Octium: Arabian Nights

A dizzying mix of banquets, Bactrians and bazaars marked the one-year anniversary of Octium, the Gulf’s most design-minded jewelry boutique. Owned by Kuwaiti power couple Fahad Al Hajiri and Sheikha Alanood M Al Sabah, the space sets itself apart with a retro-opulent, immersive retail experience fostered by Spanish designer Jaime Hayón (whose past collaborators include legendary photographer Olivierio Toscani), and an expertly refined trove of offerings that range from British jeweler Hannah Martin’s modern geometric pieces, to the highly ornamented baubles of Spanish artist Vicente Gracia. Given the owners’ attuned luxury palate (Al Sabah is a member of the Kuwaiti royal family), the glittering three-day fete was appropriately cinematic: revelers were treated to Middle-Eastern hospitality that anticipated every need—sustenance in the form of mountains of colored éclairs and a pink chocolate fountain by luxe French food purveyor Fauchon; party settings that swung from the couple’s lavish urban residence to their secluded Julai’a beach house; and traditional Kuwaiti music for authentic local flavor. The ultra-exclusive invite list of 50 featured a group comprising clients, jewelers (among them, English designer Shaun Leane, the man behind Alexander McQueen’s elaborate boundary-pushing show pieces), and photographer Joss McKinley, who captured the scene for NOWNESS in the exclusive photos above. Of course, every epic calls for a stable of camels; naturally, they were on the guest list too.