Tensions in the Gulf have grown as Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani warned that it is being threatened by foreign forces which have entered the region. His reference is clearly to the US, which is sending more troops to Saudi Arabia in a buildup which analysts say could become dangerous. The crisis follows an attack earlier this month on two Saudi oil facilities. While responsibility for this has been claimed by Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are waging a guerrilla war in the country against Saudi-backed troops, the US and Saudi Arabia both blame Iran for the strike. The question of drafting a new Gulf peace initiative is to be put forward by Iran at the UN as it prepares to hold its General Assembly. Tensions between Iran and the US have worsened since President Trump came to power in 2016. In 2018, he unilaterally cancelled an agreement on nuclear facilities with Iran, which had been signed in 2015 by a number of nations, including many major European countries. These nations remain committed to the agreement and have not followed Trump.
Angry rhetoric is worsening the situation. President Trump, not known for cautious diplomacy, had warned Iran the US was ‘locked and loaded’ immediately after the strike. Saudi Arabia, which has a traditional regional rivalry with Iran based on both sect and politics, has been more cautious and has deferred from using harsh language. It has sent a small number of troops sent in by the US to bolster its traditionally limited military, which seems eager to avoid a full-fledged conflict in the region. Such a conflict could be disastrous given Iran’s nuclear power and the delicate dynamics of the region.
What is important is that all the parties involved show maximum restraint and that other nations with influence move in to ensure this. Even the minor misinterpretation of an action or statement from one side could trigger a far more serious situation. President Rouhani says he wants to put forward a peace initiative at the UN. But he has not provided details of what this will involve so the wait will continue to see if peace can be maintained in the region. President Trump’s gung-ho approach to a problem that needs to be handled with kid gloves is also inflaming the situation. If this is not resolved, there could be a very real crisis and the danger of other players jumping in with Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the UK now saying his country would back the US, although the UK had in the past refrained from any such commitment.
Pakistan shines at Milan Fashion Week 2019
Pakistani models Mushk Kaleem and Alicia Khan walk for Haitian-Italian designer Stella Jean, whose Spring/Summer 2020 collection incorporates elements from Chitral, Hunza and Kalash
Instep Desk
In a moment that will surely go down in history as landmark for Pakistani fashion, two of the country’s top models – Mushk Kaleem and Alicia Khan – walked the catwalk for Haitian-Italian designer Stella Jean, whose Spring/Summer 2020 collection at Milan Fashion Week incorporated elements of handcrafted embroideries from Hunza, Kailash and Chitral. Blousons that several models wore were marked Chitral 20 and one is already looking for ways to access and wear it here, back home.
How did this fantastic collaboration happen?
Stella Jean is a designer who’s been working actively to use fashion as a tool for development; titled Laboratory of Nations, this project aims to create a bridge between Italy and nine mission destinations, one of which is Pakistan. The designer thus came to Pakistan earlier this year with an aim to promote Strategic Development Goals (SDG) and empower rural women. She lived in Chitral for two weeks, researching the embroidery techniques, which are on the verge of extinction. Fascinated by the colours, design elements and embroidery techniques indigenous to Chitral, Kalash and Hunza, she worked with the women to preserve them, primarily by incorporating them in her collection, allowing the craft international exposure.
The show was covered extensively in the foreign press. According to Vogue, “For several weeks, 46 women in the centre embroidered more than 4,000 meters of material. On the runway inside Milan’s Palazzo Arengario, the colorful stitching wrapped around dresses, adorned belts, and decorated the hemlines of Jean’s summer dresses. According to a press release, it was the first time the embroideries were ever produced for use outside the Kalash community.”
“Jean should be more than proud of her ability to use her fashion for good,” the publication added. “Her activism goes far beyond slogan tees and hashtags and actually incites economic and social change. Waisted sundresses in crisp stripes, logoed sports jerseys, and slim tailoring are signatures on her runways, as are bright embroideries and even brighter prints. Her sense of shape and silhouette is her most exciting calling card – women in the front row today bloomed in Jean’s bubble skirts and frocks.”
For this project, Stella Jean collaborated with the Chitral Women’s Handicrafts Centre – founded by the 22-year-old Karishma Ali and the entire mission was facilitated by the government. Invited by His Excellency Mr. Nadeem Riaz, Ambassador of Pakistan in Italy, the designer’s visit was organized in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), under the patronage of the Ministry of Commerce. The project had the full support of Secretary Commerce, Sardar Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera and was tied together by Zahir Rahimtoola.
Giving a glimpse of what inspired her, Stella Jean took to Instagram and shared three different art forms that paved for Pakistani craft to shine at the prestigious show. One mood board, for example, was inspired by a truck art design made by artists in Lahore under the artistic supervision of Professor Mazhar Rizvi, Head of Department of the National College of Arts, Lahore.
Pakistani model Mushk Kaleem opened the show for Stella Jean, clad in an outfit that boasted colours of the Kailash region. Alicia Khan walked the runway in a luxe jersey that read CHITRAL 20 in bold across the front. Standing in front of the Duomo Di Milano, the two models posted an update amidst their big break, chanting Pakistan Zindabad, and thanking people at home for supporting them and making it possible. “We are very excited; thank you for your love and support,” they said.