Confashions From Kuwait

E-mails that come from different parts of the world, especially far far away, really make my day. I have just received and e-mail from António , a fashion illustrator who lives in Oporto city in Portugal, and works as a freelance illustrator. I'm not sure if he already knew how obsessed I am with fashion illustration or simply wanted a medium to spread the word in our region about his amazing talent, but he shared with me part of his recent illustration project and it's absolutely amazing.  António  completed his degree in Fine Arts (painting) at the School of Fine Arts of the University of Porto. Since then, he has devoted his time painting and illustration as well as to artistic education. In fact, fashion illustration came about at the time he was teaching that subject of the Fashion Design course at CITEX.  If you're looking for an illustrator, you may contact him by sending an e-mail to antoniocarlosoares@hotmail.com .

The much anticipated bi-annual NET-A-PORTER.COM season sale  has just begun with pieces up to 50% off   your favorite designers including Gucci, Isabel Marant, Christopher Kane, Mary Katrantzou, Jonathan Saunders and Alexander McQueen.  Shop the SALE here .

Want to be ahead of the fashion curve? Get this Ceramic bow tie by Cor Sine Labe Doli available now to purchase online here . I remember posting about them previously when I first discovered them at Boutique 4 but I think they're sold out by now. 

Last week I passed by Missoni Hotel Kuwait and was surprised, in a good way, with its main lobby decorations for the festive season. I think what attracted me the most was the christmas tree ornaments covered in Missoni's signature knitted patterns. They looked absolutely beautiful! Such a smart way to brand a Christmas Tree! It would have been nicer if the wrapping paper of the gifts placed under the tree had a  Missoni  look and feel to them. 

I spotted this shopper bag at Zara the other day and it immediately reminded me of Balenciaga's ‘Papier’ bag . If my memory serves me right it was price at KD 30. 

The cargo pants. My everyday look in the mid 90's, when I first went to college. My first pair were of course by Maharishi which had a huge colorful embroidery on the side. I  My mother purchased them for me from Villa Moda for KD 60 or 70 I think, back then that was a lot of money. So I had to beg for months to have them.  I wore them with my denim jacket until they got worn out.  Such a sad, sad day when I finally had to part with them. And do you remember when Nicolas Ghesquiere brought cargo back to Balenciaga  in 2002 when he sent models down the runway in stunning silk pants in khaki and pink? They were way above my budget so I settled for an inspired-by- Balenciaga pair from Mango .  Now 10 years later, I was thrilled to see the comeback of the cargo pants when I received an invite from Panacheous Boutique for a private preview of their new adults and kids collection of Maharishi, they came in light fabric for th...

Fendi.com has added an exclusive column entitles Fendi Confidential  curated by renowned stylist and Fendi Insider Charlotte Stockdale . The mini blog series will be a personal account of what happens in the Fendi world through Charlotte's eyes which will include imagery, video clips, backstage scenarios and personal street style pictures.

It seems that Ek Thongprasert necklaces are still selling like hot cakes! I was checking out Boutique N's latest collection where they received the new styles from Belgium-based brand. I know this may sound like a broken record but I was honestly convinced that I don't really need yet another silicon necklace! I have four already, and one of them I rarely ever wear! But of course all that went straight out of the window the moment I saw the one silicon necklace studded with holographic cubic zirconia, shown in the photo before last, and of course it had to be the most expensive one out of allllll the new pieces! And of course there was the red chain necklace designed in collaboration with one of my style icons Natasha Goldenberg, shown in the last photo. And that's, my dear readers, consumerism at its best. 

Today I passed by Discovery Mall to attend the opening of a new multi-brand boutique called Threads & Trends . I loved the fun interior of the boutique, everything is inspired by sewing. Think buttons hung as well decoration, colorful  sewing spools used as wall hangers, sewing machines turned into mini vintage TV screens, and stitches on the floor. The selection is quite big for a relatively small boutique, almost all of the stuff on display fall under the casual chic category. Not sure what the price point is, but it's sure worth a visit if you ever got fo Discovery Mall. You can view some pieces on display through my instgaram account @confashions. 

