Withdrawal

First and foremost, Ramadan Kareem to one and all. While most members of the Dubai society are fasting (foodwise), I have decided to give my bank account a break - I'm on a shopping fast.

The only difference is that I don't get to binge at the mall as soon as the sun sets. This is going to run through the entire month of Ramadan. As I type this, my heart is almost seizing but I have to push through and give this a shot. Usually I give something up for Lent, but for some reason, possibly the fact that I'm living in a Muslim country, Lent came and went without me noticing, so instead, I'll make my sacrifice during Ramadan.

What I hope to achieve is an understanding of what motivates my spending behaviour. I want to see if shopping till I drop really is something I need to do, or even want to do. I plan to monitor how magazine advertising affects my impulses and see if window displays in my favourite stores (bloomies oh bloomies)can pull at my heartstrings and inspire a spontaneous purchase.

So we are into Day 3 of my fast, no impulses yet (must have something to do with me watching Precious this morning and not actually leaving my building)

...watch this space...we'll see what inspires outside of the world of consumerism!

Meet the father of couture

Although luxury fashion as we know it today is usually attributed to Italy and France, we have to recognize the global influence that made the industry what it is today. Coming from the least likely upbringing (a family of solicitors)an Englishman by the name of Charles Frederick Worth migrated to Paris with five pounds and a dream to conquer the world of dressmaking. As laughable as it was at the time for a man to take on a traditionally female role, he took the ridicule in his stride and introduced fashion mainstays such as models, personal shopping, seasonal collections, celebrity endorsement and haute couture.

To dream such a big dream and make such an impact on the world of fashion meant uprooting himself from his impoverished menial background (his father abandoned the family after losing his wealth due to gambling)and moving to France without any knowledge of French, let alone an education to speak of. He immersed himself into the world of art where he noticed the evolution of fashion in the paintings and fashion magazines. Strategic partnerships with wealthy financiers and French royalty saw the rise of the structure of our modern day fashion houses.

Charles Frederick Worth - Role Model!


s

Gold Jimmy Choo

I think I'm in love with my shoe
I was sure that it felt the same, too
'till it happened to mention
with heartless intention
"I'm dating a gold Jimmy Choo"

by Tamara Mellon

London College of Fashion comes to UAE

Just what the doctor ordered!
I was in a state of turmoil - utter boredom with the daily humdrum and desperate to get a glimpse into the world of luxury brand management, then lo and behold, I stumble into an article stating that LCF is offering short courses in Dubai (costing an arm and a leg ofcourse - otherwise it just wouldn't be Dubai)!

So I sacrificed my left arm to pay for the course and lost my right arm to intense sketching for a whole morning when Dr Pascal Portanier instructed us to come up with 10 product designs!

WHAAAAAAT? when was the last time I drew anything recognizable??? the answer would be never! But I knuckled down with the enthusiasm of a hopeful novice. And hey! things started to fall into place - from basic shapes to something that actually showed a creative knack and met the approval of the venerable professor!


London+College+of+Fashion+comes+to+UAE

Funds from Fashion

We are a team of people who have a passion for fashion and would like to use this platform to gather aid for female run, African businesses that are contributing to the world of fashion and design.

check out and join my team: http://www.kiva.org/team/funds_from_fashion

The Jimmy Choo Story

I'm only a quarter way through this gem of a book and I'm hooked. An unexpected diversion into the Vidal Sassoon story actually sheds light on how brands are created, sustained and if mismanaged can fall into peril. Then in comes Tamara nee Yeardye with her keen eye for fashion a family with money and connections and a father with a knack for making things happen and voila, Jimmy Choo is no longer a middle class shoemaker, he is a (reluctant) celebrity...

I have to read on to get into this juicy story, but from what I can tell, jealousy, greed and family politics make this story even more compelling. Every time I open my closet I'm definitely going to know the story behind my choo's.





