Abayat Hera: Bringing Stylish Abayas to the KSA
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
I've noticed time and time again that when it comes to abaya designers, some of the brightest and most talented started off designing abayas for themselves and their friends and families, out of the frustration of a lack of abayas that suited their own tastes, and word would spread about their talent for designing and creating beautiful abayas. This was the case for Palestinian-born abaya designer, and journalist by day, Shahera Khader, who recently launched her own abaya line, "Abayat Hera."
Born and brought up in Saudi Arabia, Shahera was herself an abaya wearer, and tired of the "stereotypical abayas" that were on offer, she decided to make a change and channel her passion for fashion through designing and making stylish and on-trend abayas. Having lived in Saudi Arabia for so long, Shahera has a good idea of what women in the Gulf want when it comes to their abayas.
"Living in Saudi most of my life I have always felt that the trends were always late to come to the Kingdom," explains Shahera, "I wanted my abayas to be unique in that they gave women a chance to experience fashion first hand. The abaya has always been a black potato bag that we are forced to wear. They all look much the same and have little to do with the world of fashion. Now, abayas can make a statement of identity, and trend. I incorporated the styles that were "in" to my abayas."
Shahera's first collection, which was launched six months ago and titled "Harir Al Malaka" (Arabic for "the silk of queens") was a series of abayas made with organza silk and embellished with glamorous pearls, sparkling Swarovski crystals and edgy spikes. Her intention was to make women feel exactly like the name of her collection - like queens.
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| The designer herself modelling one of her designs |
Each abaya takes Shahera a week to make as she pays scrupulous attention to detail and strives for a flawfless finish.
Shahera is now based in Lebanon but pays regular visits to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, and makes custom abayas on request.
For more information on the label and on how to order, pay a visit to her Facebook page or email her at shahera.khader@gmail.com. You can also contact her on 00961370227773 or 0096176501313.
theDRESSroom.com: the hub for all dresses
Monday, February 4, 2013
With a friend's wedding coming up in a couple of months, I was pondering over what kind of dress I want to buy and where to find the perfect one. Shopping for a dress for a wedding usually involves hours of trailing through different shops and a lot of disappoinments before I find a suitable dress, and instead of having a fun shopping experience, I often find it stressful.
So you can imagine my glee when I discovered theDRESSroom.com, a Middle Eastern online shopping portal created by fashionable duo Dina Abdulhadi Daryani and Samantha Kayruz Chami, exclusively for dresses for glamorous and special occasions.
The website has a collection of over 2000 gorgeous dresses for special occasions like weddings, graduation parties, proms, cocktail parties and family soirees in a range of sizes (including maternity wear) by designers and labels like Alberto Makali, Nue by Shani, Laundry, Carmen Marc Valvo and Boutique Montage.
The website's special features include a fashion glossary, online gift vouchers and an online chat room where you can speak to personal shoppers who can offer advice, answer your style questions and guide you in picking out the right dress. You'll never have trouble finding the perfect dress again!
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| Jovani, AED 1,855 |
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| Tony Bowls, AED 2,095 |
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| Nue by Shani, $371 |
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| Carmen Marc Valvo, $578 |
To check it out, click here, and don't forget to "like" the Facebook page. You can follow theDRESSroom on Twitter @WowWhatADress.
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