The Week According to YUNG

LOEWE and On continue their exploration of movement, design, and innovation with the launch of the LightSpray Cloudmonster, a new silhouette built around On’s pioneering LightSpray technology. Designed using a precision-engineered process that sprays a seamless filament upper in a single step, the ultra-light shoe is crafted in approximately three minutes, eliminating traditional layering for a more natural fit and movement. The laceless design is paired with On’s Cloudmonster Hyper midsole and Helion HF cushioning system, delivering maximum comfort and energy return. Presented in an all-white colourway with silver branding, each pair includes interchangeable LightSpray socks in Fluo Yellow, Fluo Green, and Teal, allowing the shoe’s look to shift with styling. Alongside the new model, the collaboration also introduces updated Cloudsolo colourways and the new Cloudtilt Hi silhouette. Captured through a campaign directed by visual artist duo Blackwall, the collection launched globally on May 14, across LOEWE and On stores, select retailers, and online.

Lancaster introduces Sun Perfect Air SPF 50 Daily Invisible Fluid, a new-generation hybrid designed to merge advanced skincare with high-performance sun protection in one effortless step. Created for everyday wear, the lightweight formula delivers invisible broad-spectrum protection while addressing visible skin concerns through skincare-driven innovation.

Powered by Lancaster’s Full Light Technology, the fluid protects against the entire sun spectrum, while Air-O2 technology works to support skin cellular vitality through oxygen activation. With an ultra-light texture designed to feel “light as air,” the formula melts seamlessly into the skin, leaving behind an undetectable finish suitable for daily use.

The range is available in four targeted formulas tailored to specific concerns including dullness, dryness, redness, and oily or acne-prone skin, offering customised skincare benefits alongside SPF 50 protection. Blending protection, comfort, and treatment in one formula, Sun Perfect Air reflects the growing shift toward multifunctional beauty essentials designed for modern routines.

Available exclusively at Sephora Middle East stores and online.

La Prairie unveils a new chapter of its White Caviar Collection with the introduction of the White Caviar Light Infusion Eye Serum, continuing the Maison’s exploration of brightening skincare through advanced cellular science. Designed to target dark spots, discoloration, and visible signs of ageing, the collection blends high-performance skincare with La Prairie’s signature focus on innovation and refinement.

At the centre of the launch is the White Caviar Light Infusion Eye Serum, powered by the brand’s Exclusive Cellular Complex, alongside caviar extract and Thiamidol in select formulations. The serum works to visibly brighten and firm the delicate eye area while supporting skin renewal and resilience.

Pushing beyond traditional brightening formulas, the White Caviar Collection focuses on cellular regeneration, addressing the impact of oxidative stress, environmental aggressors, and ageing on the skin’s natural renewal process. First patented in 1998, La Prairie’s Exclusive Cellular Complex remains one of the Maison’s most closely guarded innovations, developed across three laboratories to support skin vitality and radiance.

EssilorLuxottica and Meta are expanding their AI glasses portfolio in the UAE with the launch of new Ray-Ban Meta optical-first styles designed specifically for prescription wearers. The new collection introduces Ray-Ban Meta Blayzer Optics (Gen 2) and Scriber Optics (Gen 2), featuring slimmer, more customizable frames designed for everyday wear. Updated with interchangeable nose pads, adjustable temple tips, and overextension hinges for added flexibility, the frames also include a dedicated action button that activates Meta AI instantly for voice shortcuts, hands-free assistance, and content capture.

Both optical models support a wide range of prescription lens options including single-vision, progressive, and Transitions lenses, allowing wearers to move seamlessly between environments without switching frames. The expansion also introduces new colourways across the portfolio, alongside Oakley Meta Vanguard models now available with Transitions lenses and Oakley’s Prizm lens technology for enhanced clarity and contrast.

The Ray-Ban Meta Blayzer Optics and Scriber Optics launch in the UAE on May 18.