After I finish this I need to get my hands on Diane Von Furstenberg and Coco Chanel's stories for inspiration (I plan on owning a luxury brand very soon!) and for a little bit of drama, the story of Guccio Gucci is said to be quite sordid!

Simpsons meet couture

It would be great to see the Freej grannies in couture gowns.

Lady Gaga Fashion (Official Soundtrack Release)

Flurry of fashion!

This week has been a busy one in the Dubai fashion scene!

The Grazia style awards attracted the well heeled in Dubai, at the Address Dubai Marina.
Meanwhile in the vicinity of the other Address, Downtown Burj, the long awaited Armani hotel was opened in the Burj Khalifa.

Unfortunately I was not on the guestlist for the momentous event of a first for the Armani brand, however, the pictures of the hotel that have been published show a very minimalistic, clean, crisp interior....very UnDubai, which i must say is a relief. The Burj Al Arab and the Emirates Palace style of decor are only palatable in small doses.

Exquisite Ezra

UAE based talent has reached new heights. Ezra, a Filipino designer with a knack for exuberant expressions of fashion flair has certainly raised the bar for the quality of fashion coming out of the region. His show earlier this week themed "in the beginning" was reminiscent of the garden of Eden with snake like couture slithering down the runway, dresses befitting a temptress with Swarovski crystals dripping off well tailored seams.

This breath of fresh air was much needed for the local fashion scene after the mediocre quality of couture witnessed at the Dubai Fashion Week.

Good job Ezra! your next mission...if you choose to accept it... my wedding dress!

Viktor & Rolf RTW Fall 2010

Viktor & Rolf RTW Fall 2010

How surprisingly refreshing! Who would have thought that a show so devoid of colour could ellicit such an inspired reaction from me? I appreciate black clothing and ocassionally I'll wear it, but colour dictates the contents of my wardrobe so to watch a show that had no colour and LOVE it, is something to be noted!

I couldn't have asked for a richer treat as I went about my daily morning routine which consists of cardio exercise whilst watching fashion TV. The combination of fashion meets art meets showmanship was truly a spectacle to behold, particularly having attended a number of shows within Dubai that purely lacked the creativity that was exemplified in V&R's RTW Fall masterpiece.

Granted I'm slightly biased towards the duo due to their intoxicatingly sweet "flower bomb" fragrance, packaged in a grenade shaped bottle, however, they proved themselves despite my leanings.

What impressed me mostabout the runway show was the style of exhibition of their artform. The collection itself was also far from dull. They gave us a glimpse of the craft of designing. They were part of the show both in the back and foreground, lending a touch of reality to the usual hum-drum of waif coat hangers strutting their gangly legs down an endless runway. I was particularly drawn to the industrial feel of the show where you felt like you were part of the process. Watching the designers undress and dress the models brought an element of authenticity to the show because the designer's hands were physically on the clothing structuring each look especially for the audience as they watched.

Very well done! I almost burst into applause at the end of the show - good thing i didn't because a fall from the elliptical machine would have been a little less than graceful. Definitely looking forward to their next collection!

Dubai Fashion Week A/W 2010

The 7th installment of the Dubai Fashion week found me attending the Iconic show which was very well attended. The recently opened megastore sits in old Dubai in Deira City cnetre and offers every type of Fashion with over 200 brands spanning from the affordable high street fashion to more niche, cult brands and the premium brands that get Dubai shoppers excited.

I enjoyed the show and will be interested in what the in-store experience is like. In the next few months, I'll be trawling through the myriad of fashion outlets in Dubai to experience the brand offering.I want to see what's out there, for whom and how is it offered to them.

The TIA by Soraya and Ajay show was good to see because of the strong local influence. The colours were vibrant, almost to the point of shocking. The Sari's were less traditional and were probably designed for opulent occasions of which Dubai does not have a shortage of!

This show was less well attended which was a surprise, perhaps because it was late at night (close to 11pm) on a Saturday. Maybe it was because they didn't have goodie bags!

