CAIRO: For many years the fashion industry has worked closely with celebrities in the entertainment field and other glamorous professions. At some points, it is not clear whether celebrities set the trends or if they are simply display tools used by major fashion designers to promote their own styles. Often enough, stars are asked about their dresses' brands before they can even talk about their latest movies or albums. Actors, musicians and athletes are usually the first seen in new designs, sometimes specially tailored to them for the fashion industry's top players. Deals are made to make sure that certain actors appear wearing this brand of sunglasses or specific jackets at major events. Look no further than the ongoing French Tennis Open at Roland Garros to see how designers have left their trademark on the outfits sported by female players. Egypt is no different. While there are less apparent deals between celebrities and fashion houses to wear certain brands more than others, there is ongoing cooperation. Celebrities often star the fashion shows organized by local designers. Former Miss Egypt Sarah Shahin was the face of a local design house a couple of years ago. Earlier this year actress Dalia El Beheiry was the star model of Mary Louis's spring and summer fashion show. This week featured an interesting combination of celebrities in one fashion show. Miss Egypt 2006 Fawzeya Mohammed starred in Hani El Behairi's new fashion show. The one that attracted the attention, however, was actress Hanan Turk. The actress chose to wear the hijab (Islamic veil) a few weeks ago, but this didn't stop her from following through with her commitments. In her second much publicized appearance since wearing the veil, Turk walked the runway in a wedding gown specially tailored to include the hijab.
