Victoria Beckham Pre SS16 aims for versatile fashion

Today, the Victoria Beckham label is summoned as a luxury brand that caters to all types of women as their lives get more complex. Known from the start as a symbol of relaxed glamour in clothing, it certainly has a big following in the world. And Victoria Beckham is a fashion icon in her own right.
Her Pre Spring Summer 2016 collection is inspired by the circus where everything revolves around the stunning infrastructure designs. Drawing inspiration from the striking color combinations and graphic motifs of fairground iconography, Beckham has applied bold cutting techniques and innovative fabrics to create an extended range of sophisticated separates and occasion wear for today.
The scintillating collection reflects the workwear pragmatism of the label’s newly integrated denim line, establishing a broader, more versatile design universe. The asymmetrical cocktail dress and the sporty tabard top, the embellished leather skirt suit and denim culottes each have a place here, all interacting vivaciously with one another.
“I wanted this collection to offer versatility, as we broaden the label to reflect the complex lives of the VVB girls,” explains Victoria Beckham. “I travel a lot and so do my customers – with this other side of my wardrobe, it’s important to keep things easy and wearable as well as fun.”
As an upbeat palette of candy colours builds against contrasting black backgrounds and outlines, a vivid graphic language comes into play. Vibrant transfer patterns, floral prints and 3-D embroideries are carried across a variety of materials and categories, while the swirling lines of Victorian circus posters are incorporated into hems and scalloped edges. Traditional cutting methods and heritage fabrics are brought up to date as the design atelier offers a modern take. Feminine ruffles, sculptural gathers and soft bows find graceful form in technical piqué, paper taffeta and compact duchesse satin. Fil Coupe lends complexity to classic shirting and luster to evening jackets; sleek dresses and overcoats are enriched with detachable vinyl flower adornments

SOURCE LINK: http://d-journaldubai.com/2016/01/24/victoria-beckham-pre-ss16-aims-for-versatile-fashion/

Snake print blouse

If you heart prints, you cannot miss out on our favourite, Snake Print!

Snake print is a must have in your wardrobe this winter and no matter how you wear it, you just cannot go wrong with it. We do not want to look too fierce and hence we wear it in pastel pink!

The audacious pattern takes the outfit to a whole next level, effortlessly. It has a mysterious and edgy vibe, not to be mistaken for too intimidating. For starters, you can wear it in a bag, a belt, and as scarf and then take it forward in dresses and tops. Secondly, if you are quite cautious, you would rather like to wear it in smaller prints.

The idea is to use only one piece of accessory or garment in this print to avoid that the look seems too busy. For this post, we have combined a loose fitted snake print blouse with a chic leather skirt to uplift the look. It is best to balance the look with neutral pieces, which is also why we have complemented the outfit with a nude pair of stilettos and not to forget the statement bag.

If you are feeling chilly during winter evenings, work it with layers. In this case we kept it safe, accentuating the colour of the blouse with a soft pink cardigan. It also gives a cute effect to the look!

SOURCE LINK: http://www.michellebelau.ae/blog/snake-print-blouse.html

5 Cool Fashion Blogs in Dubai

Nowadays Fashion has become a multi-billion-dollar industry that has significant impact on the way ordinary people perceive fashion and dress and present themselves. But there is more to fashion than the different types of clothing styles; fashion is categorized by designers, buyers, retailers, editors, and columnists. While all the parties involved in fashion industry work together to create an image, all of these parties can simultaneously be affected by outside forces, most important force being blogs.

Fashion is trend-driven and fashion blogs offer a new way to follow and watch over these fast-paced trends, it is likely that the blogs will have a considerable long-term influence on the industry, as the number of fashion based blogs continues to grow.

With the massive increase in the number of blogs online, there is high pressure on bloggers to be consistent in their innovations and creativity. Some people have stood out among many bloggers, in their skills to attract large number of readers.

