Sara Tamimi

Mthayel Al Ali. Shirt and trousers, Max Mara; boots, ByFar; sunglasses, Bally. Photography Sabrina Rynas Vogue Arabia’s ongoing campaign in collaboration with Retail Abu Dhabi aims to support retail and further the positioning of Abu Dhabi as the summer’s style hub with various programs, including in-store brand activations and global style masterclasses.

The Ig Nobel Prize -- an alternative, unofficial Nobel for improbable scientific research -- hands out awards for "achievements that first make people laugh, then make them think." Sometimes the esoteric world of design can feel the same way. The usefulness of design can be immediately apparent: a pen that can detect cancer mid-surgery, for example. But a musical instrument engineered for zero gravity? Perhaps less so. Nonetheless, both are driven by the desire to improve lives.