Sarah’s Bag , one of the Middle East’s foremost social entrepreneurship brands known for its celebration of Arab and Lebanese pop culture, has joined forces with collector and author of the book Pure Nostalgia , Imad Kozem . The handbag and accessories label will launch a limited edition collection of printed bags, accessories and jackets inspired by the culture, kitsch and nostalgic memories of the 1950s - 1980s as featured in Kozem’s book. The collection will be launched at  Sarah’s Bag  boutique during ‘A moment of Pure Nostalgia’ soiree held on the 18th of December at 3pm. Follow Sarah’s Bag on Facebook and @SarahsBag on Twitter and Instagram for a sneak peek of the Pure Nostalgia collection.

The MATCHESFASHION.COM sale has begun! Shop part one now with up to 50% off your favourite designers including Christopher Kane , Mary Katrantzou , Jonathan Saunders and Alexander McQueen. Shop here now . 

If getting into the festive mood is on your menu this year, here's a funky alternative to the been-there-done-that x-mas sweater, a silver embellishment on a red bomber jacket by the budget-friendly Zara . The embellishment looked quite decent for a high-street store, and it will definitly keep you chic and cozy in Kuwait's chilly weather. Just make sure not to pair it with green pants, we want to avoid the going-for-the-christmas-tree-ornament look puhlease! Price tag? KD 35.500.

I wish I never found out about Katherine Wallach Jewelry , because now I'm officially obsessed with her unusual and quirky cool designs, and what makes things worse is that most of the her designs that I liked cost an arm and leg! Like this " Mind the gap " brooch slash pendant. This piece is inspired by the designer's journey of being a gapped-toothed person. According to the site,  this 14-karat Gold and Cameo brooch idolizes what some may consider a flaw. Its frame draws from the framework of the mirrors in Versailles. And if the name of the designer sounds familiar, that's because it is!  Katherine Wallach   is also an actress, known for Goodfellas (1990), Gangs of New York (2002). View  Katherine Wallach  collection and get a closer look of this masterpiece by clicking here .

A new event for art-loving people hosted by  Design Diwan , Find out more by clicking on Save the Date page.

Now that we have finally started wearing our winter clothes, I suddenly can't wait for the warmer climate to arrive and for the winter shoes and boots get stored away, only to be replaced with cheerful summery shoes. I spotted these killer heels on the window display of Dior at the Grand Avenue and I fell head-over-heels in lust with their playfulness, their bright colors, and their not-so-classic design. I honestly don't know if they're from the brand's new resort collection or from previous season, all I know is that I want to wear them NOW. 

Master chic city dressing with classic denim, tailored jackets and wear-anywhere dresses from Michael Michael Kors , New York diffusion label. Also check out the site for an up to 85% Off sale on 250+ designers in the THE OUTNET Clearance !

I've never been so ready for resort as I am now, especially after seeing the resort 2014 collection already in-stores at the Prada's boutiques in Kuwait. Those bags, covered in technicolor/Hawaiian floral prints, had me lusting for some serious wrist candy. I'd safely say that they deserve an "it" bag status for the new season.

There's just something about pearls I connect with. I have a thing for them. They way the pearl gleams against ray lights, the timeless appeal of it, and the many many ways you can accessorize with, like with shoes. I've been waiting for these beyond gorgeous  Nicholas Kirkwood  heels to hit K-town for like forever. So when they finally arrived I felt like on cloud number nine. The mini pearl-trimmed suede pumps comes with a gigantic floating pearl heel feature. It feels very Chanel-ish. I immediately paired they with my pearls embellished boy-friend jeans, I wasn't planning to go for a matchy-matchy look, so I toned it down with a plain tee and a wrap-around neck shawl.  You can shop these  Nicholas Kirkwood   heels here or at Harvey Nichols Kuwait .