This article would feature 5 of the coolest blogs in Dubai that are a must-read for everyone – in no particular order

1.                                     The Fierce Diaries

The Fierce Diaries is a blog run by a young Arab Nadya Hasan, a 24 years old girl, who is known by people to be the one who thinks, breathes and lives fashion.

Her dream is to fuse a fashionable statement and unique style into the Arab world of fashion. She has worked hard to fulfill her dream and is now running an internationally known blog. Nadya is well acknowledged for her ability to pick new and upcoming designers, which has proved to be a great success in the UAE fashion world.

2.                                        My Fashion Diary

My fashion diary is a style diary that is run by Tala Samman.

Tala Samman was born in Chicago, originally Syrian, and was brought up in Dubai. She is a fashion graduate of London College of Fashion. Her first blog came out in 2009. Her style blog, Myfashdiary.com was nominated in Ahlan Magazine’s Best at the Dubai awards. It was also nominated at the Marie Claire, UK Blog, and Twitter awards. Tala was also recognized as one of Dubai’s Hot 100 in 2011.Myfashdiary.com features what Tala loves in Fashion, Beauty, Travel & Food.

3.                                      Pintsized fashionista

PintsizedFashionista.com is a fashion based blog run by first teenage fashion bloggers, 16-year old Dubai/London based twins, Lailli and Alizey Mirza .It is basically The personal style diary of the Middle East’s twins Lailli and Alizey mirza. The twins were born and raised in London, UK but have spent most of their childhood time in Dubai, UAE.

This personal style blog was created on January 1st, 2011. The name was derived from a term used to describe the twins, who were sitting in front row at a Top shop fashion show, in Harpers Bazaar Arabia.

Source Link:http://saudibeautyblog.com/5-cool-fashion-blogs-in-dubai/

 

Fashion notes: Take care to preserve your precious buys

After ogling the Gucci Soho Disco bag for the past few months, I finally bought it last week, in a neutral beige shade that Gucci calls “camelia”. I paired it with my new navy-blue Cecilie Copenhagen kaffiyeh top from Boutique 1 and white Moto jeans with ripped knees from Topshop.

Quite proud with my styling, I spent all of Friday happily frolicking about Dubai in my outfit, which took me from burgers for brunch at Salt at the Kite Beach to Mall of the Emirates for a spot of shopping in the evening.

Come Saturday morning, when I picked up the bag before heading to a tea party, I was given an excruciatingly unpleasant surprise. The entire back of the once camelia purse was stained with murky dark-blue blemishes. This bag – my first Gucci splurge – that I had bought less than 48 hours ago, suddenly looked like it had gone through at least a year of wear.

I fought back tears as my husband grabbed a sponge and started wiping at the smears – but the more vigorously he scrubbed, the more patent the stains became. Admittedly, we’re Gucci newbies, and while I do own a couple of leather handbags, most are dark in colour – I had never been faced with this problem before.

In hindsight, the fault was completely mine, for wearing a hand-dyed textile, in a dark shade, that hadn’t yet been washed. Being relatively familiar with fabrics, I know that some textiles have “runny colours”, and need to be washed or soaked in warm water a couple of times before their colour stops bleeding. But in my excitement over my new bag, I forgot this critical fact. So that you don’t follow in my careless footsteps with your precious purchases, keep the following tips in mind to preserve your fine splurges.

If you notice staining on your leather bag, don’t go at it right away with a sponge. Wet a ­microfibre cloth, and test it out on the bottom of the bag, which is least visible when you’re using it, to see what effect it will have. After it dries, if it hasn’t left any marks, gently rub the stained spot with a gentle soap, and take care not to soak the leather. Then wipe it with a dry cloth, and leave to dry for up to an hour.

For leather that has been slightly scuffed or scratched, take a wet wipe and wipe down the whole bag or garment to smooth out the overall texture. Again, test a small section first, as this might hide the scuffing, but in the process could slightly alter the colour of the leather.

