Confashions From Kuwait

You are invited to attend the unveiling of Hannayome, Kuwait's first wedding guide, your go-to place for the latest in wedding trends. The event will be held on Wednesday 3rd February 2010 from 6:30pm to 9:30pm at Dar Al-Fares, infront of Al Tilal complex, Shuwaikh.

There is absolutely every reason for me to start buying summery shoes (correction, already started). They’re colorful, they’re comfortable (hello flat sandals and gladiators), and they’re cost effective. Just imagine home many times you’re going to wear your summery shoes throughout the year here in Kuwait.  So to continue my shopping spree, I passed by the recently opened Shoebox NY branch at the Avenues Phase II. They have started receiving spring goods from Brands such as Dolce Vita , Giuseppe Zanotti , and Cynthia Vincen t in beautiful bright and neutral colors. Also they’re still carrying boots and flat thigh highs from Loeffler Randall . Are you sprucing up your closets for Summer? What's on your fashion wish list? I

Today I was taken by a surprise by the early arrival of AlOthman's seasonal lookbook MUSE . And what a nice surprise it was. A refreshing turquoise cover color, beautiful artistically designed pages, mind blowing pieces to reserve, some new designers, whom I luv, to look forward to like Rabih Kayrouz and Roksanda Ilincic , and trends pages to carefully study. And I dedicate the last photo of this post to the blogerette/bride-to-be who left me a comment few days ago and who's on the quest to find her dream wedding dress. Good luck.

Never straying away from her signature bold statement pieces, the designer behind JEWELS, Sogol Zabihi , presents an eclectic and bright new collection for the New Year called Funk Me Up . This sublimely fresh collection uses ancient Middle Eastern symbols such as the “Evil Eye” and the “Fatima Hand”. Sogol presents these traditional motifs in a modern and contemporary style, using different enamel hues for the Evil Eyes and Fatima Hands. The new range also includes funky cocktail rings that are great for adding some pizzazz to your look without changing your basic style. The Funk Me Up collection can now be found at high-end stores such as Ounass and Tigerlily in Dubai, Pink Diamond and YAZI in Bahrain, and Mosaic Boutique in Kuwait. For further information or contact details please visit JEWELS A ccessories here .

When it comes to t-shirts with a twist, local brand CASHART is the one to know. CASHART differentiates itself from other brands by applying a unique concept: Intricate, colorful illustrations taken from currencies are imprinted onto each garment in honor of the beauty and creativity of “cash’s art”.  In a couple of years, designer Alia Al-Naqeeb’s casual cool  yet very affordable spin on the wardrobe classic has attracted a big fan base in this region. CASHART founder and Kuwaiti designer Alia Al-Naqeeb received her bachelors degree in Graphic Design from AIU London. Alia has always been inspired by fashion, and launched CASHART as a result of her love for graphic design and fashion design. You can shop for CASHART online through their “etsy” boutique here . And take a look at their " Behind the Scenes " Video of CASHART Photoshoot 2010 here .

This sudden chilly weather makes me want to seek refuge in the warmth of my room, curl up on my comfy couch and wrap myself in soft throw, catching up on my favorite TV series. Total home bliss. I got the same soothing feeling when I received M.A.C's latest collection titled " Warm & Cozy ". I tried their “ Warm Me Up ” creamy lipstick in this season's most mellowed-out shade: neutral pink. The perfect shade for a soft “no-makeup” makeup. I also tried and loved their Grapefruit + Chamomile oil which can be used alone, under makeup or mixed into makeup to increase radiance and to give you that dewy finish. It also helps calm the skin with a soothing aroma. That’s probably the first time that I see such a product at M.A.C. Innovative! It’s interesting how many makeup collections M.A.C releases per season. I don’t necessarily buy every time they launch a collection, but I always make sure to check out their beauty counter to see their latest creative collecti...

Now that's what I call fashion's Nuclear Weapon. TO.DIE.FOR. The much coveted Christopher Kane's Nuclear T-shirts for women is now available at Boutique 4 . Men's are coming soon.

