Trend Alert! Block Colour: The Colours You Never Dared To Wear

Tuesday, December 28, 2010 at 9:56 AM

Looks like we made a trend prediction with The New Colour Code because wearing block colour is a major S/S 2011 fashion trend.

You could say abaya wearers are the trendsetters when it comes to the block colour trend as wearing abayas with boldly coloured chiffon sleeves and lining was a major Fall/Winter 2010 abaya trend.

Exciting medleys of vibrant blocks of colour in shades reminiscent of my childhood Crayola crayons were visible in the collections of a long list of designers: Gucci, Jil Sander, Marni, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Versus, Tommy Hilfiger, and even in the glamorous, oriental-inspired Louis Vuitton S/S 2011 collection. Even the King of shoe designers himself, Christian Louboutin, presented a new collection full of colour popping creations.

From Christian Louboutin's Spring 2011 collection

The rules? Well there aren't many really. It's all about experimenting with colour, with combinations you may have thought never could go together but actually look really good together. But what I would advise is to keep bold and bright colours with bolds and brights, jewels with jewels and pastels with pastels.

Need some inspiration? Well Her Highness Sheikha Moza was doing block colour way before any of us.

My Picks

Dareen Hakim...calligraphic clutches!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010 at 11:12 AM

For those who have been following UNDER YOUR ABAYA you should know me quite well by now ... I can't resist designer pieces which infuse both Middle Eastern and Western culture ... so when I came across Lebanese designer Dareen Hakim's Arabic inscribed handbags, clutches and wristlets I knew I had found something special.

The story behind her line of bags is even more special.

The gold, silver and bronze inscriptions include not just the typical "Ma'sha'allah" or "Habeebi", but also more meaningful and often beautiful phrases such as "Hapiness is a journey" and "Love is blind". Many of the messages inscribed on her bags are the messages of love, strength, hope, happiness and resilience that came from the people of her home country of Lebanon, people who cherished every day as if it was their last throughout the years Lebanon was marked by war and conflict.

Dareen is a Wall Street business woman-turned designer, who received an MBA from Harvard Business School and spent the first part of career helping young businesses and large corporations fulfill their potential and reach success, but had a hidden passion for fashion and beauty. She went on to manage worldwide beauty brands at Maybelline New York and L'Oreal Paris and a few years down the line left that behind to pursue her dream of establishing her own fashion line. Her bags are now sold in a variety of countries across the world, proof of her popularity and success.

Dareen's bag collections include chain bags, clutches and wristlets made from plush Italian lambskin and fine leather and the gold, silver and bronze plaques are hand-inscribed by craftsmen in Lebanon. You have the option of choosing the type of leather, colour, metal and inscription for your own custom made bag.

Where to buy your Dareen Hakim bag:

UAE

Crystal Temptations, Ground Floor, Wafi City Mall, Dubai

KSA

The Guest Room Boutique, Prince Mamdooh bin Abdulaziz Street, Al Safwa Commercial Center, Sulaimaniya, Riyadh

Viola, 25 Connaught Street, Paddington, London

Dareen Hakim is also sold in numerous states in the USA as well as in Canada, Puerto Rico, Sweden and Greece. To find out their locations, check here.

Dareen Hakim can also be ordered online at DIA Boutique.

For more information, visit the Dareen Hakim website, or email her at info@dareenhakim.com.

On My Wishlist...An Arabesque HC Abaya Please!

Tuesday, December 7, 2010 at 3:52 PM

They may be a little pricey, but an Arabesque HC abaya and sheila are definitely worth me saving all my riyals for – it's the luxury abaya brand on every GCC girl's wishlist, including mine. What does the HC in Arabesque HC stand for? Well, Haute Couture of course!

From the latest collection

I'm literally talking about one of the first, if not the first, haute couture abaya labels in the world – ever envisioned an abaya which combines the traditional Gulf spirit of the abaya with the impeccable design and flawless workmanship of Parisian haute couture houses? Well Arabesque HC is it.

So who is behind one of the world's most beloved abaya labels?

Let me introduce you to French designer Judith Duriez – you may wonder how a non-Arab woman could be an abaya designer, but why not? Judith came to the UAE with her husband in 1993 and has studied the history, form and design of abayas for years. She graduated from Paris' best fashion school, Ecole de la Chambre Syndicate de la Haute Couture and her parents were connoisseurs and patrons of art….so art and culture run in the family.

Image courtesy of the Arabesque website

Arabesque HC started off as a haute couture label providing one-of-a-kind evening gowns for the glamorous Emirati glitterati, and at the special request of a client, who wanted an exceptional abaya to match her extravagant outfits for big and special occasions, came the idea of expanding Arabesque to include haute couture abayas and sheilas, a concept little heard of previously…and in 2001, Arabesque HC Abayas and Sheilas was born!

Judith combines all the experience, skills and workmanship she learnt working for years in Paris' biggest and most prestigious haute couture houses from Chanel to Christian Lacroix and Jean Louis Scherrer to Thierry Mugler with her abaya and sheila designs, to produce creations which are quite magnificent. The abayas are also reflective of the trends Judith witnesses first-hand in Paris. Even the Arabesque Boutique in the Palm Strip Mall in Dubai has been designed to look very much like a chic Parisian apartment – think Coco Chanel's apartment.

From the latest collection

Arabesque HC abayas are often adorned and trimmed with lace and embellished with Swarovski crystals and the finished products really are majestic.

An Arabesque HC abaya and sheila may break the bank for some (like me!), but just like a Chanel 2.55 or Hermes Kelly, they are an investment for life!