Confashions From Kuwait

I went " Undercover " to expose Salhiya's little stylish secret. Well, not literally, but I was ecstatic when I found the latest selection of UNDERCOVER at Al Ostoura's store in Sahab Tower. I first got to know the brand a year ago when I was shopping at Le Bon Marché at Paris and instantly fell in love. UNDERCOVER clothes are designed in a very quirky way and only the very fashion forward would slip into UNDERCOVER creations. The shapes are very Marni-like but with a funky un-Marni-like edge. This Spring's selection included mini cotton trench coats in vibrant colors, dresses embellished with embroidered skulls, and silk and cotton tops adorned with giant spiders on necklines. Beautiful pieces and not very budget friendly. But they're worth it. Here's what's available in store now... Sahab Tower is located at Fahad Al-Salim Street, Kuwait City.

It's not very often that you find really nice and reasonably priced casual chic outfits to wear for the next 9 months here in Kuwait. The clothes that I find recently either have the crappiest quality or simply look and feel blah! So it's delightful to know that Pink Moon Boutique have received new spring collections of the following brands: Paul & Joe Velvet Karen Zambos Development Graham & Spencer Mint Jodi Arnold Junk Food Tees Melissa Odabash Straw Cowboy hats Rachel Leigh Jewelry I have featured here photos of some of the items they have received by Velvet and Graham & Spencer. Remember to accessories these outfits to spice up the looks. Think scarves, huge ethnic necklaces, killer heels or gladiator flats, bulky wooden or plastic bracelets (A la Pucci), and a colorful handbag. Pink Moon is located on 'The Strip’ on Gulf Road Across Seif Palace, Jibla, Kuwait City. Store Opening Hours: 10am - 1pm, 5pm – 10pm Saturdays-Thursdays, Closed on Fridays. For fur...

BEUNA VISTA ART GALLERY will be holding a private view and opening of its gallery on Tuesday 25th of March from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. The gallery will include a unique exhibition of Paintings, Sculpture & Contemporary Jewellery by: Fadhel Al-Abbar & Natasha Heaslip . Exhibition will run from 25th-29th March 2008. Wednesday to Saturday from 10:00am to 1:00pm, and from 6:30pm to 9:00pm. BUENA VISTA ART GALLERY is located at Surra, Area 6, Street 12, House 3. For further inquiries, please call (+965) 7562880 or 9642165.

A range of handbags made their way to the Chanel boutique located at Salhiya Complex and will soon be seen toted around K-town by many hardcore Chanel fans. For those of you who love the classic timeless flap bag but are looking for something modern with a twist, then the puzzle patent leather bag (as shown above) would be on top of their " I Want " list. Or for a settled look, maybe they'd go for the perforated metallic flap bag. There was also a selection of the most coveted Chanel : 2.55 in metallic silver and gold and their prices start at KD 700+. My least favourite is the one shown in the last picture. They only have it in black though. I guess the bag strap just makes it look a bit on the tacky side for some reason. There were also a couple of classic and very practical Chanel ballerina flats in metallic gold and dark silver made out of snake skin. Prefect for those who are looking for investing in timeless and comfortable key pieces. Which Chanel bag would yo...

Forget Loubie Loubs ( for an hour, sorry Mr. Louboutin ). Now these , my dear readers, are the " it " shoes to strut around town. A very glamorous take on the gladiator heels/sandals/boots courtesy of the very uber-chic Balenciaga . The gladiator look has been "in" for a couple of years now and they are great for the long hot summer months. They would instantly give that oomph to any outfit. Just make sure not to walk for too long in these incredibly stylish, quirky designed, " killer" heels. You can purchase the multi-colored woven ankle boots from the Balenciaga boutique located at Al Thurraya Complex, Salmiya. Their retailed for KD 300+. And by the way, you'd probably need to try one and a half size bigger than your normal size as they do come in small and tight.

I passed by Villa Moda the other day to check out the new Miu Miu Spring/Summer runway collection. At first glance, some of the items looked average, but give it a thorough artistic glance (meaning: try them on) and you will realize how this collection offered an avant-garde pieces of ballerina and French maid costumes with a modern chic twist. I have added here photos of all the items available now at Miu Miu Kuwait. Mind you, most of the items were ultra short, but you can always improvise if you're not a fan of showing off your stems. Try pairing jackets (like my fave black ruffled jackets with white collar shown in the first pic) with slim leg pants. Some of the dresses and skirts can be altered to look 3-4 inches longer. Whatever item you plan to purchase, do not wear it with flats. Choose platform shoes to balance the volume of the pieces. By the way, don't expect to see the accessories runway collection yet. The only thing available from the runway collection were ti...