Most importantly, when storing or packing your purses or shoes, especially the leather ones, always keep them in their dust bags to prevent any damage. If your bag is lightweight leather, also consider keeping it stuffed with tissue while stored.

When it comes to clothing, one of the most annoying outfit killers is often an obvious smear of red lipstick or an unmistakable patch of beige foundation. When this happens on our whites, it’s an absolute nightmare.

SOURCE LINK: http://www.thenational.ae/arts-life/fashion/fashion-notes-take-care-to-preserve-your-precious-buys

Five less successful looks from London Collections Men – in pictures

And now for the looks that didn’t work so well.

Alex Mullins

We’re torn about this one. A denim jumper is something we’ve never seen before, but the intentionally mucked-up finishings make the garment look quite ratty.

Craig Green

It’s fine to put out unwearable looks on the catwalk once in a while – it’s called a show, after all – but we’re having a hard time imagining this ensemble translating into everyday wear.

MAN

Man, oh man. The emerging design collective has delivered some hits in recent seasons, but their latest show was a miss – featuring clothing too costumey for anyone to pull off.

Moschino

These pieces could look good if worn separately, paired with more toned-down garments. Worn together – plus that hairdo – and we’re in gaudy territory.

Nasir Mazhar

I’m a massive fan of Nasir Mazhar’s diverse runway, but what was up with that dishevelled mascot that randomly popped up? It was a missed opportunity – because given some context it could have been a statement piece.

SOURCE LINK: http://www.thenational.ae/arts-life/fashion/five-less-successful-looks-from-london-collections-men—in-pictures

Visit the Fashion Swap Shop market tomorrow night in Dubai

Monthly pop-up fashion market, Fashion Swap Shop, takes place tomorrow night at Media One Hotel. For a refreshing change of atmosphere from Dubai’s currently overcrowded shopping malls, visit the market and browse through the pieces on sale from over 30 fashion and jewellery brands. As well, bring in any clothing and accessories that you don’t wear anymore, for the opportunity to swap pieces with other visitors at the Swap Zone. Organisers are also offering free manicures and makeovers for shoppers throughout the evening.

Fashion Swap Shop takes place on the first Tuesday of every month, apart from December and January. Drop by tomorrow from 6pm-10pm at the outdoor terrace of Garden on 8 at Media One Hotel, Dubai Media City. For further details email info@fashionswapshop.com or call 056 157 0984.

Source Link: http://www.thenational.ae/blogs/all-dressed-up/visit-the-fashion-swap-shop-market-tomorrow-night-in-dubai

Top 10 Budget Fashion Blogs

When it comes to finding the best looks for less this fall, Shoestring‘s staffers have our own favorite blogs and websites we follow, and that we wanted to share with you.

Here are Shoestring‘s Top 10 Favorite Frugal Fashion Bloggers, in no particular order, plus their Twitter handles for those who need an up-to-the-minute fix:

1. Frugal Fashionista
The original, visual “Look for Less” blog, the Frugal Fashionistas have been serving up daily celebrity style on a shoestring since 2006. Looks are searchable by celebrity — a huge help when trying to track down an item from your favorite tabloid or red carpet look — plus categories for 10 Under $10, Screen Style, Budget Beauty, and Trendspotting. Another perk (or pitfall, depending on your viewpoint): all of the pieces featured on the site are easy to locate for efficient online shopping. (Twitter @thefrugalista)

2. The Budget Fashionista
Kathryn Finney, aka The Budget Fashionista, has been preaching the gospel of beautiful and budget fashion for years, and published a must-buy book, How to Be a Budget Fashionista: The Ultimate Guide to Looking Fabulous for Less, three years ago — long before anyone ever spoke of “frugalistas” and “recessionistas.” Finney recently posted her Budget Fashionista Fall Fashion Guide for 2009, which has some clutch — and totally affordable — finds. Plus, she also keeps an updated list of sample sales going on in select cities nationwide and online, available exclusively for her subscribers.
(Twitter @kathrynfinney)

