Reality show divides Kuwaitis

Kuwait: Fashion Mission, the latest reality television show to hit the Arab world, is making waves and causing controversy.

The show, run by the Lebanese Broadcast Company (LBC), will pick the best designer from a slew of contestants from the Arab world.

One of the participants is a woman wearing a negab, a traditional Arab woman's black dress covering from head to toe.

"I don't know much about reality TV shows, but I loved Star Academy," said Lolwa Al Foderi, a high school student, in reference to an earlier reality TV show for amateur singers. "I spent most of my free time watching it," Al Foderi said.

But just like the horde of admirers, the new reality show has spawned a host of critics.

An old Kuwaiti woman who identified herself as Umm Omar said "those people are selling dreams and making money out of it".

"There is nothing in our religion that allows women to mix with strangers with no reason, these shows are a waste of money and time," said Sameera Hussain, dressed in a negab.

Mohammad Sulaiman said: "I like some of the reality shows not all of them."

The writer is a journalist based in Kuwait