Praising the beauty of red-soled loubies is such a cliché I know. But you just can’t help it when you see a mesmerizing creation like these multi-colored suede and leather patterned platform sandals with gold multi-straps (Phew!!). I couldn’t keep my eyes off of them! Are they walking-friendly? Nope. Will they bring a vibrant zesty feel to your summer wardrobe and your heart? DEFINITELY!  Good enough for me! I also spotted some classic loubs in vibrant color crazy styles. Loving the cruise collections! Where else but at Al Othman .

The fabulous team behind The Manhattan Company have forwarded to me this very interesting old video clip  of predictions by American fashion designers from the 1930s of what the well-dressed man and woman would be wearing in the year 2000. Thanks guys!

Candle Light Spa will be exhibiting new fruits and passion products.  Everything from gift baskets to special spa packages.  The event will be held Tuesday 26th January, from 10AM-10PM.   All shawls at Marklow.com will be displayed at The Exhibition.. The event will be held Friday 29th & Saturday 30th January, 2010 from 12PM-10PM The Exhibition is located three shops to the left of Slider Station on 'the Strip' across from Alseef Palace. For any questions, please call (+965) 9406-6226.

The International Sale Clearance event begins today on NET-A-PORTER , with a further 20% off sale prices until January 31.

So you’ve got all the latest Spring 2010 trends and it-items covered.  How about starting the new season with a brand new set of pearly whites FREE of charge? Enter Bayan Dental Clinic’s special challenge with Confashion and you might win a voucher for free sapphire teeth whitening (sensitive free) and scaling worth KD 220 or home bleaching kit.  All you have to do is answer this question: In what area is Bayan Dental Clinic’s latest branch located in? Email your answer to confashion@hotmail.com with your full name, Civil ID number, and mobile number.  Saturday 30th Jan 2010 is your last day to enter the draw. Good luck everyone! 

Don't miss boutique39.com sale that will be held at "The Exhibition" next to Slider Station.  Great discounts on your favorite designer labels such: Givenchy, Dolce & Gabbana, Juicy Couture, Lanvin, and more. The event will be held this Wednesday and Thursday the 27th and 28th of January '10.  From 10am - 1.30pm and 5pm - 10pm.

I’m not a Kenzo-ian but I’ve found some pretty pieces from its Cruise 2010 collection designed by Antonio Marras, which are now available at KENZO boutique at Salhiya Complex. The small collection offered a palette of soft neutrals and pastel shades. I liked this shrunken jacket with origami pleat detail, and the print on the lining adds certain sweetness to the café au lait shrunken jacket. Price tag? KD 215. OK, and don’t cringe but I also liked these pleated denim high-waist pants. Who would have thought that these unflattering 80s style denim would come back in fashion?! Shaking off those hideous images from head I swallowed my pride and tried them on. I was surprised that they didn’t look as bad as I thought. Hmm.. They look nice, but to pull them off and for the sake of balanced proportions, I have to pair them with stacked platform heels.  Ok.. that was easy..

There I was, standing in front of the great red double-decker London bus in hopes that magically somehow I could hop on it and in 10 minutes I'd be shopping down Bond Street. Sigh... The bus was part of Concours d’Elegance event which held at Marina Crescent.

Duaa Husain, a 22 year old Kuwaiti girl and a black belt 3 Dan kyokushin karate player, has been practicing karate for 17 years and participated in many tournaments locally, internationally, and world tournaments. She has decided to start he own fitness class for women. And here's what she wrote: "The class is for women only with a purpose of losing weight and getting in shape. This class is not like the usual classes we see in gyms; its very intense, using only bodyweight with no equipments. At the end of each month, members of the class will participate in challanges to test their fitness and weightloss progression." Class will be held at AL Danah Bilingual School in salwa block 1, street 100 every Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 6pm to 7pm. Next session will begin on February 9th. Fees are: 1 month = 100 KD 1 day tryout = 10 KD If you're ready to push yourself, commit, and see real results this is the class for you. For more information please call ...

In celebration of net-a-porter's ONE MILLIONTH order , they are giving away a £25,000 ($40,000) shopping spree to one lucky winner - and there is no purchase necessary. Simply click here ! What can you buy with £25,000?