3. SheFinds
SheFinds.com, brainchild and baby of former AOL editorial director Michelle Madhok, is always on top of the week’s latest sales — especially online deals & discounts. Keep yourself up-to-date on those bargains by subscribing to the SheFinds free daily newsletter. Madhok’s site allows for an easy search based on which particular item of clothing you’re currently seeking — a huge time saver on top of the savings. For parents: also check out SheFinds’ sister site, MomFinds.
(Twitter @shefinds)

4. The Zoe Report
When one thinks of stylist to the stars Rachel Zoe, bargains are probably far from the first thing that pops to mind. Zoe’s new daily trendspotting blog and free email newsletter, The Zoe Report, however, always features two items: one couture designer and one “Parallel Universe” look for less. Signing up is a must for any true Fashion Week follower in search of a more frugal fix. (Twitter @rzrachelzoe)

5. Refinery 29
One of “R29’s” many fabulous blogs, The Pipeline quickly became a staff favorite for its breaking industry news (read: which couture designers were doing “diffusion” lines for H&M, Target, Payless, and others, including exactly when we could expect them in stores) plus daily sales, deals, and secret scores on eBay. With teams on the East Coast and West Coast, in Paris and London and all over the Twittersphere, Refinery 29 literally seems to have its finger on the pulse of fashion before anyone else — they even quite frequently scoop Women’s Wear Daily. (Twitter @refinery29)

6. Lucky Toes
One look at Shoestring‘s logo will make it pretty obvious that we’re obsessed with footwear, and Lucky Toes, a new social network and blog from CitySearch, is absolute shoe lover’s heaven. Lots of photos and little words, but the words there count: where you can find the shoes.
(Twitter @toptoe)

7. Broke & Beautiful
We love “Miss Elle”‘s sensible take on fashion, with posts that cover the spectrum and foster a “fashion community where quality rules, and price points are always negotiable.” Along with her value-over-cost consciousness, we applaud her for promoting feelings of beauty for women of all shapes and sizes, not just all budgets, with style guides and shopping tips to match. Hallelujah. (Twitter @MissElle)

8. What I Wore
Jessica Schroeder became a Flickr sensation with her daily “What I Wore” photo posts simply containing — you guessed it — her outfit du jour. The classically trained fashion designer turned fashion blog diva features a high-low mix in each of her outfits, enviably pairing vintage gems with gorgeous handsewn and affordable ready-to-wear pieces. Jessica has previously been nominated as a ModCloth ‘Blogger of the Moment’ and currently modeled for ads featured in the September issue of popular ‘magalog’ Lucky. When you subscribe to What I Wore, you’ll completely understand all the (much deserved) hype. (Twitter @whatiwore)

9. Bargain Babe
Former LA Daily News business & retail reporter Julia Scott left traditional media because she had “blog envy,” and boy are we glad she did. Julia has two frugality sites, Bargain Babe and Bargain Babe LA, and recently sponsored a Frugal Fe$tival in Tinseltown. (HELL yeah.) While she mainly blogs with general and insightful tips for living well on less overall, we will always be indebted to her for introducing us to TheThriftShopper.com, a national database of almost 10K charity shops searchable by ZIP code, buying her a place on this top frugal fashion list. (Twitter @bargainbabe and @bargainbabeLA)

10. The Recessionista
How could we create a list of top fashion bloggers during this economy without mentioning Mary Hall, the woman who coined the phrase encapsulating this new era of chic fashion frugality? The Recessionista brings luxury fashion, travel, and dining to the table — for a fraction of the price. We love her style and “the good life” she brings to her readers, even if we’re completely over the term itself. (Twitter @recessionista)

We want to hear from YOU! What are your favorite frugal fashion blogs and websites? Share them with us by posting a comment

SOURCE LINK: http://www.shoestringmag.com/2009/09/shopping-top-10-budget-fashion-blogs/

Dubai Shopping Festival 2016 set to boost sales in fashion sector

 

Fashion and apparel stores see major sales increases as both local residents and visitors flock to malls looking for the most fashionable way to start the New Year.

