Khatia Buniatishvili. Photo: Courtesy of Cartier
Under a fairy light dome embellished with the stars of the desert sky, Cartier invited a global community of artists and friends to a candlelit dinner on October 28. Held at the Sonara Camp at the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve ahead of the official inauguration ceremony of the Women’s Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, the dinner was hosted by Cyrille Vigneron, President & Chief Executive Officer of Cartier.
The luxurious Arabian evening, awash in soft golden hues, was attended by the four commissioned artists Laura Gonzalez, Nadine Labaki, Mélanie Laurent, and eLSeed, commemorating their role in the pavilion and female community.
Laura Gonzalez’s relationship with the brand stems back to her architectural efforts in developing Cartier boutiques. She designed the façade while also bringing eL Seed’s calligraffiti into the picture. As for Nadine Labaki, her simple and easy persona, combined with her feminist intellect made her an ideal candidate for the pavilion’s featured manifesto, “When women thrive, humanity thrives.” Mélanie Laurent’s contribution to the pavilion relates to her background in women’s empowerment and activism.
Nadine Labaki & eL Seed. Photo: Courtesy of Cartier
Other celebrities like Ramla Ali, Amira Casar, Fouz Al Fahad, Yasmine Sabri, Fatima Albanawi and Dhafer L’Abidine also made an appearance to the dinner, and the celebration was accompanied by a performance by Georgian pianist Khatia Buniatishvili.
Fouz Al Fahad. Photo: Courtesy of Cartier
In collaboration with Cartier, the Women’s pavilion in Expo 2020 is the first global Expo pavilion dedicated to women. Endorsed by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, the pavilion emphasizes critical historical contributions to the female community by both males and females. The pavilion aims to deconstruct social stereotypes and misconceptions while also acknowledging modern day issues faced by females. Open heartedly suggesting solutions to tackle those issues, the pavilion hosts a series of activities that foster a global dialogue on women’s wellbeing.
