Confashions From Kuwait

In an attempt to link fashion to the region's culture, Saks Fifth Avenue (Saudi branch) has hosted a fashion show of designer Abayas in Paris a few days ago at luxury hotel George V. Designers who have joined the tricky exercise to glam up one of the world’s most traditional piece include: Christian Dior's John Galliano, Anne-Valerie Hash, Nina Ricci , Felipe Oliveira Baptista, Jean Claude Jitrois, Blumarine, Alberta Feretti, Martin Grant, and Caroline Herrera. The designer abayas are said to be worth $5,500-$11,150 and some abayas will be offered to Saks's VVIP Saudi clients in Riyadh and Jeddah. The rest will be sold in Saks branches in Saudi, Bahrain, and Dubai by September 2009. Read more about it here and here . You know what's even more bazaar? Four days earlier, French president Nicolas Sarkozy offensively declared that full-body veils such as the burka are "not welcome" in France, saying they make women prisoners. Note to Sarkozy: Stick to politics ...

I'm sure most of you fashionistas out there have heard of Uterqüe . But for those who haven't, it's a new store that recently opened at The Avenues next to Baroue . The store belongs to the Spanish group that owns Zara . It specializes in trendy accessories and leather goods. It also has a small selection of elegant and sophisticated clothes. The collection is designed with the idea of producing high quality clothes and accessories in very affordable prices. I found some nice pieces at amazing budget-friendly prices. You can never have too many shoes! I was sooo tempted to buy all those 3 flats! Thank god my friend was with me to talk some sense into me. The black Swarovski crystals encrusted clutch shown below is priced at KD 106. Not bad at all! If you have already been to the store, what did you purchase? And if you did buy shoes, were they comfortable?

As you may have already noticed, discovering new talents from this part of the world has become my niche recently. So in this post, I'm thrilled to introduce to you Lebanese designer Karen Karam . Let me give it to you plain and simple, Karen , the Central Saint Martins graduate, is the modern day fashion fairy who designs very wearable funky and girly organza/satin cocktail dresses with a mix of ethereal draping and uber accents. If the words " Central Saint Martins " didn't shake you up or move a single stylish nerve then read more.. Karen Karam has interned with the biggest names in the fashion industry including Alexander McQueen , Chloe , and John Galliano . Also, Her accessories collection was sold at Collette, Paris's hottest and hippest shopping destination for limited and exclusive fashion and lifestyle merchandise. She has won the Mulberry Bag Award competition and she was also a finalist at Mango's young designers competition. Her clothes were al...

Check out Ansam's thoughts on Michelle Obama's fashion . Interesting read. 360 Mall will officially open to the public on 5 th July. Grab your popcorn and check out Olivier Dahan's film Lady Dior: The Lady Noire Affair starring the beautiful Marion Cotillard . I'm in love with her captivating eyes and her to-die-for heels. Ted Baker is now being sold at Bertoni Boutique, a multibrand men/women’s wear boutique that specializes in Italian labels such as No-l- ita , Ra-re, In wear, Part Two and many more to come soon. I have been contacted by Urbane Nomads rep, they're a travel company specialising in off-the-beaten-trek locations done in as much luxury as possible. They are currently working on an itinerary promoting the Middle East as a fashion tourism destination-combining stays in the Hotel Missoni Kuwait with activities like pearldiving and trips to the luxury fashion store Villa Moda . Sounds fun! Q8 Fashionista has sent me some interesting ino abou...

You are invited to Mona Al-Zamel's exhibition " Hand-painted " Ramadan Dara'as/kaftans. The event will be held on 1st & 2nd of July at " Beit 32 ", located in Adailiya, Blk. 3, Sultan AlKulaib St., H.32. From 10-1 AM and from 5-9:30 PM.

Fendi boutique is having it's seasonal sale and even though I'm not a huge fan of Fendi's accessories, I actually found some interesting items there at great prices. I wouldn't buy a Fendi Baguette now. I Already have 2 Baguettes which I purchased more than 8 or 9 years ago, but I do find them fun and interesting to look at and admire the artwork and creativity of most of them. I liked the one featured here. it's satinish, padded, and embroidered. Cute! And I actually find Fendi's tan Peek-a-Boo bag, featured in the photo above, a very practical and chic addition to your wardrobe which can be worn for years to come. If you're looking for heels with a punch of color then check out these bright blue, black, and beige strappy platform sandals with a patent leather heel that measures approximately 130mm high. The heels have a zip at back to fasten and are now on sale. Price after the 50% discount? Around KD 85. I didn't like the evening clutches shown here...

More is more sometimes. And that applies to Louis Vuitton's accessories spring AND fall collection. I loved these gold hoop earrings with a mix of light wood and colored plastic shapes from the brand's S/S 2009 collection. It very well translated this season's a tribal-ethnic trend. Wear to up the ante on a plain ensemble. LV's Spicy heels were on the boutique's window display and this version of the Spicy heels looked ugly! I liked the strctured shoulders detail of this cobalt blue top on the manniquin. not sure of the price tag though.

