Confashions From Kuwait

Zara's version of Fifi Lapin ...

Maha Al-Asaker is a Kuwaiti portrait photographer who captures the true personality of her clients. She places a lot of emphasis on being relaxed and comfortable in order to create a portrait that expresses the uniqueness of each client. Recently, She got into fashion photography. You can find out more about Maha here .

Greens, blues, and shades of coral.  How could I possibly resist those beautiful shades on Bottega Veneta's signature intrecciato leather bags, wallets, and ready-for-the-Summer (and a cruise getaway?) shoes. The colors just capture the essence of a vacation mood. All featured items are from the brand's cruise 2011 collection available now at Bottega Veneta's boutique in 360 Mall. Also they're having a sale on their Fall collection up to 50% off .

“ We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike " This quote by American autobiographer and poet Dr. Maya Angelou immediately came to my mind after getting to know more about Dia Magazine’s Editor at Large and one of the early leaders of fashion and lifestyle blogging scene in our region, Alex Aubry . Alex Aubry is a Chicago-based writer, educator, curator and fashion/cultural historian. His work has been published in various publications including Unfair Magazine , Muraqqa , and Dia Magazine . He is currently the Editor at Large for Dia, a London-based publication geared towards the Middle East and its Diaspora. He has created his own blog four years ago, The Polyglot , as a reaction to a comment made by Condé Nast’s Jonathan Newhouse concerning why the Middle East would never have its own Vogue. “I t made me realize that we do have the power to change perceptions through dialogue and media .” stated Aubry to Confashions. After several months of un-blogging, Aubry de

Boutique 1 has recently launched their end-of-season sale with hundreds of fabulous designer items up to 50% off . It can be overwhelming to scan the sale pages of Boutique 1. But a fashionista’s gotta do what a fashionista gotta do. So I have browsed ALL the sale pages and picked my most favorite sale items: 3.1 PHILLIP LIM Contrast Lapel Blazer. Was AED 2,990 and now AED 2,093 PROVA Glowing Tulip Scarf. Was AED 1,805 and now AED 1,264 NICHOLAS KIRKWOOD Khaki Kurung Lace Up. Was AED 4,250 and now AED 2,125 ERDEM Mona Embroidered Puff Skirt. Was AED 6,910 and now AED 3,455 NICHOLAS KIRKWOOD Suede Snake Slingbacks. Was AED 3,326 and now AED 1,663 PAUL & JOE Vector Floral Print Dress. Was AED 2,225 and now AED 1,558 ERDEM yayoi Strapless Dress. Was AED 12,495 and now AED 6,248 CELESTINA Red Abalone Shell Clutch. Was AED 3,330 and now AED 1,665 NICHOLAS KIRKWOOD Closed Toe Lace Bootie. Was AED 3,280 and now AED 1,640

Marni Boutique in 360 Mall has just released their newest cruise collection. Staying true to the brand’s refined eclectic designs, the pieces were quintessentially free-spirited chic. I wasn’t planning to buy anything because I’m planning to save some cash to spend on a couple of pieces I’ve been eyeing from their S/S 2011 collection. However, two pair of summery sandals/slippers messed up my calculations. They’re so simple yet quirky with their flat bows. The two-bow beige slipper is lined with a fabulous pop of color and very comfortable. I think they were priced at KD 132. The brown strappy sandals were very comfy and with a neutral color like that, you need not to worry about what to pair them with.

Winter sale has arrived on My Theresa where you'll find designer pieces up to 50% off. I have scanned through all the items on sale and picked my following favourites.  Vionnet floral print skirt with color highlights was  £663.47 and now £466.98 Nicholas Kirkwood Garrison Court Pumps. Were £501.00 and now £347.90 Stella McCartney Lace blend peplum top was £574.16 and now £398.93 YSL White t-shirt with illustrated logo was £165.87 and now £118.23 YSL Charm Leather Tote Was £646.46 and now £449.97 Alexander Wang Rocco mini duffle Was £848.90 and now £594.57 YSL leopard print silk scarf. Price tag? £ 233.92

I officially now have a thing for Dior . I went into the brand's boutique in Salhiya Complex only to be absolutely captivated by the sixties-chic/Brigitte Bardotesque inspired pieces from Christian Dior's Cruise collection 2011. Now I want you to scroll down and I will give you a moment to feast your eyes on this playful leather dress in confectionery pink embellished with a cute leather rosette. There. Isn't that the prettiest leather dress you have ever seen in your entire life? Price tag? KD 1,950. I also liked this lavender coloured long leather jacket with scalloped edges and knitted sleeves, but it felt more suitable for ladies in their 40's.  And thanks to Marion Cotillard's Dior ads, I'm now totally suckered  sucked into buying the Lady Dior bag. But maybe when I'm 50 years old... 

