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DUBAI: With 24 outposts around the world, the minds behind Lebanese restaurant Em Sherif are keenly aware of their responsibility when it comes to sharing the country’s culinary culture with international audiences.

Now, they are taking things one step further with the launch of the Em Sherif Art Foundation that aims to provide increased visibility for artists through restaurants — in Doha, Monaco, London, Paris and Dubai, among other cities — which are being reimagined as cultural hubs.

Earlier this year, the Em Sherif Cafe in Paris showcased the work of Lebanese photographer Ziad Antar, and part of the initiative sees diners at all Em Sherif locations presented with three menus — a food menu, a drinks menu and an art menu — inviting guests to engage with the evolving story of contemporary Lebanese art.

Em Sherif CEO and co-founder of the art foundation, Dani Chakour, spoke to Arab News about the cultural initiative.

“The art menu is not intended for commercial or financial purposes. Rather, it serves as a curated catalogue that showcases the artworks currently on display,” he said.

The decision to focus exclusively on Lebanese artists was intentional, Chakour added.

“In Lebanon, it is often the private sector that drives meaningful cultural and artistic initiatives, as government support for the arts remains limited. Through this foundation, we aim to be an added value for our artists, helping them gain the visibility and recognition they deserve on a global scale.

“We need active public-sector involvement: We need more art fairs, modern infrastructure, supportive tariffs and dedicated museums. Without this foundational support, our artists will continue to be overlooked, despite their remarkable talent,” he said.

Chakour, who has a personal collection of more than 600 artworks, spotlighted celebrated names in the international art industry who he says benefited from working abroad.

“Huguette Caland, Gibran Khalil Gibran, Etel Adnan, Mona Hatoum, Walid Raad, Yvette Ashkar, Amin Maalouf, they are some of Lebanon’s most celebrated names. But what do they all have in common? They each spent the majority of their careers abroad, in environments that offered the right ecosystems … this is not a reflection of a lack of talent in Lebanon. On the contrary, it’s a reflection of what’s missing structurally; the institutional support, the infrastructure, the public funding, the museums, the cultural policies and the global exposure.

“At Em Sherif Art Foundation, we’re driven by a mission to help bridge that gap — to create opportunities within and beyond Lebanon so that our artists don’t need to leave home in order to rise,” Chakour said, noting that showcases by artists Christine Safa, Willy Aractengi, Ayman Baalbaki, Hussein Madi and Bibi Zogbe will be hosted in the coming months.

DUBAI/PARIS: Saudi French model Amira Al-Zuhair hit the runway at the AWGE show as part of Paris Men's Fashion Week.

The 24-year-old model showed off an ensemble featuring a trench coat  layered over a white vest and tartan-style miniskirt by A$AP Rocky’s label.

Rapper-designer A$AP Rocky’s second fashion show was attended by his long-term partner Rihanna, who sat front row with their son Riot. His sophomore collection, titled “Obligatory Clothing,” was just (about) how you take the simple uniform or the purpose of a uniform, and how people correlate that to profession, lifestyle and everything,” Rocky said after the show, according to WWD.

The show was a riot of color, with its precision tailoring praised by a number of fashion critics.

It came as colors ran wild and silhouettes softened at Paris Men's Fashion Week, which ended Sunday, as designers brought a rare breath of fresh air to a gloomy fashion climate.

Despite the economic turbulence affecting the luxury sector, this Fashion Week was a “shot of creativity that felt incredibly good,” Alice Feillard, men's buying director at Galeries Lafayette, told AFP.

The Spring/Summer 2026 season “is much more creative than the previous ones, which were a bit duller”, said Adrien Communier, the fashion editor at GQ France.

Both experts observed a more relaxed vibe, with Feillard pointing to “good humor” and “optimism,” while Communier noted a “lighter mood.”

“With so many debuts, there was a sense of renewal. And so, I found that people were more curious,” he added.

After a notable women's show in March, Julian Klausner made waves Thursday with his first menswear show for Dries Van Noten, while Jonathan Anderson's long-awaited debut at Dior drew applause on Friday.

A renewed burst of creativity lit up the runways, most visibly through bold color choices. Brown tones and pastels made way for a richer, more saturated palette for next summer.

Saint Laurent opened the week with violet, navy, orange and moss green, while Pharrell Williams at Louis Vuitton channeled Indian motifs and hues.

Dries Van Noten made a splash with bold fuchsia and blood red, while Kenzo exploded with candy pink, aquatic blue and chick yellow.