Ava Gardner. Rita Hayworth. Audrey Hepburn. Ingrid Bergman. They just don’t make them like they used to.
Nothing is better than sitting at a Parisian café in January during Men’s Fashion Week watching the catwalk of young, chiseled-face models and their chic styles passing through trendy Etienne Marcel.
I met Gucci Westman early in the morning at a beautiful hotel in Dubai — a mere hours after she arrived in Dubai. My interview had been slotted in last minute as a result of pulling a few strings. In fact, Westman had only been told of it five minutes prior to my joining her at the breakfast table.
Kids know what they want; and now, thanks to luxury childrenswear designer, Bonnie Young, they can get it.
People are always interested in what’s new and upbeat. Thanks to the Internet, Facebook, YouTube, Blogspot, Wikipedia, Wordpress and Twitter, it is easier than ever to get instant news and gossip.
Gossip Girl here. Your one and only source into the fashionable lives of the Middle Eastern elite.” Okay, so I’m not Kristen Bell’s voice-over in the East Coast version of the O.C. . Nor am I going to expose some scandalous rumor in these next 800 words.
Quit smoking. Lose weight. Every year we have the same kind of lifestyle-altering New Year’s resolutions. And every year, the fashionistas’ of the world commit to their annual pledge: To never be caught out of vogue.
Chanel. Dior. Lanvin. We do love our designer clothes. And this New Year will be no different. While the recession maybe over, many of us are still a little more than weary when it comes to racking up the dollars signs on our credit cards. Thankfully, you don’t need to be a millionaire to dress like a million bucks.
Women in Jeddah were recently given the chance to beautify themselves for free while also learning about the latest beautifying products in the market all under one roof. And they made the most of it. With word of mouth advertising proving the key mode of communication, women made a beeline to the Jeddah Hilton where the ‘International Exhibition for Cosmetics’ was held. Not only did they get to know about the latest innovation and trends in this field, they were given the opportunity to try products for free at the expo.
When one speaks of elegant dresses that combine modesty and makes a woman look charming, traditional Pakistani attire such as the Shalwar Qameez, Shararas and Ghararas come to mind. For long, these dresses have not only kept their native wearers captivated by their beauty but have also attracted the attention of others. Of late, many Saudis love to theme some of their parties — more particularly henna parties — on such dresses. However, getting exclusive Pakistani designer wear in the Kingdom is not a piece of cake.
Sometimes it’s good to be bad. Especially when being bad is submitting to the temptation of the “Black Diamond King.” Forget the Prince of Darkness. Azature, the designer behind the eponymous line, is the new master of design seducing the fashion world to be sinfully indulgent.
Saudi makeup artist encourages minimum makeup for maximum beauty. Manal Khayat, Saudi makeup artist and adopted makeup trainer by Makeup Studio Company in Holland, is an example to look up to.
It wouldn’t be a fashion week in Dubai, if there weren’t abayas strutting the catwalk. Thanks to Lamya Abedin, the Emirati designer behind the new label Queen of Spades, this wasn’t your usual abaya fashion show.
On its National Day, the United Arab Emirates had a lot to celebrate about: tallest building, biggest mall, two of their airlines voted as the World’s Top Ten and then of course, their very own fashion icon in the making, Khalid Al Qasimi.
In a society that thinks fashion is strictly for women, one of the first male Saudi stylist, fashion adviser and soon to be fashion designer has risen to the challenge of sweeping out the cobwebs of misconception.
Set amid beautifully landscaped gardens on Jeddah’s Corniche, the Park Hyatt Jeddah — Marina, Club and Spa — located within the Al Hamra District at the Equestrian Club of Jeddah, is a hidden paradise waiting to be discovered.
Her jewelry has been described as unique, authentic, artistic and timeless. Sara Abdel Azim is one of the rare female designers, including Azza Fahmy, who designs and also makes her own silver jewelry in Egypt.
Established Chinese-American designer, Vivienne Tam, who is famous for her “China Chic” East-meets-West aesthetic, presented her Spring/Summer 2011 collection on-schedule at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York last September. The collection took us on an imaginary journey to the Silk Road: from China, to northern Africa, with stops in India and Persia.
On the second day of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, the glitzy glamour of Lebanese designer, Georges Chakra, was presented to an eager audience.
You may be thinking: It’s barely even fall yet!? Why are we talking about Spring-Summer?! Well, my budding fashionista, in the fashion world it’s during the runway and trade shows that next year’s trends are revealed and true fashion addicts plan their wish lists and decide on their “must-haves.”
Zakat al-Fitr, or Sadaqah Al-Fitr as it is often referred to, is charity which is distributed at the end of the fast of Ramadan and is mandatory for anyone who has the means to do so.
Without a doubt, this year’s Men’s Fashion Week in Paris was stripped of the usual decadence witnessed on the Parisian runways. Left in its place, exposed and bare, was a minimal aesthetic that replaced the usual rainbow of spring colors with tailored nudes and this year’s favorite palette of black and white.