Although its been running for 7 years now, the Fashion week here still has a long way to go. There is no real buzz generated around it which is something worth exploring since the city is so label and fashion crazed. Its almost as though this event is only targeted at people in the fashion industry. I personally didn't come across any sort of messaging around it.

There are some positive aspects about the fashion week in Dubai, the main one being that it is totally supportive of local talent. If they were to bring in the more established brands from Europe, it would not allow for these local brands to flourish as we would witness the flea market effect of everyone flocking to the European brand shows and ignoring the local brands.

I look forward to the next Dubai Fashion Week!

Dubai Fashion Week

Louis Vuitton Flea Market

I've been visiting the Dubai Mall very frequently since the day they flung their doors open due to my apartment's close proximity to it, I find myself in the mall for the smallest of needs, like buying stamps to my bi-weekly visits to the supermarket, shopping fixes or funnily enough, even Scuba diving (I recommend the Shark encounter for the brave).

So in short, I've seen the mall transform into a bustling shopping venue which is a far cry from the early days when barely a quarter of the stores were open for Business. My favourite section of the mall is the Fashion Avenue where you will find an atrium with Armani Caffe as the centrepiece majestically surrounded by an impressive collection of the finest designers, namely Hermes, Dior, Chanel, Versace,Dolce & Gabanna to mention a few.

In my search for a comfortable pair of "every day shoes" I had visited Bloomingdales - a must do for any discerning lover of fashion! The search was fruitless but strangely fulfilling in a way, as every one of my visits to the store tends to be, mainly because I get a sense of how the local community and tourists respond to brand messaging and merchandising.

From Bloomie's I made a beeline to the Fashion Avenue only to find that the Chanel store was closed. Despite the windows being boarded up and a sign on the door notifying customers that the store was closed for renovation, 3 Emirati ladies, obviously determined to buy some Chanel that day, still pushed the door open to find that no, it wasn't an April fool's joke, the store was actually empty. It will be interesting to see why and how they have changed the store - strategy strategy strategy!

Next stop...Louis Vuitton!In earlier days, all you had to do was so much as glance in the direction of the store and the doorman will be welcoming you in...NOT SO on this day. Apparently there were too many customers in the store, so they were controlling the flow of traffic. Now this news didn't settle well with a couple who arrived at the door just before I did, because apparently this had happened to them the day before as well. Luckily I didn't have to wait long but once inside I really felt my heart sink!

Where is the exclusivity? Where is the ambiance? Where is that that sense of uniqueness that one seeks when they shell out thousands for a genuine designer product. The LV store, in all honesty had transformed into a flea market - I had to block my ears for fear of hearing people haggling for discounts. The hushed tones and elegance of the store gave way to raised voices and harrowed sales attendants unable to keep up with the demands of each customer....

Disappointing. The brand image is slightly tarnished in my head, although a saving grace came in the form of the new print ads that were produced by Ogilvy featuring Annie Liebowitz and Mikhail Baryshnikov, shying away from the overexposed flashy celebrity endorsements to a subtly styled ode to the heritage of the brand.
http://www.louisvuittonjourneys.com/annie

Perhaps its the thirst for Heritage that the Dubai shoppers are after in a place so full of newness! Perhaps!

Trip to the tailor

My trip to the tailor was planned to the finest detail, knowing that the fabric stores close at 1:30 and open again between 4:30 and 5:00 (nobody has been able to explain to me what they do during that time since all stores now have air conditioning so its not too hot to work!), I made sure to arrive as the stores were opening. This would ensure that I would have a relaxed shopping experience without worrying about lethargic sales people and crowds of people disturbing my long anticipated experience.