Balenciaga introduces the Jet Sneaker, one of the first footwear statements under Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli’s new era at the House. Debuted in the Fall 2026 collection Body and Being, the sneaker blends athletic references with couture-inspired deconstruction, resulting in a silhouette that feels both futuristic and intentionally unfinished.

Built around a layered sole focused on balance, traction, and aerodynamics, the Jet Sneaker rethinks the modern runner through exposed stitching, raw edges, and an inside-out construction aesthetic. Traditional design codes are inverted throughout, most notably through the external placement of the shoe’s information label and an elastic lace system that allows the shoe to be slipped on while resembling a corseted structure. Recycled polyester mesh panels, distressed gradients, and debossed branding further reinforce Balenciaga’s continued exploration of technical footwear and sculptural proportion. Available in multiple monochrome and pastel variations for both men and women, the Jet Sneaker continues the House’s evolving dialogue between performance and fashion experimentation.

Birkenstock is celebrating a major moment in its history with the launch of the Anniversary Of The Icons collection, honouring three of its most enduring silhouettes in 2026. The Boston clog and Milano sandal mark 50 years, while the London, the brand’s first closed shoe, turns 40. Rooted in craftsmanship, comfort and timeless functionality, the limited-edition release pays tribute to designs that have shaped Birkenstock’s archive for generations.

Released across three drops throughout the year, the collection revisits defining moments from the brand’s history. The first launch reintroduces rare 1977 archive tones — Archive Yellow, Archive Denim Blue and Archive Mid Green — applied to premium tumbled nubuck leather across the Milano, Boston and London styles.

At the centre of each silhouette remains Birkenstock’s signature cork-latex footbed, designed to encourage natural movement and long-lasting comfort. The collection reflects the brand’s ongoing philosophy of honouring its heritage while continuously evolving its iconic forms through craftsmanship and material innovation.

ETRO’s Summer 2026 collection embraces travel not simply as movement, but as a way of life shaped by creativity, craftsmanship, and imagination. Set against the landscapes of a volcanic island, the campaign follows a dreamlike journey where fluid silhouettes and tactile materials evoke the lightness of summer.

Natural fabrics, crochet textures, silk finishes, and Sangallo detailing define the women’s looks, while botanical and floral prints appear almost painted onto sky-blue fabrics. Denim is reinterpreted through Paisley motifs, continuing ETRO’s signature dialogue between heritage and contemporary ease. The collection’s colour palette shifts between ivory, coral red, ochre, and lush greens, reinforcing the tropical atmosphere carried through fringed dresses and flowing kimonos.

A standout collaboration with British artist Tabby Booth introduces an imagined bestiary populated by stylized animals, primitive figures, and mythological references. Through these layered narratives, ETRO merges its iconic Paisley identity with a folk-inspired vision rooted in storytelling, movement, and artisanal expression.

Cartier expands its eyewear universe with the launch of the Capsule de Cartier for Spring/Summer 2026, introducing a limited-edition frame inspired by one of the Maison’s most recognizable timepieces: the Baignoire watch. The oval silhouette directly references the proportions and sculptural elegance of the original design, transforming a watchmaking icon into a refined eyewear object.

Crafted from gold-finish titanium, the frame reflects Cartier’s ongoing commitment to precision and craftsmanship. A subtle blue spinel detail placed on the temple tips recalls the Baignoire’s crown, translating a signature horological element into a discreet design code. Each pair is laser engraved with a serial number, emphasizing its collectible nature and limited-edition status.

Presented in dedicated packaging created exclusively for the launch, the frame reinforces Cartier’s focus on rarity, permanence, and timeless sophistication. Set to release globally across select Cartier boutiques and top doors, the Capsule de Cartier continues the Maison’s ability to blur the lines between jewellery, watchmaking, and fashion accessories through sculptural design language.