In case you didn't receive the memo, Net-a-Porter's international end of season sale  is now on! You can enjoy up to 50% off all your favourite designers including Louboutin, Isabel Marant, Balmain, Chloé, Stella McCartney, Lanvin, Jimmy Choo, Versace, Yves Saint Laurent and many, many more. Here are some of my favourite items. Erdem Silvia silk-chiffon dress. Was £1,693.41 Now £1,185.39 Gucci Ruched suede sandals. Was £437.87   Now £262.72 Equipment Washed silk shirt. Was £183.19 Now £109.91 3.1 Phillip Lim Edie bow-embellished leather bag. Was £473.61 Now £284.17 Jonathan Saunders Fontaine silk printed pleat skirt. Was £714.89 Now Elizabeth and James Snake-effect leather pumps Was £277.02 Now £193.91 Emilio de la Morena Silk-blend appliqué dress Was £2,095.53 Now £1,047.76 Rupert Sanderson Muscadet velvet pumps Was £437.87 Now £306.51 Elizabeth and James James jersey feather blazer Was £446.81 Now £268.09 Tabitha Simmons Camille suede pumps Was £7

MAC’s latest limited edition collection for the holidays: Tartan Tale was revealed in K-town 2 days ago. When I first laid eyes on MAC’s Tartan Tale, I instantly ruled it out based on the unattractive packaging (The tartan should only be allowed to be used if you happen to be Vivianne Westwood, Burberry, or the late Mcqueen), especially when MAC produced gorgeous packaging for their Venomous Villains , Hello Kitty , and beach collections .     However, I decided to give tacky packaging the benefit of the doubt, and after a closer inspection, I got sucked into the products. I must admit the products themselves are just fab, I think they’ll be snapped up like hotcakes. The little brush bags are my favorite products of the collection because for merely KD 23 you get to have 5 different brushes for applying eye shadow, foundation, etc… The normal brush usually sells for KD 14 ALONE. I also liked the eye shadow palettes metallic, smoky, and warm. There was also a set of 5 lip glasses th

Spotted these Chanel inspired lady-like dresses at Uterqüe in the Avenues Phase II. I think each dress was priced at KD 79.

There's a new boutique in K-town but unfortunately I don't have a lot of information about it. All I know is that it's called FAYM Boutique . And according to the owner who has emailed me a few snaps of the boutique that it offers trendy and contemporary clothes and accessories. I can see Wellington boots and a colorful selection of  Lulu Guinness's signature snakeskin lip clutches.  The Boutique is founded by Feras Abushaar and Yasmena Al Mulla. And it's located next to Soya Sauce Restaurant on the Gulf Road. 

Baraka is a label designed and made in Australia by Kath Fry. Her label was featured in the Australian edition of Vogue magazine last month and have had a lot of interest from customers and retailers in Middle East due to the story. The feature highlights how Baraka filled the cultural gap in the market for clothes that are modest yet beautifully made. I find it quite interesting for an international fashion magazine to address this vital issue in our region. I agree, it is challenging to find stylish clothes suitable for our Muhaja-babes (fashionistas who wear the head scarf). Some of my friends were over the moon last season when they witnessed the return of the maxi skirts/dress and wide-leg pants.  If you have the time, please click on the image to enlarge and read the article.

You take me higher and higher.. temptation... I'd probably need two personal assistants just to walk me around if I ever plan on wearing these extremely super high turquoise suede multi-strap platform sandals. But that's a risk I'm always willing to take when it comes to statement heels. Daaahling! That's fashion! . The 1st batch from Christian Louboutin's cruise collection is available now at Al Othman . 

Burberry  has designed an interactive card for the festive season featuring a Burberry Acoustic performance of "Can't complain about Christmas" by Johnny Borrell from Razorlight, who waived all fees in lieu of a generous donation to the Burberry Foundation and other charities.

WearEverYouAre.com selects the best under the radar e-stores from the four corners of the world in order to display the largest fashion showcase. Created by  27 years old french entrepreneur Leslie Sulman, WearEverYouAre.com connects you to unique and hard to find brands. Think multi-brand web stores, to vintage treasures, to eco-friendly labels. Even though the concept is a bit similar to Google boutiques , you won't get the same shopping results. I like the fact that WearEverYouAre.com introduces you to unfamiliar online shops in Denmark, Austria, Australia, and Canada. Worth checking out.  

Whenever I visit Beirut, the first boutique I go to is Starch located in Saifi Village. Starch is the brainchild of Lebanese designer Rabih Kayrouz and Tala Hajjar Khalaf (Kayrouz’s PR & Marketing Manager), where they nurture and bring together the finest collections from the brightest up-and-coming fashion designers Lebanon has to offer. Almost every 6 months, new designer are introduced. So I wanted to find out who’s been chosen this time. The boutique’s interior has been revamped since I last been there. I loved how the ceiling was covered in miles of what it looked like white wool threads to give the impression of starch I guess. There were leather handbags, accessories and some clothes on display by a group of different designers. One designer that caught my attention was Racha Elabbas . Her designs had a mix of eclectic Comme des Garçons shapes but with Marni-like colors. And to my luck, the designer herself was in-store (such a lovely person! Very down-to-earth She's