1st of all, finding the right fabric was an insurmountable challenge. They were either too this or too that, not enough this and not enough that. I was quite shocked at the lack of availability of what I had in mind. Having said this, I finally settled on a beautiful Italian made fabric, and instantly I began to feel the buzz...the adrenaline of the potential of seeing my vision through started pumping through my veins...oh the joy! But not so fast...the fabric wasn't long enough, so the gentleman serving me casually told me that he can have the full length delivered to my tailor that evening. One thing that has to be said about Dubai is that you can have anything delivered anywhere, and most of time for no additional charge!

Although this practice is commonplace, the sceptic in me refused to settle down so I attempted to put her at ease by asking as many questions as I could think of about the process and the level of guarantee.

I parted with my hard earned money, took all the contact details, perhaps the only thing I didn't get from him was a swab of his DNA! So I happily make tracks to the tailor with my design in hand - a combination of a Tory Burch and a Vivienne Westwood dress I saw on Net-a-porter. Halfway through my conversation with the tailor, giving him specific details about the fit that I wanted, I get the dreaded call! They have run out of stock at the warehouse and it will take an indefinite amount of time to ship the fabric to Dubai.

Horror of horrors! My second choice had to suffice so now its down to the fit! Wednesday is the reveal day....till then I anticipate my Bespoke experience with bated breath!

How to spend it!

I've found my new home!


http://www.howtospendit.com

I'm so impressed by this site. Perhaps its the new toy syndrome that's getting me all giddy but what's not to love about this site?

Perhaps its the disappointment of trying to watch videos on the Luxury Channel site, particularly the ones on the Dubai lifestyle and not having a fast enough broadband!

Am I the ONLY person in dubai without a TAILOR

Am I the only person at the address without a tailor????

Apparently!

Clearly, the residents of the Address are the type of people that seek luxury and quality so it was with great interest that I ventured to ask where the tailors in Dubai are located. A certain resident with an affinity with the darker hues favours the ones located in Jumeirah Beach Hotel...(that must cost a pretty penny), then there are the more cost conscious who use the tailors in Satwa and somewhere in between you'll find the ones in Bur Dubai. So when you have 6 independent conversations where you're told "I'm going to the tailor later" you really have to wonder what you're missing out on.

I did a little digging around and found out that Mina Bazaar was the place to go! The best tailors for Women is said to be Dream Girl Tailors, and a fantastic fabric store is Ratti or Handloom House - both located in the Bazaar.

In my quest for the most luxurious experiences the town has to offer, I'll indulge myself with the pleasure of a personal tailor!

Embarrasment of Riches

Dubai is synonymous with excess...nothing exceeds like excess. The concentration of wealth in this single emirate could probably rival that of the entire continent of Africa. I'm not to be quoted on this, it is just an observation on my part. As I was reading articles on my latest ponderings(Hip hop and Luxury brands), I realised that most of what denotes luxury is inextricably connected to Africa. Now when one thinks about Luxury, one would easily look at them as polar opposites, there is no connection there whatsoever, and if one really challenged themselves they would stretch their imagination to consider Sir Richard Branson's Elite Ulusaba Private Game Reserve as the only luxurious type of luxurious offering.

Lets break it down to the core. The raw materials of Luxury have Africa written all over them. Take a look at a typical hip hop artist who sings about luxury and lives and breathes luxury (for as long as they are in the lime light). What do they wear? Gold chains, gold teeth, platinum chains, platinum rings, diamaond earrings, diamond encrusted watches...the list goes on!

If it weren't for Africa, what would be so luxurious about luxury? The sad thing about Africa is that it possesses an embarassment of riches and sits in poverty. There's a Shona saying, when loosely translated says..."don't die of thirst when you're standing in a river"

...and then she wept

Bloomingdale's in Dubai Mall is a feast for the eyes. Pleasure unparalleled and yet so torturous at the same time when you want everything but you can't have it (hence the weeping). I only got a chance to visit this awesome wonder a week after it opened and for such a short sweet 20 minutes. The splendour that quenches my thirst for luxury. I was merely smitten by Harvey Nichols but Bloomies, well Bloomies is my new Valentine.

