Confashions From Kuwait

"What did this Corona crisis teach you?" my friend asked. My first thought was thing crisis has opened my eyes on the simple pleasures of life. My priorities have changed. And I feel every day is a new beginning. First of all, it made me realize how much I miss blogging. How simple and mentally satisfying it was to jolt down my thoughts on a field that I was very passionate about. I have to admit that I'm not as passionate now. Don't get me wrong, I still like fashion, but it's now on the bottom of my priorities list. I would like to blog about other things too that I feel much related to. I recently discovered that I do enjoy cooking. For the longest time, cooking to me was a nightmare.  This corona crisis has taught us that we can look forward to a new day with new possibilities to contribute or to help another, or to simply approach things differently, and most importantly to make the most of each day we have and share that goodness with others.

Words of Wisdom...

During my stay in Beirut, I made sure to check out the Finnish Design Exhibition , promoting designers from Helsinki, and The Dutch Design Exhibition , which featured 12 Dutch design studio. Both exhibitions were held at Beirut Souks as part of the activities of Beirut Design Week .  Beirut Design Week is an initiative of the MENA Design Research Center, a Beirut-based non-profit organization launched in 2012, that has developed an established annual platform to network, share knowledge, and showcase creative talents in order to strengthen the creative economies, develop entrepreneurship, and promote Lebanon’s innovative culture. Visiting those two exhibitions were a fantastic refresher on something that has started to interest me greatly, interior home decoration. Personally I love the whole Scandinavian, nordic, and Dutch designs and try to be inspired by their creativity. I already took notes on how to decorate my new home and what to buy. I'll share with you in this ...

I had the pleasure of attending a charity photography exhibit today, held at Al Tilal Gallery, showcasing a collection of photos taken by The 11 ,  an active group of eleven Kuwaiti photographers,  during a trip to Vietnam in 2014. The groups of 11 photographers were selling all photographs, including a coffee table book featuring the full photo library during the exhibit. What's very nice a generous about their charitable event is that all proceeds from sales will be donated to The Kuwait Center for Autism. What I loved about their portrait photos of the people living in that part of the world, is that you can actually feel the mood of each photo, they're something surreal about seeing people with a completely different culture in their natural habitat, observing their surroundings, and in my case, getting a close look at their traditional fashion. Everything, from the silver hand-made jewelry, to the embroidered details of the clothes, was quite captivating to me. I...

After the positive feedback Seham Studio received during its first showcase at The White Expo, almost all of the brand's merchandise was sold out according to our trusty resources ;), I have decided to write a proper post about  Seham Studio 's  debut collection.  Kuwait-based brand  Seham Studio  is the brainchild of four focused, passionate and hands-on sisters with a single focus: to deliver trendy, budget-friendly, and fun kids kaftans, all while making sure they're having some fun doing it. The fabrics used in their designs are sourced from Kuwait, Europe, and USA. What I like about their designs is that most of the creations presented during the exhibition are good enough for both Ramadan and the entire summer. The separates can easily be paired with other wardrobe-staples. And all of their designs are accessories with either a necklace, a brooch, or cute motifs.  Scroll down to have a closer look at their designs. You can find out more o...

I can't get over the playfulness and the quirky coolness of Phoebe Philo's Céline collection for pre-fall 2015 pieces. The wool-like tank top was layered over a one-shoulder vest, and the long oversized white top was decorated with red tribal-like embroidered motifs are on my top of my wish list for the next season, and they're exactly what I would want to wear. Practical, overly chic, and easy to incorporate to my wardrobe. What else could I ask for?

I was beyond thrilled and honored when the representative of  the world's most famous department store    Harrods contacted me to participate in their # MyGreenMan campaign.  Basically I was sent a special and iconic figurine synonymous with the brand, a Harrods Green Man, all the way from UK, to celebrate The Vogue Festival 2015 . To participate I had to share photos on my social media account of the  pocket-sized Green Man on my travels  and in my own settings. Only 550 pieces were made of the green man and were sent to select family and friends of  Harrods    around the globe. So I feel very lucky to be among this group! An icon the world over, there has been a  Harrods  Green Man on duty at every door of London’s most luxurious department store for more than 100 years.  I have chosen to showcase  # MyGreenMan  within the settings of one of my favorite local brands called ecru  and matched h...

I have finally managed to visit Al Shaheed Park the other day, the largest urban park in Kuwait. Honestly when they first started constructing the place I was quite annoyed because I usually go there for long walks, and when they had to shut it down for renovations I was like "Great!! Now they're going to ruin it and turn it into concrete jungle!! Nothing gets preserved in this place!". Little did I know. I had very low expectations, and the moment I stepped inside the park I was beyond impressed by its landscaping, tidiness, and how serene it looked! Of course so far there aren't any cafes or restaurants open yet, which is why it's even more appealing to me now. I hope Starbucks and co won't open there as this would just kill the whole ambiance. As for the park's rules, I'm actually very happy they had imposed such rules like no smoking, no BBQing, no rollerblading... etc. As the place is considered to be a cultural hub and a place for reading or...

Day by day, I'm starting to believe that Fashion  designers are becoming boring. Look at this!! Kind of, dare I say, monotonous and barely inciting. Wouldn't you say?!? Where are the glamorous and dramatic gowns and pieces I used to see on Valentino's window display! Come back! We miss you!

I wish you a happy, fabulous, and fashionable New Year! I'm sharing with you one of my favorite outfits for 2014, which you will find all its details here . So they age-old question which must be asked now is, what is your new year's resolution? I have so many that I'm sure I'll end up sticking to none. However, the ones related to my blog would be to post more Outfit of the Day posts . I love dressing up and experimenting with clothes, but I don't always have the time to photograph myself with the automated option on my camera, nor do I have a professional photographer hired to follow me around 24/7. Plus the fact that I'm not blessed with photogenic poses (selfies are a nightmare to me!). You may roll your eyes now, such a first world problem! huh? Anyhow, will work on that.  A big hug to all of you for all your support and dedication. It’s going to be a very, very exciting 2015…. promise! Photo credit: @meemalessa

So my little visits to Souk Al Mubarakiya came with some BIG surprises! Like this store I came across which sold designer-knock-offs. I was completely baffled by the amount of top-notch designer accessories on display, from the fake Chanel-ized window display to cramped shelves stocked with fake goods. The Dior sneakers??? I myself couldn't tell if they were original or fake!! According to the sales guy, they get a lot of people shopping at his store for mostly Chanel shoes & bags, Dior sneakers, and Prada bags. "They can get them at a fraction of the price of the real thing", he explained to me, stating the obvious of course. As I scanned the goods in disbelief, I noticed that they were still relatively expensive! Dior fake sneakers for KD 95?! No thank you, I prefer my good ol' budget-friendly converse sneakers anyways. How do you feel about designer knock-offs? Would you or wouldn't you give in?  I guess Olivia Palermo forgot her customize...