Ah, fashion week. Who knew it would result in such a string of articles from the foreign press, all reporting breathlessly on a four-day event happening ‘under the shadow of the Taliban’. I contributed a post to the Changing Up Pakistan blog today on how the event is anything, but under any shadow.
You can read the post here. That ends this exercise in shameless self promotion.
I was going to post an update on my life, but then I realized no one wants to read that. There’s nothing fun about descriptions of crying while babysitting my cat or sitting in the dark during an electricity blackout discussing the merits of the various kinds of Cornettos. That’s not what you come to this blog for. (Well, according to the stats most people are here for pictures of giant rabbits, Michael Jackson and Bilawal Bhutt0-Zardari) But anyway, here’s the list of things you should read.
Firstly, the brilliant George Packer piece on Richard Holbrooke and the war in Afghanistan. I think I’m going to end up re-reading this several times during this week.
The Masood Hasan op-ed published in The News last Sunday. Masood Hasan is always incredibly acerbic, but it was worth reading the paper just for this quote:
Wearing the flag of Pakistan on their imported designer suits impresses nobody, because this kind of patriotism is not worth a rat’s ass.
And this:
The prime minister thunders as drones waltz in Pakistani airspace. No one will dare mess about with Pakistan’s virginal sovereignty, he roars. I am sorry to shatter the dream, but this ain’t no virgin. In fact it’s been had by just about everybody and the rates hit rock bottom years ago. So shout as much as you like. No one is fooled.
Also, Newsweek redeems itself whenever it runs stories like this one: The Taliban in Their Own Words, comprised of quotes from Taliban leaders on their lives post-9/11. Reads like an unbelievable film script.
Writing in the Guardian, Dan Gillmor proposes 22 new rules of news.
On a personal note, I am fairly upset that I never ran into a Hollywood A-list couple while walking on Rainbow Street in Amman. I saw that road being built, inhaled the dust, walked over the mountains of sand amassed at the site, broke in a pair of heels there, used it about 10 times a day and the only celebrity encounter I had was finding someone who resembled Saddam Hussein.
Meanwhile, I continue to be amused at the critique of the Emanuel Ungaro S/S show and Lindsay Lohan’s role as artistic advisor. I compiled some of the comments for a desk story today (mental note: repeat to anyone who thinks they got a bad review) and my favourite so far is by Hilary Alexander:
My heart goes out to Lindsay Lohan. Right now, she is getting a taste of just how brutal the fashion jungle can be when the claws are unsheathed. . .and it is not a pleasant experience. Judging from some of the comments I heard as I left the Ungaro show this afternoon, she can expect a savaging.
Finding this website (via Twitter) was probably the only good thing that’s happened all day. I haven’t liked a t-shirt design this much since Daku hastily put out the Impeachment is Patriotic t-shirt in the days leading up to the Musharraf resignation. Now if only someone would be kind enough to buy me the I’m With This Kharra one…
Courtesy of Kamranistan Clothing:
In the midst of the Gaza crisis, with over 400 people dead, Jordan Times ran a story yesterday on how the crisis has boosted the sale of keffeiyahs. The story is straight out of something one would’ve seen on The Onion.
Demand on the traditional black-and-white Arab head cover (kufiyah or shmagh) has increased in Jordan since the ongoing Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip started Saturday, as people find it a way to express solidarity with Gazans.
The scene of people in Jordan wearing the head cover has been familiar in Jordan’s streets and places of work throughout the week.
Garment shopkeepers said kufiyah sales have nearly tripled since Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip began early this week.
… acknowledging that wearing the emblematic head cover would do nothing to help the Palestinians in their plight, Qassem said: “After all, the entire Arab nation is helpless and unable to do anything.”
And wearing keffeiyahs will save the world.
And with the amount of news I’ve been following recently – I knew this would definitely be the talk of the fashionista world. As style.com puts it, the “killer heels are being touted as the new handbag” and Hilary Alexander delivers a scathing piece on the shoe debacle. Coutorture has a great roundup here.
Even though the shoes look fabulous as a separate image..ouch.
