Pakistan’s First Female Architect Yasmeen Lari Conferred Highest Architecture Award By King Charles
New Age
Islam News Bureau
28 April
2023
• Pakistan’s First Female
Architect Yasmeen Lari Conferred Highest Architecture Award By King Charles
• Saudi Mountaineer Raha Moharrak
Is Back On Top Of The World
• Saudi Model Amira Al-Zuhair
Fronts Italian Luxury Fashion House Prada Campaign
• How Muslim Models, Designers
Navigate The Complexity Of Hijabs In Fashion
• For Saudi Artist Abeer
Al-Zaaied, Women’s Issues Remain A Powerful Source Of Inspiration
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/pakistan-female-architect-lari-charles/d/129660
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Pakistan’s First Female Architect Yasmeen Lari Conferred Highest Architecture Award By King Charles
Professor Yasmeen Lari, founder of the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan,
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April 27, 2023
ISLAMABAD/LONDON – Professor Yasmeen Lari, founder of the Heritage
Foundation of Pakistan, has been awarded UK’s King Royal Gold Medal for Architecture
for her work related to zero-carbon self-build concepts for displaced
populations.
Royal Institute of British Architects announced the award which is the
world’s highest accolade for architecture. King Charles III reportedly gave a
nod to the medal that is awarded to a person who has had a noteworthy effect on
the development of architecture. Royal Gold Medal will be officially presented
to Prof Lari in June this year.
In a statement, RIBA said the 82-year-old was a “revolutionary force who
has had an immeasurable influence on the trajectory of the architecture and
humanitarian work”.
Lari, an Oxford graduate, said she never imagined that as she focus on
the country’s most marginalised people, venturing down uncharted vagabond
pathways, she could still be considered for the highest of honours in the
architectural profession.
British High Commission in Pakistan leads the felicitation with a post
on Twitter. “Congrats Yasmeen Lari on winning His Majesty the King’s Royal Gold
Medal for Architecture,” the tweet said, and dropped pictures of students from
South Asian nation and the UK who gathered at Granny Square in London to “live
build 2 zero/low carbon structures designed by Lari”.
For the unversed, Lari, who left Pakistan at a tender age, played a key
role in promoting sustainable architecture, disaster relief, and preservation
of cultural heritage in the South Asian nation, and etched her name in history
books for being the first female architect of Pakistan and first ever Muslim
woman to have started her own architectural firm.
Besides raking accolades in world of architecture, Yasmin has done
exceptional work in humanitarian work. Since stepping down in 2000, the noted
academic transferred her attention to creating accessible, environmentally friendly
construction systems.
Source: pakobserver.net
https://pakobserver.net/king-charles-confers-highest-architecture-award-on-pakistans-first-female-architect-yasmeen-lari/
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Saudi Mountaineer Raha MoharrakIs Back On Top Of The World
In May, 2013, Raha Moharrak became the first Saudi woman to scale Mount
Everest. (Supplied)
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William Mullally
April 28, 2023
DUBAI: No one climbs a mountain alone. Whether you’re nearing the peak
or at the beginning of your journey, there is always a helping hand that helps
you achieve what you once thought was impossible. Saudi mountaineer Raha Moharrak
has learned this lesson again and again.
In May, 2013, Moharrak became the first Saudi woman to scale Mount
Everest. Now, 10 years later, she will provide that helping hand herself —
enabling two young women to achieve their dreams along with her as she once
again sets off to summit the world’s tallest mountain.
“As long as I’ve been thinking about this journey, I knew I could never
return to Everest just to post it on social media. If I was going to go back, I
had to give back as well,” Moharrak tells Arab News. “I remember how hard it
was to find a sponsor, how hard it was to find a person to take my hand. I want
to be that person. I want to be the positive change I once needed so badly — to
pass the torch to the next generation of adventurers.”
To find the young women up to the task, Moharrak worked with Adidas to
set up a region-wide competition which received thousands of applicants, far
more than she had ever anticipated. In the exhaustive selection process that
followed, they whittled it down to two, both based in the UAE. Moharrak will be
setting off in mid-May with the winners, all sponsored by the world’s
second-biggest sportwear brand.
“Going back is amazing. Paying it forward is more amazing. I feel this
is a nice ending to the legacy. Being able to open the door to someone’s dream
is always what I wanted. I never wanted to be the story itself — I wanted to be
the storyteller,” Moharrak says. “I’ve always thought that being the first to
do something doesn’t mean as much if you’re also the last.”
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2294251/lifestyle
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Saudi Model Amira Al-ZuhairFronts Italian Luxury Fashion House
PradaCampaign
April 28, 2023
DUBAI: Saudi model Amira Al-Zuhair has landed herself another campaign,
this time with Italian luxury fashion house Prada.
In the short clip shared on her Instagram page, Al-Zuhair, who was born
in Paris to a French mother and Saudi father, is seen wearing chunky white
sunglasses with black frames and the brand’s iconic triangle logo on the sides.
“Loved shooting this, thank you to an amazing team,” she said on
Instagram, captioning the video.
The model’s outfit was not fully visible in the clip, but Al-Zuhair
appeared to be wearing an off white blouse with black detailing.
It has been a breakout period for the Saudi model, who was raised in
London.
She recently made international headlines by working with some of the
world’s most renowned brands, including Giorgio Armani, Tiffany & Co,
Burberry, Carolina Herrera and Dolce & Gabbana.
Al-Zuhair, who is signed with Elite Model Management, shows no signs of
slowing. With labels and brands clamoring to work with her, it seems that she
will grab as many opportunities as possible.
