Actress Eva Longoria arrives at The 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards held in Los Angeles.

The newly divorced Desperate Housewives star sported a flirty black and white mini-cocktail dress with a voluptuous ruffled collar, which she paired with dramatic Loree Rodkin drop earrings, a Sergio Rossi clutch and satin Brian Atwood platform pumps. The combination was flawless and landed the tiny-framed Latina on numerous Best Dressed lists!

Ashi also catapulted Anna Nalick to “Best Dressed” fame with numerous blogs praising the singer’s choice to play up her feminine side in his tulle and feather gown. The cinched waist and voluminous skirt gave the musician an elegant silhouette, while the nude dress provided the perfect backdrop for her rich bob and dramatic smoky eye makeup to steal the spotlight.

Other celebrities who also opted to go the Middle Eastern route were Katy Perry and Natasha Bedingfield who stole the spotlight in a creation by Lebanese Couturier Abed Mahfouz. Katy Perry chose a Lebanese-designed gown by Couturier Nicolas Jebran for the pre-Grammy Clive Davis Party that transformed the “California Girls” singer into a sophisticated woman of taste and elegance.

All the gowns were selected from the Kate Nobelius Inc.’s International Designer Showcase, an event that took place a week before at the London Hotel in West Hollywood and had many of Hollywood’s leading stylists working with Grammy Awards and Academy Awards presenters, performers and nominees in attendance.

“After seeing a more conservative red carpet over the past few years, we are witnessing a return to glamour this year,” noted Founder Katie Nobelious. “Pairing their exquisite fabrics with their extraordinary craftsmanship, Middle Eastern couturiers, including Ashi Studio, Abed Mahfouz and Nicolas Jebran, are an obvious choice for many stylists.”

“By dressing Hollywood’s most recognizable faces, a luxury brand becomes a star in its own way,” said Hassan Mahfouz of Abed Mahfouz. “Celebrities not only endorse the personality of an existing brand, but can also create the personality of a new brand. Our customers in the Middle East react to Hollywood’s choices. It’s great for our business.”

Lebanese couturiers that have previously dominated Hollywood’s red carpet over the past year include Elie Saab, Reem Acra, Zuhair Murad and Georges Chakra. The 2011 International Designer Showcase debuted five of the Middle East’s most celebrated emerging designers who are sure to become the “next wave” of red carpet regulars!

Arab News

Miss Salibi’s exquisite strapless, form-fitting gown in silk taffeta and laser-cut leather received the honors after online public voting at www.oscar.com

Rania Salibi, a 25-year-old fashion designer who works between Los Angeles and her residence in Chandler, AZ, was among nine competitors who sought the prestigious honor of having their dresses appear before an international audience during the live telecast of the 82nd Academy Awards. Rania was announced the winner of the Oscar Designer Challenge from the Red Carpet during the live Oscar Pre-Show. Jenna, a professional model and official Academy escort, wore the Rania Salibi creation on stage and accompanied the young designer on the Red Carpet during the live announcement of her win broadcast on ABC-TV.

“It’s an honor to be part of the Oscar Designer Challenge,” said Miss Salibi. “The Oscars represent the pinnacle of fashion, and it’s an incredible opportunity for any aspiring, young designer. I am honored to be selected from among a group of truly talented designers.”

Salibi is a Lebanese-American who graduated from Lebanon’s Sagesse High School in 2002 and relocated to Los Angeles in 2005 to pursue her dreams of fashion design. “Living in Lebanon influenced my design perspective towards the Mediterranean and European flavor. I enjoy European art and history and the richness of Mediterranean culture,” said Miss Salibi.

Rania Salibi is a Lebanese-American who graduated from Lebanon’s Sagesse High School in 2002. Salibi relocated to Los Angeles in 2005 to pursue her dreams of fashion design. “Living in Lebanon influenced my design perspective towards the Mediterranean and European flavor. I enjoy European art and history and the richness of Mediterranean culture.”

Hagop Ari Sheuhmelian the designer behind the couture house of Pogah. The origins of Ari’s artistic expression came together through his upbringing in both Lebanon and Syria.

Ari first studied at the American University of Beirut where he received a Masters Degree in International Marketing and a BA in Business Administration. Seeking to express his creative vision, Ari enrolled in the fashion design program offered at ESMOD (Ecole Superieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode) in Paris, France. Ari was taken in by the renowned house of French couturier Dominque Sirop, while also establishing his own name Syria.

Pogah (Hagop spelled backwards) offered both couture and prêt-a-porter trunk shows in the Middle East, which have earned him a well deserved and strong reputation for beauty and craftsmanship. Ari was awarded the first place award in the UNESCO Design 21 international competition for new designers, at EXPO 98 in Lisbon, Portugal.

Fares, whose clients include the likes of Zaha Hadid, Francesco Clemente and Camilla Al Fayed, plans to eventually open her own boutiques in major cities around the world.

“I am looking at the Middle East and European markets. I will collaborate with fashion designers too,” said Fares, daughter of former deputy prime minister of Lebanon Issam Fares. Christie’s will be auctioning one of Fares’s pieces in Dubai.

“It is a sculptural piece, which is a combination of jewelery and art. It is made of wood, gold and colorless diamonds. I use a lot of wood in my works because in a lot of cultures around the world wood denotes good luck.” Her pieces range from $70 to $40,000. (Emirates Business)

In a few months’ time, the celebrated purveyor of fine leather goods will open its first store in Beirut, a vibrant city whose economic, artistic and cultural activities have established the city as one of the most important in the world. Louis Vuitton will thus reaffirm its commitment to its customer base not only in Lebanon, but throughout the region, by opening its doors in the most luxurious shopping district in the country.

To celebrate the opening of its first Beirut store, Louis Vuitton is placing a giant trunk, decorated with the famous monogrammed canvas, in front of the historic building located at 103 Allenby Street. The structure, whose façade dates back to the 1950s, was preserved and restored under the aegis of the city’s redevelopment programme undertaken by SOLIDERE, the Lebanese Society for Development and Reconstruction. (iloubnan.info)