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In the last five days, devastating Russian and Syrian aerial sorties over East Aleppo have destroyed hospitals and killed hundreds as living conditions for civilians trapped in the besieged rebel-held area become all the more desperate. 

The Syrian regime views victory in Aleppo as key to winning the war and Bashar al-Assad has displayed a calculated ruthlessness in seeking to pummel rebel groups and civilians in East Aleppo into submission.

But as the bombs have fallen on Aleppo this week, elsewhere, in some areas of Syria securely under the regime’s control, all together more frivolous affairs have taken place.

It’s Fashion Week in Latakia.

An advert for Lattakia Fashion Week [Screengrab from Twitter]

Organised by the Syrian Youth Council under the auspices of Syria’s Ministry of Tourism — infamous for promotional videos seeking to attract holidaymakers to Syria’s Mediterranean coastal cities, and more recently promotional clips showcasing the bright lights of regime-held West Aleppo’s club scene —Fashion Week is taking place in Latakia for the second year running. 

Local designers from Syria’s Mediterranean coastland — regarded as the Alawite heartland of the Syrian regime, and currently the scene of considerable Russian military expansion — and cities including Damascus, and Homs, in addition to international designers have purportedly flaunted their latest creations on the Latakian catwalk this week.

Proceedings have taken place in the city’s beachside La Mira Resort, an impressive concrete structure, surrounded by greenery and a number of luxurious looking swimming pools.

Various Arabic language media outlets, and social media users, have pointed to the seeming inappropriateness of such an event taking place given the increasingly desperate situation in East Aleppo, and the continued proliferation of conflict on other front’s in Syria.

Certainly the Syrian Tourism Ministry’s promotion of such events illustrates a desire to project an image of the situation in the country in a manner that overlooks and distorts certain grave realities.

In Aleppo — Syria’s industrial and commercial capital before the war, and correspondingly previously viewed as a centre of fashion in the country before the war — the suffering of hundreds of thousands shows no signs of abating.

Schools and hospitals have been systematically targeted in attacks on East Aleppo [AFP]

But the Syrian Tourism Ministry appears to have imminent plans to raise spirits in Aleppo too, or at least the Western regime-held districts of the city. 

Next week it will be organising a film festival in the city set to take place between 22 and 30 of November. According to the ministry’s the festival is titled: “Aleppo: the capital of Syrian Cinema for 2016” which given realities in East Aleppo seems to have an incredibly macabre and sinister ring to it.