‘To Beirut with Love’... Sherihan and Emma Stone’s Dresses for Sale at Auction

A silk haute couture gown designed by Egyptian actress Sherihan has been signed by the star for the auction. (Sotheby's)
A silk haute couture gown designed by Egyptian actress Sherihan has been signed by the star for the auction. (Sotheby's)
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‘To Beirut with Love’... Sherihan and Emma Stone’s Dresses for Sale at Auction

A silk haute couture gown designed by Egyptian actress Sherihan has been signed by the star for the auction. (Sotheby's)
A silk haute couture gown designed by Egyptian actress Sherihan has been signed by the star for the auction. (Sotheby's)

What brings Egyptian star Sherihan together with American actress Emma Stone, iconic model Naomi Campbell and artist Damien Hirst? They might not have any actual link, but they all came together for an auction organized by Sotheby’s in collaboration with five Lebanese charities that were established after the explosion that rocked Beirut’s port in August.

The auction, sending a message of love to Beirut, relied on generous donations made by international fashion houses, Arab and foreign celebrities, artists and renowned jewelry designers. The charities, including Nusaned (we support), Beit Al Baraka (house of blessing) and Baynta Baytak (our home is your home), will share the proceeds to those most in need.

They will also focus on helping the families that were left without homes because of the explosion and give aid to small businesses. The venture charity organization Al Fanar (beacon) will provide support to entrepreneurs, and the House of Christmas association will contribute to the efforts to restoring heritage buildings.

Edouard Gheeb, Chairman of the Middle East Department at Sotheby’s, said: “Lebanon has an art community that has made immense cultural contributions. The explosion at the Beirut port shook the city and the world, leaving an impact on all segments of Lebanese society and endless tales of loss and displacement. Sotheby’s has joined forces with our partners to provide assistance and help with rehabilitation.”

From designer Giambattista Valli to Ralph & Russo, Azzedine Alaia to Prada, the auction offers collectors the opportunity to purchase iconic pieces from international fashion houses’ archives. From the Middle East, dresses donated by Arab stars stand out. They include a luscious silk dress valued at around 22,000 pounds and partially designed and signed by Egyptian star Sherihan, who also wore it for her 1985 “One Thousand and One Nights” Ramadan show. Lebanese singer Majida al Roumi donated a sky blue dress, with an estimated to fetch 8,000 to 10,000 pounds.

From the glamorous world of Hollywood, Emma Stone offered an Elie Saab designed green embroidered dress that she wore during the 2015 Oscars, which is expected to bring in 20,000 to 30,000 pounds. From the music world, British singer Jerry Halliwell is donating the outfit she wore in the Spice Girl’s debut “Wannabe” music video.

Bringing the shine to the auction, major jewelry designers have also made generous contributions. Dior donated a gold bracelet with colored precious stones by house jeweler Victoire de Castell. It is expected to fetch between 30,000 to 50,000 pounds. Bulgari offered a rose gold necklace with an ancient gold coin priced between 3,000 to 5,000 pounds.

Damian Hirst donated an item that merges modern art with contemporary design, an exquisite bracelet with dangling golden pills from his “Medicine Cabinet” series. The limited-edition 2013 bracelet, with only 50 pieces made, is expected to fetch between 8,000 and 12,000 pounds.

Naomi Campbell also contributed, donating a personal photo taken by Rocco Lapasta, priced at 3,000 to 5,000 pounds.

From Lebanon, the auction includes works by the duo Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige, who donated some of the renowned photographs from their “Wonder Beirut” postcard series that contrast scenes of Beirut during its heyday with images from the civil war. Lebanese photographer Fouad Khoury and artist Huguette Caland have also made contributions.

The auction will be held between December 7 and 15.



Record Heat in China Strains Power Grid, Stirs Health Fears 

A woman covers herself from the sun as she browses a smartphone on a street during a hot day in Beijing, Wednesday, July 23, 2025. (AP)
A woman covers herself from the sun as she browses a smartphone on a street during a hot day in Beijing, Wednesday, July 23, 2025. (AP)
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Record Heat in China Strains Power Grid, Stirs Health Fears 

A woman covers herself from the sun as she browses a smartphone on a street during a hot day in Beijing, Wednesday, July 23, 2025. (AP)
A woman covers herself from the sun as she browses a smartphone on a street during a hot day in Beijing, Wednesday, July 23, 2025. (AP)

China warned on Wednesday against the risk of power supply disruptions as people struggled to keep cool in record heat baking large swathes of the country, which also spurred warnings to the elderly to guard against heat stroke.

Power supply suffers while demand surges, exceeding 1.5 billion kilowatts for the first time last week, energy officials said, in a third new record for China this month, when its first nationwide alert on heat-related health risks also went out.

"High-temperature weather will ... have an impact on power generation and supply," weather official Chen Hui told a press conference on Wednesday, adding that it would hit hydropower output and reduce the efficiency of photovoltaic generation.

Authorities will send alerts to notify electricity suppliers if tactics such as peak-shaving and cross-regional dispatching of power are called for, added Chen, an official of the China Meteorological Administration.

Since mid-March, the number of days when temperatures hit 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) or more is the highest on record, said Jia Xiaolong, deputy director of the National Climate Center.

Authorities asked the elderly to stay indoors unless necessary, while urging outdoor workers to scale down activity on such "sauna days".

Temperatures have hit new highs since mid-March in the central provinces of Henan and Hubei, Shandong in the east, Sichuan in the southwest, and northwestern Shaanxi and Xinjiang, pushing the national average to the second highest on record.

During the last two weeks, 152 national weather observatories tracked temperatures above 40 degrees C (104 F) with one in Xinjiang reaching 48.7 degrees C (119.7 F), Jia said.

He did not rule out the chance of more record-breaking heat, saying August could prove as warm as, or even hotter than, in recent years.