix, bringing together a star-studded local cast including Fatima Al-Banawi, Sohayb Godus, Najm, Hakeem Jomah and Nour Al-Khadra. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ Supported by the Red Sea Fund, the film, which explores themes of media manipulation, digital identity, and the cost of fame in the age of online influence, had its world premiere at the 2023 Red Sea International Film Festival. It tells the story of Samado, a retired football star who, burdened by media scrutiny and public notoriety, finds a chance to reclaim control. Partnering with his daughter, he sets out to take revenge on a powerful social media portal. But as they plunge deeper into their pursuit of fame and digital redemption, the line between ambition and obsession begins to blur. A post shared by Red Sea Film Foundation (@redseafilm) Najm plays Ahlam, the daughter of Samado, while Jomah appears as Hakeem, a PR agent hired to help restore Samado's public image. Al-Banawi takes on the role of Alaa, another key PR agent working alongside Hakeem. Godus is famous for his work 'Shams Alma'arif' (The Book of Sun), which also streamed on Netflix, and 'Predicament in Sight.' He previously said in an interview with Arab News: '(In Saudi Arabia), we have a rich soil to build content on and so many stories to tell. I do believe that nowadays the support coming from our country is just awesome. People have so many chances to create films now.' Meanwhile, Al-Banawi is recognized for her roles in 'Barakah Meets Barakah' and the Saudi thriller 'Route 10.' She made her directorial debut with 'Basma,' in which she also plays the title role — a young Saudi woman who returns to her hometown of Jeddah after studying in the US. Back home, she is confronted with her father's mental illness, strained family ties, and the challenge of reconnecting with a past life that no longer feels familiar. 'I really went into cinema — in 2015 with my first feature as an actress — with one intention: to bridge the gap between the arts and social impact and psychology,' she previously told Arab News. 'And I was able to come closer to this union when I positioned myself as a writer-director, more so than as an actor.'
Arab News
15 hours ago
- Arab News
What to expect at the 10th edition of the UK's SAFAR Film Festival
DUBAI: The 10th edition of the SAFAR Film Festival launches on Wednesday with a newly restored screening of the 1972 Egyptian classic 'Watch Out for Zouzou' by Hassan Al-Imam at Ciné Lumière in London. The festival will run until June 28, concluding with the UK premiere of 'Sudan, Remember Us' (2024) by Hind Meddeb. This edition of SAFAR will take place across cinemas in London and nine other UK cities, showcasing a broad range of feature films, documentaries and shorts from the South West Asia and North Africa region. A post shared by SAFAR FILM FESTIVAL (@safarfilmfestival) A complementary online programme, curated by the Lebanese nonprofit cultural organization AFLAMUNA, will run throughout the month, exploring works that respond to the Lebanese civil war — 50 years after it began. Audiences can expect films that explore themes of migration, political empowerment, conflict, creativity and joy. Among this year's highlights is 'A State of Passion,' documenting the work of British Palestinian reconstructive surgeon Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah in Gaza. Directed by Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi, the film delves into the emotional toll of his work. A post shared by :: أفلامُنا.اونلاين (@ Veteran Palestinian actor, director and documentarian Mohammad Bakri will be a special guest, delivering a masterclass and appearing for screenings of 'Upshot' (2024) by Maha Haj and his landmark 2002 documentary 'Jenin, Jenin,' which was banned by the Israeli Film Board. The film features testimonies from survivors of the 2002 Israeli military assault on the Jenin refugee camp. Among other notable titles is 'Seeking Haven for Mr Rambo' (2024) by Khaled Mansour, an emotive thriller that follows Hassan on a mission to protect his best friend and dog. The film previously won the Grand Prize at the Red Sea International Film Festival. 'Red Path' (2024) by Lotfi Achour, based on a true story, recounts the harrowing experience of 13-year-old Achraf, who is forced to carry the severed head of his cousin back to their village after a terrorist attack. A post shared by :: أفلامُنا.