 

The Dubai Shopping Festival is a month where Dubai is always seen at its best and that is especially true in the apparel and fashion sector that benefits from the massive number of visitors to the festival and Dubai’s growing reputation as an international centre of fashion.

It also gives a huge boost to the sector with fashion and apparel stores seeing major sales increases as both local residents and visitors flock to malls looking for the most fashionable way to start the New Year.

The importance of the sector to DSF and to fashion retailers has been reinforced for the 21st edition of the Dubai Shopping Festival by the creation of a focused apparel and fashion theme that will run from January 15 to 25 and feature a number of special fashion focused events.

As a city that today offers a bigger choice of brands to the shopper than any city in the world other than London, the options that await those looking to buy clothes during the Dubai Shopping Festival are simply amazing.

Whatever the taste of the individual – from haute couture to high street casual or weekend leisurewear – there is something for every culture and budget available all over Dubai for the 32 days of DSF.

Apparel and Fashion is a segment of the retail sector in Dubai that has been growing fast, especially during DSF and will again play a major role in boosting retail sales at the forthcoming festival.

DSF has always been a unique platform offering home-grown, regional and international brands the opportunity to introduce new products and collections during the festival. In addition to the traditional unbeatable deals and promotions, DSF has now evolved into a month where retailers are able to use this period to introduce new concepts and activities.

Dubai is one of the most fashionable cities in the world and the growth of fashion events and the presence of an ever growing range of fashion brands is bound to make DSF 2016 one of the most successful festivals for fashion houses and retailers.

Simon Cooper, Head of Centrepoint, said: “Centrepoint runs its Winter Sale during the Dubai Shopping Festival every year. During this time customers can enjoy discounts of up to 60% off from their favorite brands, including – Babyshop, Splash, Shoemart and Lifestyle. Over the course of DSF’s 21st edition we expect to see an increase in our sales and footfall across all our stores, as compared to last year’s numbers.”

Ruban Shanmugarajah, General Manager, Babyshop said: “DSF is a key event for us, as a large number of tourists visit UAE with a dual objective of holidaying and shopping. The month-long festival is an extremely busy period in terms of footfall and sales. This year, our presence at the Dubai Shopping Festival is larger than ever before; customers can enjoy exceptional discounts of up to 60% across the range of our products. We are positively looking forward to a 10% surge in sales, over last year, during the upcoming one month period.”

Shivam Goyal, COO, SportsOne said: “DSF has been a key growth driver for SportsOne and we expect the event to help us start 2016 on a strong note. To meet the evolving needs of consumers’ active lifestyles, SportsOne will showcase an unmatched range of sporting goods, which will be offered with several exciting consumer promotions and value-added offers.”

The retail sector of Dubai estimates that between 25 – 30 per cent of its annual sales take place during the Dubai Shopping Festival period, with the apparel and fashion sector making an important contribution to this figure.

This year’s festival sees an array of new fashion themed events that include Fashion Central to be held at the Mall of the Emirates between 15-17 January based around launching “New To Dubai” fashion brands and collections; Fashion Express a flashmob style pop-up store event held in Dubai Festival City Mall and Ibn Battuta Mall on 15-16 January and 22-23 January respectively, and a spectacular Fashion on Ice event at the Dubai Mall Ice Rink on 17th January.

In addition there will be fashion street runways events at Burj Plaza, Meena Plaza and Al Fahidi during January, the Cover Pop-up Shop “DSF Edition” featuring the collections of locally based and regional designers, from 18 -20th January at the Fashion Lounge, The Dubai Mall and Hermes “Wanderland”, a unique exhibition by Luxury French house Hermès which opens on 21 January at The Dubai Fountains of The Dubai Mall.