Hands down to Al Tayer group for bringing Bloomies to my world. A career with Al Tayer may just be where I'm headed! BUT first,Bocconi!

Charitable Fashion

When fashion meets charity, its a unique combination where vanity and humanity coincide. There seem to be no losers in this game. The only thing that can be questioned is the motive or personal agenda of the vain. There have been countelss collaborations between luxury fashion and meaningful causes but the results have been overwhelming positive. Some of my personal favourites are the Signorelli Omni Peace tees!!!! And Naomi is the Greatest Model of All Time!!!!!

Karama!

I remember promising to go to Karama for some field research on fakes but I still haven't gotten round to it. My Aunt however, gave it 2 goes! Well a lesson is to be learned here...Karma took over Karama. The whole idea behind Karma is "what goes around, comes around" Well it went something like this. A fake Louis Vuitton travel case was purchased and as soon as it got home, caused such severe dissatisfaction that another had to be purchased to pacify the offending object's distaste. The replacement was of better quality and less offensive to the eye but a counterfeit remains a counterfeit and as the say...You buy cheap, You buy twice!

I would still like to go to Karama, despite my research having been done for me already.

So as much as immitation is the most sincere form of flattery, fakes wouldn't be so offensive if they weren't so tarnished in craftsmanship and ethics.

Italia!

The sun has set on another beautiful day at the Address Hotel, where the staff knows me by name. On two occassions I had to reactivate my room key today and couldn't decide how I felt about the fact that 1) The residence receptionist knew my surname, and furthermore how to pronounce it, and 2)that her colleague knew my apartment number. Granted I've lived here for 9 months but my humility doesn't allow me to acknowledge that I am indeed memorable even in the most modest way. There's nothing better than having the car door opened for you and the porters and security say "welcome back." This is the stuff that luxury is made of. Sure there can be more personalisation, far beyond the welcome message on the TV screen and your name on the phone display, but certainly one can't deny that it gives the feeling of being pampered which i think is the cornerstone of luxury.

Emaar has built the Address hotel and resorts brand which I look upon with an intimate curiosity. It is certainly one of the most exciting places to live and play in Dubai and as testament to this, I had the fortunate experience of being introduced to the residence inner circle today. Well at least the circle I would like to be a part of. I want to absorb what makes these people from the fashion capital of the world so effortlessy passionate, stylish and seductive. I lay on a pool bed surrounded by Italians - what a treat! We laughed, chatted and I mostly listened, just soaking up a whole lot of sun and Italian. This has motivated me to take my Italian language studies more seriously. I'll be going to watch "Nine" at the movies tonight which is quite fitting as the tagline is "Be Italian"...I smell a movie review coming up in the next few days! Until then, CIAO!

Armani

The empire astounds. I truly admire the essence of Armani! My first taste of the Armani dream came in the form of the sweetest scent! "Acqua di Gio". The problem with entry level luxury goods is that you never really own them. You spray on your dream and it evaporates, then you spray some more and it evaporates...BUT the beauty about brands is that if you do anything consistently, you'll soon become known for it, so in my teens I sprayed and I sprayed and I sprayed until you could pick out my "Peterhouse Girls' School" jersey from a heap of identical jerseys and know it belonged to me because of my signature scent. Then tastes evolve and the thirst for luxury can't be quenched until you have a wardrobe full of marvelous creations by esteemed designers.

The Armani brand revolves around the man himself. He IS the brand and from him, stems the parent brand Armani and sub brands such as Armani Casa. So now, joy of joys, I live directly across the new home of the first Armani Hotel in the Burj Khalifa. Also in convenient proximity is the dubai mall which houses a slew of Armani brand stores.

One thing that I find truly fascinating is the designer brands for kids (...in comes Armani Junior) but that's a topic for another day.

