Confashions From Kuwait

I know I blogged about Celine' s holographic clutch last month, previous post here , I didn't know that it came in white as well until I was shopping at the brand's boutique in Dubai. This piece of beauty stopped me in my tracks! I was like " if I'm gonna rock the hologram trend this season, it's going to be with this baby! ". Dubai had the wallet version of the clutch, the clutch obviously was sold out. And I'm not surprised, the hologram shade of the white clutch looked divine!  So the moment I came back to Kuwait, I went to the brand's boutique to check if they have ever received it, much to my disappointment, they did actually receive it months ago and it immediately sold out. I don't think I'll ever find it anywhere else, but I'm keeping my eyes open...

This post is inspired by the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art , which will be holding an exhibition titled Punk: Chaos to Couture . The exhibit opens to the public on May 9th after the Met Ball, better known as the Oscars of fashion, which takes place on May 6th. No I will not go out with a Mohawk or get dressed head-to-toe in black leather, in fact I've found some really cool pieces to incorporate the trend and add a punch of edginess to my outfit without looking like I'm stuck in the 80's! Take for example this pair of fierce shoes by Haider Ackermann , the design of the shoes makes them ideal for that punk rock attitude, especially when paired with sleek and modern pieces in sophisticated grey, black and red color palette. And of course it wouldn't hurt to wear this skeleton cuff bracelet by... I don't know who. But if you're interested to see these two items up-close, visit Boutique 4 in Shuwaikh.

I just got this through my e-mail, Matches announced that all platforms of the business, including the 10 London stores and International website, will be known as MATCHESFASHION.COM to unify the brand. Tom and Ruth Chapman, joint CEOs of MATCHESFASHION.COM commented; ‘We are now a global omni-channel retailer and in order to deliver the best luxury fashion experience possible we are aligning all of our platforms under one brand name, MATCHESFASHION.COM . We believe this creates a seamless experience at every touch point for our clients worldwide.' 10 London stores?! Wow! I thought they only had one, which I previously posted about here . I always wonder if re-branding exercises are really as effective as consultants claim to be. In this example, I don't see the harm of having a new brad identity, I suppose the company is doing well after all. But in other cases of companies on the verge of going bankrupt, I just feel that re-branding would be pointless.

I was skimming through instagram when I saw a post by Style.com Arabia introducing its followers to a new Lebanese accessories designer Nathalie Trad . Her clutches looked Absolutely breathtaking! They're mostly made out of natural materials, think mother-of-pearl and natural wood, and designed in a way that made them look like deconstructed or raw pieces, with the exception of the boxed ones of course. I guess it's my love affair with accessories made out of mother of pear that attracted me to  Nathalie Trad 's clutches, as if the clutch just pulled a trigger inside my brain telling me to " get one.. NOW! ".  Born in Beirut and raised in Dubai, Nathalie Trad earned a BA from Paris’ ESMOD International. In 2008, she obtained a BBA in Design and Management from Parsons The New School for Design in New York and worked under the mentorship of Proenza Schouler . And in 2013 the designer decided to launch her first collection of leather handbags, shell clu...

Found out about this clip through here . Apparently Zac Posen designed a dress made of 24K gold, worth a whooping $1.5 million (!!), for Magnum Ice Cream’s new vanilla bean and salted caramel Gold bar. The gown made its debut at Tribeca Film Festival premiere of Magnum’s short film, As Good As Gold , starring actress Caroline Correa and True Blood’s Joe Manganiello.

Have we become so infatuated with new accessor y brands such as Ek Thongprasert and co, that we slightly side tracked the one who started it all, aka Marni ? I think so, but you know what? I took a closer look at Marni 's new collection of accessories at Harvey Nichols Kuwait the other day and I realized that Marni 's accessories never loose their charm. I bought my first necklace almost 8 years ago and I still wear it and it's in excellent condition. And now I'm eyeing this turquoise number, featured in the photo-above, it would be ideal to buy the three necklaces all together and wear them all at the same time.

Remember when I posted about Sauce Gifts shop back in February ( previous post )? The photos in my Feb post were sent to me by my dear friend, so I had to visit the place and check it out while I was in Dubai. The shop located opposite to Safa Park , Dubai's version of Central Park and a must-see next time you're there and when the weather is NOT humid. Sauce Gifts shop is a place where spending money is incredibly easy, without you noticing. I ended up buying a bunch of small gifts for my colleagues and friends. The shop also carried a fun and unique selection of homeware and house accessories. My favorite piece was the "split-personality" china plate, it reminded me of Red Sofa's designs, which I previously posted about here .

Spotted this checkered long jacket at Zara the other day and instantly remembered Louis Vuitton's Spring/Summer 2013 collection of white and yellow checkered dresses and skirts with matching tops, I'm loving this color combo! It just proves that checks don't always have to be black and white to look chic. And of course my vote goes to Louis Vuitton for its oversized pattern.

