The Scene: Cannes Film Festival continued; Just Cavalli opened in Beirut at the end of Summer Fashion Week; and Adore Beauty Salon opened a new outpost in Dubai, with MJK Haifa Wehbe presiding over the festivities.
Fashionista of the Week: Najwa Karam. Najwa was touring the United States and Canada, and while some of her gowns were questionable, they were all certainly interesting, and I applaud her risk taking.
Trends: Gowns, Rainbows and ugly shoes.
Apparently, celebs do read their press, even press from unknowns like me: both singer Amar and socialite Ahed Ghaizy blocked me from viewing their Instagrams after apparently reading one of these fashion posts. I would like to say that my fashion critiquing is in good fun. All of these ladies are absolutely gorgeous, and have more style than I ever will, but c’mon: we all make fashion faux pas once in a while!
Actress Golshifteh Farhani at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France
Hassan Rohani and the Iranian government must be shaking their little bearded heads in disgust at the sight of Golshifteh looking so ravishingly beautiful. The dress is almost boring, bur there’s something about the bareness of the top half and her beautiful face, not to mention her notoriety, that made this the Look of the Week.
Singer Haifa Wehbe shooting Mariam Series in Egypt
Only MJK can wear a military-inspired dress with panda high-heels and make it cool. Whoever is styling the Mariam series has a quirky sense of style, but Haifa has been pulling it off more with success.
Fashion blogger Hadia Ghaleb in Egypt 
Frida Kahlo ain’t got NOTHING on Hadia. This is so much look and I love it: each piece is a work of art in itself, especially those festival-worthy pants. Aywa!
Model Rafeaa Alhajsi in Dubai, UAE
Rafeea’s beauty is itself a work of art; she looks stunning here. I love how she wears abayas over her dresses and they don’t detract from the gowns.
Reality stars Nadine, Alice and Fafi Abdel Aziz at Aliajouna Org bal in Beirut, Lebanon
Three goddesses on acid. I doubt anyone at this event could have taken their eyes off the Sisters; these gowns are absolute show-stoppers. I do think the nude netting could have been a lighter shade, but this is Fashion with a capital F.
Actress Aline Watfa attending an Azzedine Alaia Perfume event in Paris, France
This says modern-day Glamorous French peasant to me. Aline looks like she should be milking a cow or gathering eggs on some picturesque chateau farm in the South of France. I approve.
Designer Paola Elsitt in Lebanon
Paola is going to join Aline in that French chateau farm as the glamorous flower arranger but first she is going to ditch those shoes. This is stunning.
Singer Madeleine Matar performing on Mozae3a Arab in Lebanon
Speaking of flower arrangements: Madeleine is literally dripping with flowers. It’s a bit costumey, and she went overboard with the princess curls, but she looks like a beautiful fairy that escaped from a flower field.
Singer Haifa Wehbe attending the opening of Adore Beauty Salon in Dubai, UAE
J’adore! Haifa looks sweet as a bonbon, and the shoes were a good touch to prevent the look from getting to saccharine. Also, kudos for acknowledging that a stylist picked out the shoes; I can’t imagine Hollywood stars admitting they didn’t pick out an outfit.
Shatha Hassoun in Dubai, UAE
Who knew a daytime jumpsuit could look so sexy? Between the shades, the gold bracelets and the flipped hair, Shatha looks HOT!
Fashion designer Paola Elsitt in Amman, Jordan
Poolside lounging never looked so chic. Paola manages to make a 60s style looking thoroughly modern and almost futuristic.
Presenter Stephanie Salina and Nathalie Nasrallah at the Just Cavalli Opening in Beirut, Lebanon
Nathalie has firmly planted herself on my radar with these magnificent pants, styled to perfection with the scarf and those berry-colored shoes. Stephany looks beautiful, but the hi-lo dress trend kind of ended a while ago, and I’m not a fan of the pumps.
Model Hanaa Ben Abdesslem at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France
Hanaa is also new to my radar, with good reason: this lilac gown is beautiful, and I agree: the edgy bob suits her well. She’s one to watch!
Fashion presenter Diala Makki at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France
From afar the dress looks average, but up close Diala looked truly stunning. I like how the sparkly embroidery fades away on the skirt. She wears Rami Al-Ali well.
Singer Nancy Ajram At the Huawei Be The Star Event in Dubai, UAE
Lebanon’s sweetheart Nancy keeps pulling out the little black dress, one of the few to choose black these past two weeks. She tried to keep her dark side in check with those Barbie sandals but I think a darker sandal would have been a better choice.
