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.
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!
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.
On October 19th, Swarovski Elements launched Jawaher, the newest luxury in Arabian fashion. The brand transforms home decor, jewelry and traditional dress into bedazzled style. Jawaher is the Arabic word for jewel. Abayas, sheilas and cellphones are among the many items being bedazzled by fashionistas and bling luvers everywhere, so this launch is quite fitting.
Jawaher features top couture designers from the gulf region including; UAE’s Sweet Lady, Kanzi, Alessandra Rich, Aristeo, Ziad Antoun, Aiisha Ramadan, Toujouri, Biyan, Eric Choong, Melinda Looi, Biyan and Dato Tom Abang Saufi and Rasha Khouri from Dia Boutique.
The Jawaher exhibition will be showcased to the public from October 20th-November 1st 2010 at 24 Great Marlborough St. in London. For more info, click HERE
Yves Saint Laurent has a new face for its Spring 2011 Collection and her name is Arizona Muse. Photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin shot the advertisement campaign in the gardens of a 1930s villa in Marrakech's Palmeraie resort.
Yves Saint Laurent was an Algerian born French fashion designer whose culture and heritage very much influenced his art. He even bought a home in Morocco which he named "Villa Mabrouka," meaning House of Luck.
“I owe my boldness to this country. I feel like this culture has become my own culture: I wasn’t simply content to import it, but I also wanted to integrate, transform and adapt the heritage of Morocco,” said Laurent about his beloved country of origin.
I forgot to post these pics up from a pictorial in Vogue Turkey's December issue entitled 'Hurrem Sultan 2010.' Maryna Linchuk modeled an Arabian princess/harem inspired shoot photographed by Ellen von Unwerth. The pix came out pretty.
Cosmopolitan Magazine is heading to the Middle-East!
Publisher, Hearst Magazines says that the magazine, "will be aimed at a young, female audience and will offer its fun and fearless readers information on every aspect of their lives from fashion and beauty, to relationships and romance, to the latest on women's health and well-being, as well as what's happening in pop culture and entertainment."
Cosmopolitan Middle-East will be published in English and will be the magazine's 62nd international edition. It will be available across the Persian Gulf and in Lebanon starting March.
I think it's great to hear success stories of other sisters and I came across Dareen Hakim's story as well as her gorgeous line of handbags and wanted to share them both with you!
Dareen Hakim is a Lebanese handbag designer however she started out in the corporate industry and worked on Wall Street, for ten years, in finance. She made the transition to fashion because that is her true passion. For two years, Hakim had the opportunity to work at L'Oreal and it turned out to be a great learning experience. In the meantime, she was creating her own brand, Hakim decided to go with handbags because, "...they work for any woman, any attitude, any age, and any type. Handbags are also season-less, whether you buy the newest hip launch or pull out your mother's vintage bag from twenty years ago. They are still relevant and at the very least a cool statement piece."
I really luv how she integrated the Arabic calligraphy into her bags with really beautiful messages like "Smile and the world will smile back at you," and "habibi" (my love, in Arabic).
The bags Hakim creates are one of a kind and beautiful. In fact, if you visit her website, you have the option to customize your very own bag!
*All photos are from the Dareen Hakim Collection facebook page.
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!