Dior expands its accessories universe with the launch of the new Petit CD sunglasses collection, blending retro references with a contemporary edge. Defined by slender frames and delicate metal arms engraved with the iconic “CD” initials, the designs reinterpret classic eyewear silhouettes through a lighter, more refined lens.

The collection includes both oval and aviator-inspired shapes, each balancing vintage influences with Dior’s modern elegance. Tinted and subtly shaded lenses appear in pink, blue, and black variations, creating different moods and visual identities depending on the style.

Minimal yet distinctive, the Petit CD line reflects Dior’s ongoing focus on accessories that feel timeless while remaining connected to contemporary fashion culture. Through understated branding and sleek proportions, the collection captures a softer, more effortless approach to statement eyewear for Spring/Summer 2026.

Originally introduced on Valentino’s Fall/Winter 2010-11 runway, Valentino’s Garavani Rockstud pumps return for Pre-Fall 2026 under Alessandro Michele, who reinterprets the iconic silhouette through a sharper and more contemporary lens.

Preserving the signature geometric Rockstud motif that has become one of the Maison’s defining visual codes, the updated design introduces chiselled pointy toes, sleek platinum finishes, and Valentino’s unmistakable red insoles. Michele’s reinterpretation shifts the Rockstud away from nostalgia and toward a more fashion-forward identity while maintaining the tension between femininity and rebellion that originally defined the shoe.

Available with both 100mm and 40mm straight heels, the pumps arrive in a wide spectrum of colours ranging from soft neutrals to vivid green and light blue tones. Strappy sandals and flats expand the collection further, reinforcing the Rockstud family as one of Valentino’s most enduring and adaptable signatures.

Van Cleef & Arpels brings one of its most poetic motifs back into focus with the Boucle Solitaire, now joining the Maison’s permanent High Jewelry collection. First introduced in 2014, the design reinterprets the bow through the lens of couture and traditional passementerie craftsmanship.

Crafted in platinum, the asymmetrical solitaire wraps around the finger like a ribbon freshly tied in motion. Pavé-set diamonds create fluid swirls that mimic the softness and movement of fabric, while openwork settings allow light to travel through each stone, enhancing brilliance and depth.

The creation reflects the Maison’s meticulous savoir-faire, from shaping the precious metal to hand-setting every diamond with precision. Beyond its technical refinement, the Boucle Solitaire also returns to the romantic origins of Van Cleef & Arpels itself, celebrating themes of love, elegance, and transformation. Positioned between jewellery and couture, the piece captures the Maison’s enduring fascination with movement, femininity, and storytelling through craftsmanship.

Chloé unveils the second chapter of Chloé à la Plage, a campaign imagined as a surreal summer reverie under the creative direction of Chemena Kamali. Photographed by David Sims, the project drifts between fantasy and reality through sun-drenched imagery and dreamlike coastal landscapes.

Fronting the campaign is Apple Martin, whose effortless presence embodies the collection’s relaxed femininity and free-spirited energy. Captured against poetic seascapes, Martin channels the natural softness and ease that define Chloé’s contemporary identity.

Kamali describes the collection as “an ode to a surreal summer fantasy,” exploring the emotional state created by long days, memory, and escapism. The visuals mirror that intention through fluid silhouettes, soft light, and cinematic compositions that dissolve reality into imagination. Continuing Chloé’s ongoing dialogue between romance and modernity, Chloé à la Plage transforms summer dressing into something instinctive, emotional, and quietly cinematic.

Cult Gaia expands beyond fashion and accessories with the launch of its first fragrance collection, introducing three Eau de Parfums: Mast, Zan, and Noor. Rooted in founder Jasmin Larian Hekmat’s Persian heritage, each scent draws inspiration from Farsi words and explores the relationship between memory, nature, and emotion.

The fragrances balance grounding notes like woods and resins with lighter botanical accords, creating compositions that mirror the contrasts found in nature itself. This duality reflects Cult Gaia’s broader philosophy that chaos can become a source of creativity and beauty.

