“Such a beautiful feeling to have represented my dear Lebanon and the Middle East,” wrote Lebanese blogger Lana El Sahely in an Instagram video shared with her 184,000 followers of herself marching down the runway at the Fashion For Relief charity event. El Sahely was personally tapped by Naomi Campbell to walk the runway of Sunday night’s charity gala, which supports the Save the Children Foundation to provide food, aid, and shelter to children caught in urgent humanitarian crises and children affected by the Syrian conflict.
El Sahely, who met the supermodel at Vogue Arabia’s launch party in Doha last month, says, “Naomi was speaking to a close friend regarding her upcoming fashion show and event, and mentioned she was looking for a Middle Eastern face to walk the runway.” More specifically, “the girl with the green eyes who walked the latest Dolce & Gabbana catwalk.”
Lana El Sahely walks the runway at the 2017 Fashion for Relief show. Courtesy of Lana El Sahely
The Lebanese beauty shared the runway with models Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Jourdan Dunn, and Natalia Vodianova. “It was extremely humbling to walk with the legends who marked my teenage years,” she says. “I learned so much from them.” Indeed, walking alongside certified fashion royalty is no small feat, but Campbell was there to provide a boost of confidence backstage. “Before the start of the show, she came backstage and told the models, ‘Remember that with every walk, you’re saving the life of a child.’ Everyone was very touched.”
On the runway, El Sahely literally wore her pride on her sleeves, opting for a sky-blue pantsuit by UK-based Lebanese designer Racil that she accessorized with hot pink pumps. “I picked the Racil suit because I wanted a designer from my region, and because it’s so beautiful,” she says of her runway outfit.
Lana El Sahely walks the runway at the Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2017 ready-to-wear show.
Photo: Indigital.tv
This wasn’t El Sahely’s first runway appearance. The 27-year-old made her catwalk debut at Dolce & Gabbana’s Fall 2017 ready-to-wear show in Milan, where she was handpicked by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana to represent the Arab region. When asked if she’ll be gracing more runways anytime soon, El Sahely coyly responds, “Who knows what the future holds for me?”