Alta Roma Alta Moda Fashion Week took place earlier this month with one of our favorite designers, Rami Al Ali, showcasing to his loyal public yet another successful collection.
Gone are the days when nail care and décor simply meant a manicure finished with base and top coats of nail polish. These days you don’t even have to wait for your nails to grow long!
These days, it’s no longer enough to coordinate your purse, shoes, and belt. Now, your smartphone and laptop — plus their covers — need to be in vogue too.
The Omar Azure brand is all about superiority. And in fashion, it’s actually good to be stuck up. In fact, it’s welcomed. When you know you got something worth showing off, by all means flaunt it.
Regularly heading to the salon to get one’s hair ironed, brushed and straightened is too time-consuming, as it has to be done regularly to maintain hair’s shine and texture. As a result, women are constantly searching for solutions for rebellious hair as well as treatments for damaged hair.
We hope you have a sweet tooth because this spring it doesn’t get any sweeter than Honeysuckle — the new IT color of the season. The Pantone Color Institute, the “Anna Wintour” when it comes to color trends for fashion, has announced that Honeysuckle has been selected as this spring’s must-have color. While last year’s official Pantone color of the year was turquoise (chosen for its calming effect), this season’s color is way more reinvigorating and refreshingly bold.
For all you women who are spending time browsing websites for the 2011 makeup trends, we sympathize with you. The cosmetic market can be overwhelming, as it is filled with an endless range of products. So, choosing the right ones is difficult, let alone figuring out what colors are in style.
The most important thing in Arab Fashion is vocabulary. And, in the Middle East, only two words really matter: Limited Edition.
Henna or Mehndi is the art that allows women to create their own style without simply copying others. It is a body art that started many years ago and continues today.
This is not an article on the fashion trends of the Gulf nor is it one about the regional fashion market. This is an article about why the Middle East fashion scene is stuck in amateur limbo. You’ve seen it all before: Middle Eastern girls flashing their designer handbags and Swarovski-heavy sunglasses, while the men are even more designer-saturated in their Armani outfits.
If you’ve ever been to a fashion week, you know there is such a thing as fashion overdose. After being immersed in days of frivolous gossip and designer backstage drama and bombarded with collection after collection, you start to feel as faux as a Chanel costume pearl, and the only cure is immediate fashion detox!
The Ritz Carlton Hotel in Dubai hosted an elegant party to celebrate the launch of its newest jewelry boutique, Pandora. The 250 “IT” guest list was filled with local socialites, fashionistas, jewelry and fashion designers and other VIPs. This was the second event held by Panmeas Jewelry, the master franchise and official distributor of Pandora in the UAE.
For a single night, the Armani Prive lounge turned decadent with the launch of the ARMANI/PRIVE “La Collection des Mille et une Nuits.” The most sought-after event of the month saw a conclave of Dubai’s burgeoning fashion scene gathered at the after-hours club, located in the world’s first ever Armani Dubai Hotel.
Following up on an article Arab News published on Oct. 6 about how Saudi women fashion designers struggle from copycat designers, Sayidaty magazine hosted a small meeting to discuss copyright issues and come up with ways to eliminate design imitation.
Celebrities love them. Fashionistas crave them. Why not? What’s more glamorous than fashion for a cause?
What’s cute about babies is that you can dress them up and they can’t complain about how they look. It’s even cuter if you can find stylish baby clothes to make your baby look fashionable.
We define men’s fashion by redefining the thobe as a stylish attire that can be worn both as a fashion statement and as a statement of national pride.” The boastful statement on the wall greets you as you enter the reception room of the newly opened Lomar factory in the Jeddah Industrial City.
It was Sunday, Sept. 12, 2010 — the last day of Couture Fashion Week New York. The historic Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria on Park Avenue was packed with luxury clients, their stylists, high-end boutique buyers, VIPs and of course, the press.
Being a fashion editor isn’t always easy. Sure, the preview sales and fashion shows’ freebies are nice, but being in the scene can also be very hard work.
As I sip on Japanese green tea, and gaze out onto the glistening Red Sea, I pity the person who isn’t me. That’s what just an hour-long massage at Jeddah’s most luxurious and, probably most exclusive, spa will do to you. It’ll make you write like Hemingway and feel like a pretentious princess.
It’s noon when I arrive at Baccarat boutique. The interior is serene and feminine, exactly how I expected it to be. Admittedly, what I did not expect was Salma Redwan and the spirited talent that is so obviously innate in this young Saudi designer.
It’s the middle of an unusually hot summer afternoon in Beirut. And in vogue fashion, Saudi couture designer Mohammed Ashi and I find shade in the newly opened Hermes boutique in the city’s downtown Solidere area.
A talent out of Dubai has invaded the Arab fashion world with his patterned creations and contemporary cuts. Shrekahnth is the Indian-born fashion designer and print-maker who is triumphantly converting fashionistas worldwide.