Getting your nails minxed seems to be the latest hype here in Kuwait, so I thought of compiling a list of places where they offer this service. If you know of any beauty/nail salon that offers MINX nails service which is not mentioned in this list, please share in the comments section: Gossip Salon located in Salmiya, the turn before Al Bidda'a roundabout, For appointments, please call (+965) 2571-5401. Find out more about their services here . Featured photo is taken from their facebook group.  NStyle located in Salmiya at Bustan Complex's 1st Floor. For appointments, please call (+965) 2571-9050. Find out more about their services here . Me Time Nail Spa located in The Avenues Mall, phase 2, 1st Floor, next to Obika Mozarella Bar. Opening hours are 10am-10pm, 7 days a week. For appointments, please call (+965) 2259-8025. Find out more about their services here . Bubbles Nail Spa located in Jassim Tower (Across from Skating Rink) Soor Street. For appointments, pl...

If you already own a pricier-by-the-season Marni Necklace? or tired  of Lanvin 's, then now get acquainted with LAMA's necklaces, the new local budget friendly collection designed by a cool Kuwaiti crafter. Part sophisticated, part quirky cool LAMA's 100% handmade nifty designs combine layers of vibrant colored beads with a mix of hand embroidered fabrics. And the price range is from KD 30 to KD 50. If you wish to purchase LAMA's necklaces, please send an e-mail to lama.necklaces@gmail.com . They are also available for sale at nohanoor 's showroom in Daieya, Block 2, street 30, house # 6. Telephone: (+965) 6633-3742.

Jimmy Choo has just launched a special collection along side the S/S 2010 called CHOO 24:7 . It's the 'perfect shoe wardrobe' with updated versions of Tamara Mellon's favourite styles in a variety of colours, materials and heel heights. Taking the Jimmy Choo woman from day to evening, 7 days a week, this is the definitive assortment of iconic Jimmy Choo shapes.

Remember back in the mid 90's when Gucci's bamboo detail shoes and bags were the "it" thing to rock?! The ones featured here are not Gucci . I spotted them at TopShop and the moment I saw them I got all nostalgic. How many of you were/still are into Gucci's famous bamboo??

Now that I have already been to Al Othman's designer Outlet store , it seems only right to share  the excitement with my fellow bloggies and designer-bargain-loving peeps, so here are some of my favorite picks. I'm head over heels over this stunning Oscar de la Renta golden leather embroidered vest. I admit that this piece does not come with a very affordable price tag, but it is sooo exquisite that I'm sure some of you who are into collecting novelty designer pieces would appreciate it. I tried it on and it's just beyond beautiful. You can wear it over a bohemian chic dress, or paired with skinny jeans, long sleeves cotton shirt, and over-the-knee boots. Was around KD 1,650, and now I think it's 60% or 50% off. Another pretty piece that caught my attention is the pink scalloped see-through jacket by Christopher Kane (sorry for the bad quality pic). Perfect addition to your S/S wardrobe and to sport the sheer and flimsy trend (worn as a top layer bien sûr! ) and ...

The fashionable team at Al Othman were kind enough to share with me photos of their clothes outlet store, located on the top floor of Mariam Complex in Salmiya , which opened yesterday, where you can find great bargains all year round from the biggest designer names: Lela Rose, Oscar de la Renta, Azzaro, Vera Wang, Mathew Williamson just to name a few, all reduced up to 70% off . So I passed by today, and honestly, it is the most organized outlet store I have seen in Kuwait so far. And just like their shoes and accessories outlet store , the atmosphere was very inviting and friendly, and the merchandise was displayed neatly by designer for easier navigation. I’ll be sharing with you some of my fave picks in my next post. So happy hunting in case you plan to go there first.

With all my focus has gone on rehabbing party/curling iron stressed hair lately, I overlooked my dried out poor nails. So I decided to give my nails an extensive royal treatment at NStyle , one of the first dedicated nail salons opened in Kuwait. Even though I haven’t been there for quite some time for no reason other than being lazy, the place did look as fresh and clean as it did a couple of years back. I know now a days we have a lot of options but Nstyle gets my vote for its clean and friendly ambiance and their prices are reasonable. And even though they take their time with their mani/pedi’s, they do such a great job and my nail polish lasted longer than it usually does. Also, I have noticed that a lot of my friends are still loyal to Nstyle to this day and refuse to go anywhere else. Anyhow, I found some interesting services at Nstyle which made me write this post, like the oxygen bar, (which I thought it was a cool slush machine!) where you get to breath higher concentration...