As a member of Fashion Trust Arabia’s advisory board, Reem Acra can often be found traveling to the Middle East. The organization’s annual event is an exciting moment for the Lebanese-born designer, who gets to visit the countries she frequented as a young woman, and describes her visits as “opulent, fabulous, and regal.” Over the years, she’s also built up quite the clientele in the region, which was why her most recent collection was dedicated to them.
For pre-fall, Acra’s main mission was to emphasize her collection’s universality. In Qatar (where the Fashion Trust Arabia awards took place this year), women are required to cover their bodies from their shoulders to their knees; so the designer had plenty of modest gowns, some with a slight menswear touch that included sharp pointed collars and cummerbund-inspired waistbands. As always, beaded embellishments could be found throughout.
Summers are known for being extremely humid in Lebanon, so the designer made her fan-favorite caftan in a new featherlight cloqué fabrication, rendering it even lighter than usual. In gleaming gold and adorned with crystals at the chest, it is a perfect throw-it-on-and-go outfit. The best part? It’s packable in a tote bag (Acra promises it’s that light!). It was a hit with attendees at the Fashion Trust awards where she soft-launched it on the red carpet. How’s that for effortless glamour?
