DAS Collection Abayas Now at Harrods!

It's really great when young Muslimahs create a positive name for themselves in society, so it was awesome to find out that the one and only Harrods has now began to carry DAS Collection abayas by the Emirati designing duo, Hind and Reem Beljafla!

The sisters began designing abayas when they realized that there weren't many styles of abayas for women to choose from, at the time. They wanted to create stylish abayas that still remained true to their essence, "It never loses its identity - the target is to cover the woman's body so there is no harm in playing with the fabrics," says Reem.

Reem Beljafla has won "Best Business Woman of the Year" as well as "Best Design Business" at the Mohammed bin Rasid Awards for Young Business Leaders.

If you're in London, you can find the DAS Collection at Harrod's and you can check out all of the gorgeous abayas on their website: HERE

Here is a snippet of Hind Beljafla discussing entrepreneurship:


And here are some of the DAS Collection style abayas that made their debut during Dubai Fashion Week 2011.

Elie Saab Fall Couture 2010

"If a woman doesn't want 'rich,' she doesn't come to couture," is the statement Lebanese fashion designer Elie Saab made before the start of his Fall 2011 Couture show. Rich is a great way to describe the collection. Inspired by La Fenice, the legendary opera house in Venice, a phoenix that was burned down three times and rebuilt, the collection is chock full of rich red, orange, burnt Sienna and brown colors and is comprised of velvet, lace, silk and chiffon fabrics.

Cute Outfit

Kourtney Kardashian looked really cute at the opening day of the Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge. Kourtney kept it simple yet chic in a polka dot dress paired with wedges, which you can't really see in the pictures because of the maxi dress, and accessorized with a classic black Chanel bag and gold Cartier love bracelets. Her other half, Scott Disick was also very well dressed, as usual. I also like the way the girl standing next to Kourtney in the last pic chose to accessorize with the Hermes bag and scarf tied to it, and the Hermes belt.

You can totally hijabify Kourtney's look with a cute blazer or cardigan and a simple black or white hijab.

Scent of a Woman

I'm really luving Jo Malone's new perfume collection, Jo Malone Cologne Intense, created by Master Perfumer, Christine Nagel. Global General Manager at Jo Malone, Dominic De Vetta, says of the Cologne Intense Collection,

“Our olfactive signature is characterized by a simple composition that is distinctly modern- and we’ve brought this to the creation of Cologne Intense. We have embraced the richness and beauty of Middle Eastern culture, connecting with its ancient traditions and working with classic luxurious ingredients, but with the wit, elegance, and originality that is synonymous with Jo Malone.”

The collection comes in the following four scents, as described on jomalone.com:

Iris & White Musk : "Choose Iris & White Musk for an ethereal yet powerful scent that unites the floral of the Casablanca Lily, the smoothness of White Musk, and the creaminess of Tonka."

Amber & Patchouli "Amber & Patchouli is a deep, modern fragrance that combines the marriage of ambers, the beauty of the Magnolia Flower and the smokiness of agarwood and patchouli."

Rose Water & Vanilla said to be the "21st century translation of the traditional Arabian Rose Mokhalat imbued with a modern Jo Malone note." An elegant powdery scent that blends spicy sweet Orange Blossoms, the richness of Vanilla and an underlying smokiness from the agarwood."

Oud & Bergamot "Oud & Bergamot is a scent that fuses elegant lemon blossoms over this most powerful wood, combined with cedar and black musk in this original oud interpretation."

Each bottle from the Jo Malone Cologne Intense Collection costs $125.oo and is available exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue, Jo Malone shops worldwide and the Jo Malone website.

Mmmm the rose water makes me think of raha and baklava....

"Zuhair Murad is so dope"

is what Kim Kardashian tweeted yesterday while getting ready for the 2010 Teen Choice Awards. Kim K. wore a gorgeously embellished slinky, one-shoulder mini dress from Lebanese designer, Zuhair Murad. She accessorized her outfit with sky high black platforms and a simple black clutch.

For us Muslimahs, this look is great for an all-girls get together; I would have probably wore this dress with black tights cuz it's super short!

Zuhair Murad is one of my favorite designers. His dresses are all unique, feminine, glamorous and beautiful. Zuhair Murad is based in Beirut, Lebanon and much of his style influences come from the very city he is from, "Everything is unique here you see," Murad said during an interview with CNN. He also reveals, "The woman is the first thing that inspired me." She's always well-dressed, even on the street, even if she wears jeans or a T-shirt, she's always perfect."

Here is an interview Zuhair Murad had with CNN in Beirut. The first portion of the clip is an unrelated video showing art in Oman, which is also very beautiful to see, but the interview with Murad begins right after. Enjoy!

Ramadan Kareem!

Ramadan started yesterday August 11 and it is truly the most beautiful time of year. For those that are not aware of Ramadan, it's the most important time of year for Muslims. It is a month of fasting, prayer and zakat (almsgiving) and the best time for reflection and doing good.

Fasting is the fourth pillar in Islam and for good reason. By fasting, we learn to appreciate the value of food and drink by not having them from sunrise to sunset and we in turn become grateful for them. There are so many people and animals that go hungry on a daily basis due to poverty and homelessness and during Ramadan we become more aware of their feelings. If you are able to feed the hungry and help the poor and needy by donating, food, clothing or just simply helping someone out who may need you, it's truly an honor.

It is also importatnt to treat everyone with love and respect and forgive others, because remember nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes. If somebody has wronged you in the past, find a way in your heart to forgive them and if you have wronged someone else, you should ask for their forgiveness. The Prophet (ṣall Allahu ʿalayhi wa sallam) said, "A person only increases honour by forgiving."

Ensuring that our words, actions, and appearance are humble and respectable, along with everything else I discussed are attributes we should strive for on a daily basis, but if you haven't always done so in the past, it's never too late to start, during Ramadan especially.

Ramadan Kareem wa kul 'am wa intom bi alf alf khayr!

Eid Mubarak عيد مبارك

a day late, but nonetheless, Insha'Allah all of our fasts and good deeds during this past Ramadan will be accepted w kul sina w intu salmeen!

Photography Through the Eyes of Saudi Arabian Women

I wanted to share this with you guys because I'm a big fan of photography. It's such a great way to express yourself and convey emotions and thoughts without using any words. It's just beautiful. Anyhow, there was an exhibition held in Saudi Arabia put together by photographer, Rania Abdelrazek. The exhibit, entitled, "Photography Through the Eyes of Saudi Arabian Women," showcased photography by 30 amateur and professional photographers, including creator, Abdelrazek; the exhibit was also a platform to debut her first book with the same title.

The photographs are quite poignant, personal and really breathtaking. Here is a peak at some of the photographs featured. BBC World did an online slideshow of some of the pictures, so if you want to see more, you can visit their website HERE

And, if you would like to read more about Rania Abdelrazek, you can visit her website HERE

Kanzi Means Treasure

And that it is; so in luv with this brand right now! Kanzi is an abaya, jalabiya, evening gown and wedding dress brand created by Sheikha Amal al Maktoum and Raghda Taryam. Their designs are absolutely remarkable, unique and beautiful. The utilize a lot of Swarovski crystals, feminine colors and long, flowy patterns into their designs. Here are some pictures of their designs as well as clippings from Harper's Bazaar Arabia's August 2010 issue where Kanzi was featured. All photos are from their Facebook page. You can also visit the Kanzi website HERE.