Trained in France, Ashi soon snagged a coveted position as an assistant designer to Elie Saab, before branching out on his own with his first couture collection for the Spring/Summer 2006 season. This was soon followed by a blockbuster show for autumn/winter 2006-07. His fashion show, presented in a loft-like space in Beirut to an audience that included a large number of Saudi and Kuwaiti clients, sold out immediately. Not long after his whimsical designs graced the cover and pages of Elle Oriental.

To put his collection together for the Simply Stylist event in LA, Ashi had to rely on borrowed pieces from clients (amongst them members of the Saudi royal family), as well as samples from his prêt a porter and couture lines. One look at his luxurious pieces and one quickly understands the love affair his clients have with his clothes. Made of luxurious fabrics that come in subdued tones of taupe, powder pink and feathery grays, Ashi’s pieces display his inventive use of handwork, draping and lush textures.

Amongst his admirer’s that day was actress Juliette Lewis, who borrowed half of his collection, as well as 2 other gowns by Oday Shakar, for a fashion shoot. While E! Channel's Cat Sadler picked an Ashi design as a potential option for the Golden Globes.
Fashion designers weren’t the only talents Ayah Ajam had managed to lure to LA that week. Amongst the young Middle Eastern talents who impressed a number of film directors and booking agents was Beirut-based makeup artist extraordinaire Hala Ajam.

Ajam is already an established name amongst Middle Eastern celebrity circles, and has published a book of her work called “Face to Face.” Counting Arab stars such at Nadine Labaki and Haifa Wehbi amongst her clients; she has also become the go-to make-up artist for Saudi, Kuwaiti and Qatari royalty.  Ajam is also well known within the fashion industry, having done the makeup for a number of top models, including Claudia Schiffer and Naja Auermann, as well as working on fashion shows and shoots for Elie Saab in Beirut.

“My style can best be described as a Lebanese-American mélange. I studied at the Studio Make Up Academy in Hollywood,” said Ajam, who has been getting a great response for her book. “Of course there is a big difference between what Middle Eastern and Western clients want, and you have to be attuned in this business to those differences in style and taste. At the end of the day it’s about bringing out a client’s best features,” she continued.

For Ayah Ajam, getting young designers to show at the Simply Stylist event isn’t just about becoming famous in Hollywood, but giving them the opportunity to grow their own brands in the Middle East. “Fashion isn’t just about the press and media, it’s about attracting buyers, not so much in the US but in the Middle East. For a lot of young Arab designers, they have to first make it big in the West before they can become successful in the Middle East. Coming to LA allows them to gain that exposure in order to grow their business back home. The real market is in the Middle East.”

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Images, Clockwise top left: Examples from Saudi designer Mohammed Ashi’s collection; Lebanese makeup artist Hala Ajam with her book, Face to Face.