Golshifteh Farahani at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France
A Woman in Motion indeed! Golshifteh moves effortlessly from her glamorous white dress to this Japan-inspired kimono with ease. NOT a fan of those nude peep-toes though.
Singer Amar in Paris, France 
French maid escapes her servitude to pose in front of La Tour Eiffel. I love this dress on Amar, and she’s got one beautiful head of hair.
Diala Makki at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France
Barbie herself is jealous of Diala’s bubblegum-pink gown. But girlfriend, your extensions are not fooling anyone, at least not in this pic.
Actress Lamietta Frangieh at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France 
Somewhere else in France, a winery is cursing Lamietta for stealing their grapes. Also, Lamietta’s boobs are cursing her for stuffing them into this too-small, albeit sexy, dress.
Haifa Wehbe at the Opening of Adore Beauty Lounge in Dubai, UAE
The “Heart of the Ocean” from Titanic does not shine more brightly than Haifa in this gloriously colored dress. I thought it could have been a little bit longer, but Haifa absolutely glows. I can’t say the same for the other lady in the photo, who looks like the bride at a tacky wedding.
Singer Myriam Fares performing at a wedding
Quick, someone get a glue gun! Myriam used wrapping paper to make her gown, and now it’s unraveling. Surprisingly, I don’t hate the dress.
Singer Najwa Karam performing in Toronto, Canada
The best of Najwa’s tour gowns. I love the soft watercolor flowers against the black, and she managed to match her lipstick perfectly to the pink flowers.
Fashion designer Haya Awad in Lebanon
Haya keeps the kitschy vibe of the past few weeks going with this super-trendy ensemble. Wearing golden leaves on your bag and your sunglasses might seem like overkill, but this is kitsch heaven.
Lamietta Frangieh at Cannes
Red-carpet standard princess dress. Lamietta looks beautiful, though, and I like the draping down the back.
Alice and Fafi Abdel Aziz in Lebanon
The Abdel Aziz sisters are rocking absolutely awesome dresses… And absolutely hideous heels.
Singer Wiam Dahmani
Wiam’s kaftan is beautiful as all her kaftan’s are, but it looks kind of weird paired with that LV bag, doesn’t it?
Haifa Wehbe clubbing in Dubai, UAE
Haifa’s got a Tchitchi doll! Her dress and shoes are pretty standard club fare, but as usual she’s the most beautiful woman in the room.
Queen Rania of Jordan with Princess Selma and the Crown Prince on Jordanian National Day in Jordan 
First of all, congrats Jordan on your Independence Day. The Royal Family looks beautiful: Queen Rania and Princess Salma’s traditional dresses are very unique, although I’m not fond of those rolled-up sleeves.
Singer Sherine
Forget the dress, which is totally unique; I want to know how Sherine achieved her phenomenal tan! Has she been sunbathing outside, lathering on the self-tanner or is it simply photoshop?
Reality star Alice Abdel Aziz in Lebanon
Bon voyage! Alice takes her Tchitchi doll along for the adventure, along with those fabulous old-fashioned Barbie suitcases. But wherever she’s going, she should leave those ugly shoes behind.
Singer/judge Elissa, Ragheb Alama and singer/judge Donia Samir Ghanem at the X Factor taping in Lebanon
Always matching some element of their ensembles, Elissa and Donia decided to rock ladylike sparkly dresses-and deeply awful updos. I’m gonna say this is a tie: I kind of like Elissa’s dress more, but her shoe choice is as deeply awful as her bun.
The Sisters Abdel Aziz with Serene Assad at the Just Cavalli Opening in Beirut, Lebanon
Fashion victims. That’s what this picture says-no, screams-to me. I honestly can’t say I would wear any of their outfits, although I love the shades as always. And their shoes, like most of the fashionista’s shoe choices this week, also need to be changed.
Paola Elsitt and socialite Ahed Ghaizy at the Just Cavalli Opening in Beirut, Lebanon
The Just Cavalli Opening was full of fashion victims, apparently. Paola looks beautiful and I love her dress, heels and sunglasses although the sunglasses don’t go with the dress; Ahed, on the other hand, looks like a tacky mess. A leopard mini skirt? Seriously?
Singer Najwa Karam performing in Las Vegas, USA
Najwa ran out of tour outfits so she grabbed a chalkboard and had her fans draw on it before hitting the stage. I like the dress but it would have been better with shorter sleeves.
TV personality Stephany Saliba in Lebanon
Pick a door, any door: Stephany looks positively statuesque and that skirt is very unique, but again she rocks a post-trendy look: peplums are officially dead.