One bag that caught my fashion radar during S/S 2013 Fashion Week was Celine's rectangular leather fold-over clutch, better known as the Paper Bag. I was so eager to see it up close and personal, and I finally did when I was in Dubai a couple of weeks ago as you can see from the above photo. The bag very much resembles the work of Chanel's rendition of the Paper Bag a few seasons ago if my memory serves me right. It can carry all your essentials in your hand, under your arm or inside a larger bag. It pretty much looked like Celine 's trio-bag but with a roll-at-the-top detail. Beautiful! But the only drawback? How impractical it was to roll up and roll down the clutch every time I wanted to hold it, which made it somewhat impractical, but let's face it, when did "impractical" ever stopped us from loving and buying what we really want. If you're looking for a budget friendly version of this "it" bag, check out this link .  *Runway...

Celebrated for her quirky designs and floating platforms, Charlotte Olympia heels are the ultimate party shoes! When I first saw these styles at Boutique 4 , I wondered if I'd be daring enough to step out in skyscraper heels decorated with golden croissant or a pink french poodle. Surprisingly (or maybe unsurprisingly) I tried them on and immediately without an ounce of hesitation I thought to myself... I definitely would. Hmm... Not sure if I'd regret that a few years down the line...

Fall under the spell of this iconic Italian fashion label! Elegant and sophisticated, transform your wardrobe this spring with Valentino's exquisite details, soft silhouettes and covetable accessories by shopping here.

I have just received an e-mail about a new brand called TIMA® , the first Saudi fitness Sport brand name. Made in Brazil using top quality material, the brand is the brain child of Fatima Batook. TIMA® offers a selection of sleek sports clothes that are comfortable and appealing. You can find out more about the brand by clicking here . 

I was invited to the launch of ecru last night, which was held at Dar Al Funoon . ecru is a new Kuwait-based Homeware brand for those who enjoy simple luxuries. I have previously posted about the brand here . Dar Al Funoon was transformed into something very cozy and magical, the entrance was decorated with Rumi lanterns that spun with last night's lovely breeze. And the entire ambiance felt more like visiting a friend's home than an art gallery. Each corner was utilized to give a different view, as you'll notice as you scroll down. ecru 's selection of homeware gives you something a little bit different to add a touch of gorgeous charm to your home, all designed on the philosophy of beauty, comfort, and function. And it included all things nice for the home and garden, think pillow cases, napkins, stationary, serving trays and plates, lanterns, carpets, wall decoration, and even lounge wear. The perfect place to stock a wonderful range of gifts that you can ...

Since I'm too lazy to post an outfit of the day post, here's the next best thing, showing you my latest Summer additions to my wardrobe. I got these pair of kaleidoscopic and playful heels by Sophia Webster from AlOthman boutique last month. I finally started wearing them recently after getting a proper tan. They're so fun to wear especially if you're going out for dinner with friends or family, teamed with both colorful and plain outfits, or even with your favorite jeans. What I also like about these heels is that they have a cushioned sole, to ensure a comfortable fit. I'm also eyeing another pair, but I think one pair of Sophia Webster heels should suffice for now.

You've probably heard through friends or family that The Arab Women Awards took place last week at the Sheraton Hotel. Strangely, the event hardy received any coverage in the media. In fact, the only source which I found some info about the event was Kuwait Times . So I thought I'd spread the news even more and share it here on my blog, especially that two Kuwaiti designers from the fashion field were honored: Mrs. Souad J A Al-Sabah and Ms. Sara Al Ateeqi of Qumar 14 , whom I have previously featured her lovely work on my blog. Mrs. Souad J A Al-Sabah of Sirdab 6 won the Fashion Award for being the first Kuwaiti to transform the traditional Dara’a (caftan) into a modern day caftan. Her designs usually sell out within 15-20 minutes flat! So definitely her award is well deserved. It is worth mentioning that, Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad came to Kuwaiti specifically to hand Mrs. Al-Sabah the award, as seen in the photo above. The Arab Woman Awards have to-date rec...

Today I managed to go to Hala Expo event after I gave in to some peer pressure, in hopes of finding a fancy caftan for Ramadan. I was pleased when I first came in because it wasn't as crowded as I have imagined it to be. Maybe because it was the 2nd day of the event? Apparently the first day, which was yesterday, the hall was PACKED, the ATM machine broke down, and the walkways were hardly moving. Oh and by the way, most of the caftans that I've been eyeing the past couple of days were already sold out. But I still managed to find some other nice things, including caftans, such as clutches, hair accessories, home accessories and more. Allow me to share with you the highlights of the evening. In the first photo we have a nice everyday caftan by Kushtuban , in red, black, and off-white. Remember when I instagrammed about Shugar Ramadan collection? Well here's a close up of the cute caftan worn by the designer. Her pieces are very well tailored. Isn't that ...