I'll be doing some research on the Armani brand strategy...watch this space for my findings

"the most prestigious square kilometer in the world"

The 4th of January 2010 marks the anniversary of the ascension of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as ruler of Dubai. This is also the date that the iconic Burj Tower will be officially opened in a fashion only true to Dubai standards...with a big Bling...I mean Bang.

One more day to go and the buzz and flurry is reaching fever pitch. My building "The Address Hotel" is located directly in front of this imposing structure of modern extravagance. The problem is that every vantage point for the spectacular ceremony tomorrow is fully booked...except perhaps a couple of little spots that I've discovered since moving into the building! So tomorrow at 9:30pm, I'll wander over to my little nook, camera in hand and hope to capture some world firsts!

The fascinating thing about this area that I live in, is my proximity to the world's highest bar (Neos at the Address), the world's largest mall, the world's tallest building with the world's highest observation deck and the world's highest fountain. To add to the superlatives, I believe tomorrow will be a "world first" in fireworks and light show displays, which no doubt should be visible from space, otherwise it just wouldn't be Dubai.

Here are a few pics of the Tower from this time last year and one that I just took about 10 minutes ago from my "spot". Admittedly my camera is not the best so the quality leaves a lot to be desired but I'm sure there'll be other sources that will do it justice.

Aside from being the tallest tower and all the wonderful things that it boasts, my particular interest is in the Armani Hotel, which is the first luxury hotel under the partnership between Emaar and Giorgio Armani S.p.A.

"Armani Hotel Dubai will offer Armani/Events, featuring a 30,000 sq ft of conference and banqueting facilities – the Armani/Ballroom; and the Armani/Pavilion, a spacious outdoor area for up to 350 guests. The hotel also will bring to the Middle East several firsts including the region’s first Armani/Privé - a hip and upmarket night club; the world’s first in-hotel Armani/Spa; the Armani/Dolci, a chocolates and sweets store; an Armani/Fiori, a floral shop; and an Armani/Galleria.

In addition to the Armani Hotel, Burj Dubai features the Armani Residences Dubai – exclusive serviced residences designed personally by Giorgio Armani."

http://www.emaar.com/index.aspx?page=press-release-details&id=901

...The Armani brand expansion/diffusion is certainly one worth exploring!

The history of it all

I've often wondered where the real luxury fashion capital of the world is. Some say Milan, some say Paris. New York makes its assertions and London a significant contribution. In a globalized world it can be quite difficult to pinpoint the exact capital as through the ages, different civilizations have made an impact but in general, the European nations pass the baton back and forth.

My research takes the origins of luxury back to the times of the biblical King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. The Egyptian civilizations enjoyed the opulence of accessories dripping in gold, particularly in the upper Pharoah classes. Greek civilization followed the lead of the Egyptian purveyors and made the distinction between men's and women's fashion. By 800BC the Etruscian empire which was conquered by the Roman empire had a taste for luxury which was flaunted by the aristocratic women of that time (this was the precursor to today's bling approach to fashion. The Byzantine era ushered in the fashonista empress Theodora who's style was imitated by her loyal subjects.

The renaissance in Italy during the 15th and 16th century changed the face of fashion and Italy's textile industry boomed, helping solidify Italy as the fashion and lifestyle authority. This era was followed by the Baroque period which saw the rise of France as a fashion capital, largely due to Louis the Great's fine tastes and support of luxury, fashion and refined lifestyle which was emulated throughout the continent.

The invention of Haute Couture in Paris by Englishman Charles Frederick worth ushered in New luxury which was championed by the likes of Chanel and Dior. The second world war served to stifle Paris due to the German occupancy which restricted trade and allowed for the emergence of the American designers and the American's appreciation of Italian accessories, so again Italy was revived as a fashion hub.

In my humble opinion, I lean towards Milan as being the fashion capital simply because of it's ability to revive itself through different ages, as well as the heritage and workmanship that has been guarded throughout the centuries as well as the well established manufacturing industry. LONGEVITY is key.