اونلاين (@ In 'Saify' (2024) by Wael Abu Mansour, a middle-aged trickster sells tapes of banned Islamic sermons in hopes of quick profit, offering a sharp social commentary on the pursuit of wealth. Directors of all three films will be present at SAFAR for post-screening discussions. Also part of this year's programme is Laila Abbas's dark comedy 'Thank You for Banking With Us!' (2024), where two estranged sisters reunite to claim their inheritance before the authorities discover their father's death and transfer it to their brother. A post shared by SAFAR FILM FESTIVAL (@safarfilmfestival) SAFAR will also present 'Palestine – A Revised Narrative,' a 30-minute silent film compiled from 35mm archival footage shot by British forces in Palestine between 1914 and 1918. Commissioned by ALFILM, this screening will feature a live score by composer Cynthia Zaven and sound design by Rana Eid, re-examining the British imperial narrative at a pivotal moment in Middle Eastern history. The festival includes environmental programming through 'Biodiversity and Cinema,' an initiative launched in 2023 that brings together Lebanese filmmakers and ecologists to create short documentaries on ecosystems and microorganisms. A selection of these films will screen under the title 'Rooted Resistance,' with filmmakers in attendance. 'The Brink of Dreams' (2024) by Nada Riyadh and Ayman El-Amir also features in this year's line-up. Shot over four years in southern Egypt, the film follows a group of girls who form a street theatre troupe to challenge the expectations of their conservative village.
Asharq Al-Awsat
a day ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Judge Dismisses Justin Baldoni's $400M Lawsuit Against ‘It Ends With Us' Costar Blake Lively
A judge on Monday dismissed the lawsuit that actor and director Justin Baldoni filed against his "It Ends With Us" costar Blake Lively after she sued him last year for sexual harassment and retaliation. US District Court Judge Lewis Liman's decision is the latest development in the bitter legal battle surrounding the dark romantic film. Baldoni and production company Wayfarer Studios countersued in January for $400 million, accusing Lively and her husband, "Deadpool" actor Ryan Reynolds, of defamation and extortion. The New York judge ruled that Baldoni can't sue Lively for defamation over claims she made in her legal claim, because allegations made in a lawsuit are exempt from libel claims. Liman also ruled that Baldoni's claims that Lively stole creative control of the film didn't count as extortion under California law. The judge, however, said Baldoni could revise the lawsuit if he wanted to pursue different claims related to whether Lively breached or interfered with a contract. His legal team indicated it planned to do so. "Ms. Lively and her team's predictable declaration of victory is false," one of Baldoni's lawyers, Bryan Freedman, said in a statement. He said that Lively's claims that she was sexually harassed on the film set, and then subjected to a secret smear campaign intended to taint her reputation, were "no truer today than they were yesterday." "It Ends With Us," an adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling 2016 novel that begins as a romance but takes a dark turn into domestic violence, was released in August, exceeding box office expectations with a $50 million debut. But the movie's release was shrouded by speculation over discord between Lively and Baldoni. The judge also dismissed Baldoni's defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, which had reported on Lively's sexual harassment allegations. "Today's opinion is a total victory and a complete vindication for Blake Lively, along with those that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties dragged into their retaliatory lawsuit, including Ryan Reynolds, (publicist) Leslie Sloane and The New York Times," Lively's attorneys, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, said in a prepared statement. The lawyers said they "look forward to the next round" of seeking attorneys' fees, treble damages and punitive damages. A spokesperson for The New York Times said they were "grateful to the court for seeing the lawsuit for what it was: a meritless attempt to stifle honest reporting." "Our journalists went out and covered carefully and fairly a story of public importance, and the court recognized that the law is designed to protect just that sort of journalism," Charlie Stadtlander said in an emailed statement. Lively appeared in the 2005 film "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" and the TV series "Gossip Girl" from 2007 to 2012 before starring in films including "The Town" and "The Shallows." Baldoni starred in the TV comedy "Jane the Virgin," directed the 2019 film "Five Feet Apart" and wrote the book "Man Enough."