Dominique Hourani at the Miss USSR competition in Dubai, UAE
I am so confused. First of all, the USSR no longer exists. Secondly, why would a Miss USSR pageant be held in Dubai and not, say, in Moscow or Minsk or Siberia? Thirdly, who decided to choose Lebanese beauty Dominique to preside as a judge? And lastly, why is Dominique dressed like one of the pageant participates? She looks really ethereal and pretty, at least, but I want my questions answered!
Socialite Jihen Karoui at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France
Jihene looks like she’s getting married and her jealous brother threw a cup of coffee on her beforehand, hence the dirty color of this dress (her brother is in fact the designer of said dress).
Singer Elissa on The X Factor in Lebanon
How can Elissa make Mugler look so incredibly boring??? I have nothing to say about this at all.
Singer Donia Samir Raghem on The X Factor in Lebanon
As boring as Elissa’s jumpsuit but at least it’s a nice color. Donia loses though because it’s so ill-fitting on her and, oddly enough, it’s too covered-up a look, despite the slit.
Najwa Karam in Ottawa, Canada
Whoever’s been doing Najwa’s hair and make-up on her tour should get an award, because the woman has been in the business for at least 20 years and looks younger now than she did then. The dress is a beautiful color but the material looks very cheap, and is that a brooch on that gosh-awful neckline?
Lawyer Amal Clooney in Tokyo, Japan
Crochet and straw espadrilles? This ensemble may have worked in the South of France-with a deep tan-but it is not working on Amal at all on her Tokyo trip. The business-y bag looks awkward with such a laid-back look.
Singer Rola Saad in Lebanon
Those are some seriously fugly shoes, and what on Earth can fit in that tiny little bag? Accessories aside though, I am in LOVE with that cape-shirt. I would love to buy 10 of those in different shades and throw them over my daily outfit in the city, like a warm-weather abaya that isn’t suffocating.
Lamietta at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France
Warning: escapee elves from Lord of the Rings are taking over the Cannes red carpet! I think I would like this gown much better if Lamietta just lost that weird black overcoat; black and pink is a hard color combo to pull off without looking punk.
Lawyer Amal Clooney in Tokyo, Japan
Traveling to Tokyo obviously throws Amal out of fashion sync, because this gown is even more hideous than that crochet dress, and her hair is a mess. Also, is that her underwear line showing, or her hipbone??
Najwa Karam in San Francisco, USA
The worst of Najwa’s tour gowns. If an angry fan tore off that weird apparatus on her shoulders while attempting to shake some sense into her this would improve dramatically, although it would be a lot more boring too.
Singer Waed Hanan
Does Waed also have an angry fan that tore off half of her dress while she was performing? Why else would her dress be missing half a sleeve?
Singer Nicole Sabaa
Rainbow bright? How about Rainbow Fright? There’s really nothing positive I can say about this, and I don’t think the long stick-straight hair suits her; Nicole looks so much prettier with soft waves.
Razan El Moghrabi
Razan unearthed Kendall Jenner’s MTV Music Award’s dress from where the Fashion Police buried it and decided to take it to the future, albeit more modestly. I like her makeup though.
Model Mariam George and Dominique Hourani in Dubai, UAE
Mariam and Dominique look like dancers at a shady venue. Their outfits err too much on the trashy side, although I love black leather normally; sorry ladies, you’re beautiful but I just don’t like either ensemble.
Singer Dunia Batma 
Not even Aladdin would want to take Dunia on a magic carpet ride in this awful jumpsuit. I like the pants, but that top is awkward and unflattering.
Singer Diana Karazon in Dubai, UAE 
All Day I Dream About Seeing….these sequin jersey dresses disappear from the fashion world. The were all the rage this past winter thanks to Tom Ford, and apparently Diana hasn’t gotten enough of the trend, which she paired with those equally ugly scuba-slip-on sneakers, which thanks to Dior have also become a trend.
Socialite Ahed Graizy in Lebanon
24 karat? This look is worth zero karats. Individually I actually like each piece-although those sneakers are just a bit too ghetto for my taste-but together this is a tacky, flashy mess. Sorry Ahed, but why do this to yourself?
Singer Fella Soltan
Fella has removed this photo from her Instagram since posting it and it’s not hard to understand why. She clearly ripped her dress and so had to wrap her belt around a garbage bag. This photo deserves to be trashed!
Fella Soltan 
You’re never too old to want to fly off to Neverland with Peter Pan, as Fella proves here.
S-L-M