Source Link :http://khaleejtimes.com/lifestyle/fashion/dubai-shopping-festival-2016-set-to-boost-sales-in-fashion-sector

A Procrastinator’s Guide to Last-Minute Gift Shopping

If you have yet to brave the crowds and commence the task of holiday shopping, you’re not alone. Despite the preponderance of holiday deals and sales months before Christmas, many consumers choose to delay shopping until the last minute. According to a report from Nielsen, 1 in 4 Americans have not purchased any holiday gifts, with men being the biggest procrastinators.

While time is running out, retailers are happy to accommodate last-minute shoppers by offering extended hours, free shipping and discounts on coveted Christmas gifts. Not every last-minute purchase is a good one, however, so read on for the list of best products to buy at the last minute, and where.

Toys

Black Friday saw some stellar toy deals, but experts agree: the best toy prices happen during the first two weeks in December. According to Kyle James at Rather-Be-Shopping.com, Dec. 16 is the top day for deals on toys, based on historical data collected from his website. “We get the most coupons and deals for retailers like Toys ‘R Us, HearthSong, Mindware, Target and Walmart on Dec. 16,” he says. “This makes sense as toy retailers often begin to feel the pinch of lackluster sales mid-month and start offering incentives to entice Christmas shoppers.”

If your child wants a coveted Star Wars gift or other hot toy this year, it’s best to buy these products soon since they may sell out.

Apparel

Shoes and clothing represent popular gift items for women and children. “When shopping for apparel, winter outerwear and shoes, it’s all about Free Shipping Day,” James says. Free Shipping Day is the promotional event on Dec. 18 featuring free shipping and no minimum order requirements from over 900 stores, including popular apparel retailers like Express, JCPenney, Walmart, Lane Bryant and more. “The number of coupons we see on Free Shipping Day averages close to 60-percent more than what we see the day before and many of the coupons will easily tie or beat Cyber Monday in terms of overall savings,” he adds.

Benjamin K. Glaser, features editor for Dealnews.com, also suggests apparel as a last-minute deal. The Saturday before Christmas, coined “Super Saturday” by retailers due to high in-store traffic, is particularly rife with clothing savings. “You could see up to 50 percent off sitewide or more on select items,” Glaser says.

Gift cards

Think no one wants a gift card? Think again. According to the National Retail Federation, gift cards top holiday wish lists for the ninth year in a row. During the holiday season, you can score an extra gift card for yourself or someone else on your list when you buy one from select establishments. Restaurants offer free gift cards of $10 to $25 when you buy one gift card, while stores like Target and Best Buy are still offering gift cards with select product purchases. Read the fine print on these bonus cards since some are more like coupons and feature restrictions and expiration dates.

Food gifts

Food gifts make for popular presents over the holidays, but shipping costs can add $10 to $20 since freshness is a priority. Stores like Harry & David, Omaha Steaks, Wolferman’s, Cheryl’s, 1800Baskets and more are participating in Free Shipping Day, so you can send delicious treats in time for Christmas while dodging delivery fees.

Costco and Sam’s Club are other good sources for food savings, featuring gift baskets from $20 to over $100 from such brands as Godiva, Ghirardelli, Starbucks, Lindt, Alder Creek and others. You can also make your own gourmet gift basket with homemade goods or products purchased from your grocer or local gift shop.

Gift bundles

A gift basket overflowing with goodies may seem pricey at $79.99, but you can split this gift into several gifts to cross a few people off your list and save money. Costco and Sam’s Club offer gourmet gift baskets, gift card bundles and more which can easily be separated into individual gifts. For example, a four-pack of $25 MovieTickets.com gift cards is available from Costco for $79.99, and that’s 20 percent less than face value, enabling you to send a gift to four different people in just one purchase.

Source link: http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/the-frugal-shopper/articles/2015-12-18/a-procrastinators-guide-to-last-minute-gift-shopping