Young and beautiful fashion model Lauren Bush, who is also United States president George W. Bush’s niece, has refused to wear clothing that is "too Arabic" at Fashion Week in Barcelona, Spain…
"That's one of the conditions she put in her contract," label Toypes export manager Belen Conde has told BBC News Online. "She wouldn't wear anything too Arabic, like a turban."
The colorful spring-summer collection of the Spanish fashion house was loaded with detailed embroidery and included Arabic-inspired touches and styles, such as turbans and pantaloons.
However, the 17-year-old daughter of the president's brother Neil appeared alongside Toypes designer Jorge Galinanes dressed in a simple black dress. Lauren made her appearance at the end of the fashion show, walking onto the catwalk hand-in-hand with the designer. She was originally expected to fulfill a larger role in the show, but Lauren, who is the face of Tommy Hilfiger and has appeared in a wide-range of international fashion shows, felt sick that day.
Conde said three outfits had been brought to the model's hotel room in advance, but Bush had rejected one of them on the grounds that it was "too Arabic".
However, the pretty niece knew all along that the Toypes collection was inspired by the Middle East, Conde made clear. Conde said Toypes' use of flowing cloth and Arab styles was a "feminine style", not a political statement.
The fashion house selected Lauren as a model because she is an "international personality who had never modeled in Spain," Galinanes said. "This is fashion, not politics. You can't politicize fashion," he said. (Albawaba.com)
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