She walked for multiple runways during Paris Fashion Week, including
shows for GiambattistaValli, Italian fashion house Giorgio Armani and Lebanese
designers Georges Chakra and Georges Hobeika.
“With each show you get a different atmosphere, mood and energy. There’s
a different inspiration behind each collection, and that’s reflected in the
clothes and the way we act and walk. I’m very grateful for all the
opportunities that I’ve been given and to all of these designers for trusting
me. It’s a big responsibility,” she previously told Arab News.
“I see the work that goes into it behind the scenes, and it’s a very
emotional experience. To me, fashion is an art and a form of self-expression.
I’m honored to be able to present these collections and their designers’ works
of art to the world.”
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2294291/lifestyle
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How Muslim models, designers navigate the complexity of hijabs in
fashion
April 28, 2023
From the catwalks of Milan and New York to the covers of the largest
fashion magazines around the globe, hijab-wearing models are redefining the
face of fashion.
Several major brands such as Lululemon, Nike, Adidas and H&M, are
featuring ads and clothing that is marketed to Muslim women, and some experts
say this inclusivity is just scratching the service. Others say that in some
instances the fashion companies' push for diversity is reduced to tokenism.
"I think that [the hijab is] here to stay. How that looks is the
question," Renee Hill, a designer and former "Project Runway
contestant," told ABC News.
When Somali-Norwegian model Rawdah Mohamed recently walked the red
carpet for H&M, she told ABC News that the company made adjustments to
ensure her religious beliefs were adhered to.
Mohamed said that many of the times that responsibility falls on her.
"So when you come as a model, you're not only a model, you come in
as an educator [and]your you have so many roles," she told ABC News.
"I need to make sure that they understand the way I look and they
understand my culture and my religion and why this has to be done the right
way."
"So even if it might be exhausting and I don't want to do it…I
understand that my responsibilities are bigger than that, and my I have a
higher purpose in life than just to be a model, to take a picture and go
home," she added.
Mohamed and other Muslim members of the fashion community have taken
their voices to a global level to speak out against injustices against
concerning the hijab.
Compulsory hijab laws in Iran sparked protests after the death of Mahsa
Amini for allegedly improperly wearing her hijab according to government
standards. Several hijab bans have been proposed in France.
"I'm afraid to walk in the streets of Paris because you have
politicians who are tweeting my name," Mohamed said. "So they make me
out to be the enemy of the state of the nation so that it's wild."
In 2021, Mohamed launched a social media campaign called
#handsoffmyhijab that went viral with many non-Muslim celebrities joining in.
Fashion journalist Noor Tagouri told ABC News that it's important for
Muslim models and designers to speak out and take back the narrative.
"Fashion is a storytelling medium and storytelling is a very sacred
tradition in Islam," she told ABC News. "When it comes to fashion
that the stories are told in there, in a representative, a revolutionary
representative way, because it's how we actually begin to connect with one
another."
Source: abcnews.go.com
https://abcnews.go.com/US/muslim-models-designers-navigate-complexity-hijabs-fashion/story?id=98870948
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For Saudi artist Abeer Al-Zaaied, women’s issues remain a powerful
source of inspiration
April 27, 2023
RIYADH: Most of the works in Saudi artist Abeer Al-Zaaied’s latest set
of paintings feature a woman with no visible facial features and a mysterious
companion, a hoopoe bird.
The hoopoe is revered in Islam and is mentioned in the Qur’an.
Al-Zaaied told Arab News: “I wanted to talk about the meaning of the
hoopoe in this set. How can we reiterate the value of these manners and their
representation in the etiquette that the hoopoe had and portrayed when it was
permitted to talk?”
Her work is enigmatic, employing dark and delicate hues to portray the
changing emotions of women, from confusion to hope and faith.
She added: “Women are a great source of inspiration, and I like to
address their ideas and subjects in my work.
“As an artist I aim to express a part of myself and constantly focus on
women and issues that affect them.”
The women are depicted in traditional clothing and accessories from the
south of the Kingdom.
Al-Zaaied added: “I attempt to use the most exact and realistic details,
as well as the best technique that supports the work’s concept, which are all
part of my artistic expression.”
She recognized her talent with the help of her family at a young age,
and enrolled in art classes to polish her skills.
Al-Zaaied took part in a group exhibition in Al-Baha in 2010 and her
work has been showcased at many events organized by the Ministry of Culture.
The Janadriyah Festival and Souk Okaz have displayed her art.
One of her favorite pieces is “Women to Drive,” which was featured at
Riyadh’s Errm Art Gallery at an exhibition celebrating the third anniversary of
women in leadership in Saudi Arabia.
She said: “The motivation for it goes beyond just giving women this
official and explicit privilege.
“It is significant because it relates to a time when Saudi Arabia
witnessed reforms for women’s rights at all levels and in all fields, which we
today take pride in and always remember.”
Al-Zaaied believes that being an artist in the KIngdom is now being encouraged.
She added: “There were many difficulties, certainly before the growth
[in the arts] we are experiencing now.
“The situation inevitably changed for the better after the establishment
of the Ministry of Culture and its affiliated bodies that support all sectors
of arts and culture, and the interest of MBS in supporting art and artists
through the establishment of the Misk Art Institute.
“New laws also support and encourage Saudi artists and reflect and
preserve the local identity and culture.”
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2294091/saudi-arabia
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/pakistan-female-architect-lari-charles/d/129660