Since it's officially summer and even "hotter" weather is just around the corner, check out Brown Fashion's new S/S collection. They have received new collection by french label Maje . Around 19 different styles. I love Maje , I usually check out their store at Rue Saint-Honoré (Paris) for their daily casual cute wear. Very romantic and feminine styles. My favourite is this fresh pink raspberry dress (shown above). Pair it with patent colored flat sandals or Balenciaga's gladiator sandals and a hobo bag and you're good to go. Brown Fashion's is expecting another batch of Maje soon. Brown Fashion is located at Tala Center's basement, Salem Al-Mubarak Street, Salmiya. For any further questions, you can call them at (+965) 571-3019.

Lama Hourani is exhibiting her Jewellery collection for the first time in Kuwait at Villa Moda Shuwaikh, Free Trade Zone. The exhibition will be held from 16th till 20th of March 2008. Click here to view photos of her jewellery collection.

New deliveries for Marchesa and Tsumori Chisato have arrived at Villa Moda Al Mubarikiya. The above dress is from the Spring/Summer collection of Marchesa (not sure if Villa Moda got this dress or not).

During Paris Fashion Week, I managed to visit some of my favourite places in Paris and did some window shopping (because by the time we got back to our hotel the stores were already closed). My number one destination for self-indulgent treat was La Duree (pictured below) I wish I was able to take photos from the inside. La Duree is famous for it's wide variety of flavoured Macaroons in different shapes and sizes. I ordered my fave macaroon which is Vanilla Flavoured (YUM!). I can easily eat half a dozen of those in less than an hour! Of course, a trip to Paris wouldn't be complete without visiting Collette . I managed to get a photo of the side of the store as shown above. I never understood the hype about this store. Yes it's fun to see the funkiest latest gadgets, books, CDs, and some accessories. But it's definitely not a shopping destination for those who want to buy clothes. Their clothes selection is very limited and "very" small in sizes! My window ...

New collections from Essentiel and Tibi (shown above) have arrived to LimeLight in Dana Center, Salmiya. New deliveries for Dolce & Gabbana and Missoni have arrived at Villa Moda Shuwaikh, Free Trade Zone. Creations of Lebanese designers such as Sarah's Bag , Sunflower , Lollidots , and Mac Design will be showcased on Saturday 15th March from 10:00AM to 7:00PM at Holiday Inn Kuwait.

Sigh.. Isn't the Arc De Triumph a fabulous view? I was walking around, looking for a cozy cafe to have breakfast, before hitting our schedules for Paris Fashion Week and couldn't resist to take this photo. The weather was so crisp and chilly. Just the right combination to start your day with a nice chocolat chaud. Moving on... In addition to the designer showrooms we have visited, we also paid a visit to a couple of trade shows and exhibitions. I was surprised to see so many American buyers, all the American department stores reps attended. We went to TRANOI , which is basically a luxury presentation and exhibition of high fashion and new talented designers. To access the exhibition you have to get the mini harmonica necklace (shown in the picture below) by registering with them. TRANOI was held in 3 different locations around Paris. We managed to go to two of them. It was packed with people and you can't finish it in one day. Not all brands shown there are worth viewing....

You are invited to attend Kushtuban Exhibition of caftans and summery dresses at Bait Siddra on Monday and Tuesday 10th and 11th of March 2008. From 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, and from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Noura Al-Jassim & Manal Al-Zimami

Never have I thought, not in a million years, that I would actually say this but I went to Paris Fashion Week!!! It started from late February till first week of March. I was given this golden opportunity by a good friend of mine, who I'll forever be grateful to ( THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for making my dream come true! ), to join them on their frequent trip to Paris Fashion Week and help with the season's selections. Trust me, there is no experience like being at Paris Fashion Week . Mingling with fashion icons, spotting celebrities in their designer duds ( Anna Wintour, Ashley Olsen, Mischa Barton, and Princess Dina of D.NA to name a few ), getting to see next Fall's collections up close and personal, and having dinners with famous designers, buyers, and editors. It was so surreal and overwhelming! It was interesting to see fabulous looking fashionistas trotting around Paris in painfully high shoe booties and platforms, elaborate funky headbands, formfitting minidre...