Check out Marella's new season ad campaign which I have received by e-mail. The featured outfits are ideal for working women in the corporate world. Reminded me of Dolly Parton's song work in '9 to 5'. Marella's boutique is located in the Avenues near The English Tea Room cafe .

Jai Boutique would like to invite you to attend an exhibition of summer dresses, kaftans, shoes, and accessories. The event will be held from June 28th - 30th, from 10am to 9pm at The Exhibition located to the left of Slider Station on 'The Strip' Across from AlSeef Place. For any inquiries, please call (+965) 9406-6226.

Goji Boutique has added a new line to their online shop collection: LALESSO . The inspiration for the prints comes straight from the Kenyan tradition. Each garment is uniquely handmade by a Kenyan woman supporting their local economy and staying in tune with their amazing tradition of vibrant colors and patterns. I like this floor-length dress, a must for those long-awaited holidays. Also, They have expanded the accessories collection with new summery scarf-necklaces from Fiona Paxton and earrings from Psoma .

With thousands of amazing items on sale, it can be overwhelming to browse the sale pages of Net-A-Porter . Plus you don't want to miss out on that fabulous piece you have been lusting after all season. So I've decided to scout the sale for you and hunt for bargain items every now and then. I'm going ga-ga over these Miu Miu Whip snake pumps from the brand's S/S collection which can also be worn for Fall too. Were around KD 189. KD Price after sale? Around KD 113.

There’s nothing that spices up a normal, boring evening dress quite like a pair of beautiful evening heels. And when I need a stunning pair of heels, I shop around at Giuseppe Zanotti , Louboutin , Sergio Rossi , and Jimmy Choo . Jimmy Choo's summer collection has several classy evening heels which I chose to show here. They're so easy to gild your feet in, some styles might not be the most comfortable, but they sure are glamorous evening accessory for this season and beyond. Unfortunately, they're not on sale yet. I think they're sale will start mid July. Black satin heels with Swarovski crystal embellishment: KD 319 Pink metallic heels with matching constructed clutch: heels KD 169, clutch KD 299 Black leather heels with colored embroidery KD 299 Animal print peep-toe heels KD 199 Black satin evening clutch KD 239 Leather clutches with zipper detail in gold and neon yellow: KD 249 Jimmy Choo boutique is located in Salhiya Complex, Mezzanine 2. For any inq...

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4 boutique is hosting an event of eccentric furniture, organic gourmet food, and lifestyle books. new stuff include: Sip water , the original skin drink with beauty boosting skincare benefits. It's naturally flavoured water enhanced with vitamins, Wallpaper* City Guide , your perfect travel companion with each city rigorously researched and edited so as to suggest only the best, the most exciting , and the most beautiful. And the giant angelpoise lamp . The Festival started last Tuesday 23rd of June, limited quantity so hurry while it lasts. 4 boutique is located at Mahdi Habeeb Building, Opposite BMW Showroom, Next to Alhomaizi Printing & Union Air. For any inquires, please call (+965) 2492-5444.

With all the competitive Ramadan Exhibitions going on lately, it's almost impossible to find a Kaftan ( darra'a ) that looks unique and not your typical mix'n'match kaftan or a patchwork creation with the worst stitching/finishing ever + ridiculously overpriced. So I was impressed to find this darra'a at I Love Souk . The bright pink colored darra'a had a print of a diamond and emerald necklace on it's neckline which immediately reminded me of Mary Katrantzou's gorgeous collection. Of course the darra'a does not even come close to the beauty of Katrantzou's . But it was a refreshing change from what we usually see. I just wish the darra'a had more volume of fullness to it. And for those who like to go all matchy - matchy . The darra'a comes with a matching clutch as shown in the below photo. I Love Souk's other new arrivals include these uber -chic vintage sunglasses, some were encrusted with colored Swarovski crystals. Th...

PinkMoon Boutique is currently selling lots of different BlackBerry colored covers for curve and bold, plus Mirror Sticker that turns your screen into a mirror when phone is not in use, so you can check your make-up or just gaze at your reflection. And Privacy Sticker that tints from all angles so no one, not even the person sitting next to you, can see who is calling you or what you are typing.

Plain Vanilla is a new brand offering a variety of everyday essentials with style in mind; they have cardigans, camis, tanks, tees and undies of different styles and colors. You will come across things that you need to complete your outfit. PV's products are made from pure Egyptian cotton; one of the world’s highest quality fabrics. Please click on image to enlarge. To learn more, please click here .

This season I have a major weakness towards any exotic leather. I liked these Zara snake skin salmon pink sandals. Don't expect great quality though. I'm not crazy about this Marc Jacobs shoulder shoulder chain bag, but it was nice to look at for a minute or two (max!) plus the purple leather tassels look cute. The bag is currently available at Marc Jacobs boutique at Al Thurraya Complex Karen Millen had a nice pair of jeweled thong sandals which look very glam to wear for lounging at a pool party or to add some zest to your vacation look