Equally sculptural are the bottles themselves, designed as collectible objects inspired by circles symbolizing infinity, earth, and the sun. The brand’s signature arch motif appears throughout the packaging, while each cap introduces a unique interpretation of the fragrance within.

For Hekmat, scent becomes “the fifth layer,” extending the emotional storytelling already present in Cult Gaia’s fashion universe and transforming fragrance into a sensory extension of personal memory.

Amouage deepens its connection to Omani heritage through Guardians of the Roses, a cinematic short film directed by Tunisian-French filmmaker Taqwa Bint Ali. Centred around the Rock Rose flower native to Al Jabal Al Akhdar, the project reflects on inheritance, resilience, and the emotional ties between generations.

Rather than approaching legacy through grandeur, the film focuses on intimacy through the evolving relationship between a father and son. The Rock Rose becomes a metaphor for cultural transmission: fragile yet enduring, delicate yet deeply rooted in memory and knowledge.

Set against the mountainous landscapes that have long shaped Amouage’s identity, the film blurs the boundaries between family, labour, and daily ritual. Through quiet storytelling and cinematic imagery, Amouage positions fragrance not simply as luxury, but as a vessel for continuity, emotion, and heritage carried across generations.

Prada continues its long-standing dialogue between sport and luxury with the introduction of Prada Court, a sneaker rooted in reduction and refinement. Building on the brand’s history in technical footwear since the late 1990s Luna Rossa era, the design revisits the original codes of tennis footwear through a contemporary lens.

Rather than relying on exaggeration, Prada Court focuses on precision. A leather upper, rubber cupsole, and classic lacing system are refined through proportion and construction, creating a silhouette that feels immediate yet polished. Prada’s iconic triangle logo is integrated directly into the structure of the shoe rather than applied superficially, reinforcing the House’s minimalist approach to branding.

Comfort and functionality remain central to the design, with soft PU insoles and supple leather construction emphasizing continuity between wearability and aesthetics. Prada Court ultimately reflects the brand’s philosophy of quiet innovation, where simplicity becomes a statement in itself.

Tod’s introduces the Marlin project, a collection inspired by the legendary boat once owned by John F. Kennedy and later adopted by the Mediterranean lifestyle of Capri. More than a nautical reference, the project becomes an exploration of relaxed elegance and timeless leisure.

The collection reflects a slower rhythm of living shaped by conversations among friends, days spent at sea, and understated sophistication. Through this narrative, Tod’s bridges the effortless refinement associated with Italian lifestyle culture and the relaxed atmosphere of New England’s Hyannis Port.

For over two decades, the Marlin boat has sailed the waters of Capri, quietly connecting two worlds through shared values of simplicity, craftsmanship, and authenticity. With this project, Tod’s transforms that history into a contemporary lifestyle vision grounded in ease, heritage, and summer nostalgia.

Andrea Wazen introduces her new High Summer Capsule Collection, a seasonal release centred around playful femininity and elevated craftsmanship. Available through the brand’s flagship boutique, online platform, and select retailers, the collection blends vintage-inspired references with a contemporary summer sensibility.

The capsule revolves around two core silhouettes, Paloma and Bardot, re-imagined through natural cork wedges detailed with lace, satin tulle, pearl embellishments, and metallic finishes. Designed to transition effortlessly from day to evening, the styles balance lightness with couture-inspired detailing.

Miniature versions of the collection’s key silhouettes, including the Lola Mini and Bardot Mini, expand the offering while reinforcing the playful mood of the capsule. Since founding her brand in 2013, the Beirut-raised designer has become known for footwear that merges wearability with refined craftsmanship, attracting an international following that includes Beyoncé, Dua Lipa, and Jennifer Lopez

And that was The Week According to YUNG.

For more news of fashion, beauty and arts and culture from across the region, visit our dedicated archives and follow us on Instagram.