fashion show at ESMOD - i was modelling :)

one of my university friends, aisha, is studying fashion at the french fashion university ESMOD (in the academic city (dubai) - close to zayed university). she had her final project due for the fall semester on the 20th of dec 2006. the theme was based on skirts, and each student had to model this skirt (or get someone else to model for it) in the fashion show. i ended up modelling for her :)

aisha's skirt was extremely creative as it was made out of blue plastic bags and black tulle. her sister's underskirt (for her wedding dress) was used as a base to give the whole thing extra volume. it was absolutely gorgeous! to an extent that she actually got an A++ for the design! she was the only one in her class to get that grade :)

anyway, this is what the skirt looked like:



the day was extremely hectic though but a lot of fun. we all had to be there at 10am while the show actually started at 8pm! so we basically spent about 10 hrs preparin for a show that took about 15mins in total lol :) and well i only slept for about 3 hrs the night before but thank god for red bull lol. a lot of fitting and adjustments had to be done, plus make-up and hair of course which ended up takin a lot of time as there were only 2 hairdressers and 1 make-up artist, while there were at least 30 girls waiting in line.

but all in all, it was a great experience :) mabrook aisha ;)

fashion conference at shangri la hotel

i've received an email invitation (in december) to an open round table discussion related to fashion that took place at the shangri la hotel on sheikh zayed road.



it was quite informative actually as topics revolved around:
- how the dubai market is changing in terms of fashion - "today's market is saturated with mono-brands" - engi shalhoub (CEO and managing director, etoile group);
- sustaining new fashion brands - "it's great to have style and to have a good collection, but how is one going to sustain it? it is therefore important to have a business plan" - zayan ghandour (co-owner of sauce boutique). "a designer can open his/her own store but it depends on his/her brand's performance and sustainability (mono-brand)" - shireen el khatib (GM of the fashion and jewellery division, al tayer group);
- the dubai international fashion week (DIFW) that should take place in march 2007 (how there would be a focus on new brands and local young talents, not only international designers, and how the new brands should not only be strong on the creative side but also commercially successful);
- some random quotes: "you can't buy taste"; "dubai doesn't need investors, investors need dubai".

some of my birthday presents - fashion books!

wow. it's been soooo long since i've added a new post here. anyway i got 2 really cool fashion books for my birthday this year (actually it was 2 months ago - in dec).. thought i'd share them with u all:




"fashion now (icons)" highlights the work of over 90 designers around the globe, focusing on not only the biggest names but also the most exciting new talent. also included are exclusive interviews, biographical information, photos of recent designs by today's leading photographers, and current catwalk shots.






"yeah! i made it myself: DIY fashion for the not very domestic goddess" is for anyone who loves the idea of creating their own clothes but is unsure of where or how to begin. this inspirational, fun and easy-to-follow book is the perfect accessory - the perfect antidote to the scary world of dress-making manuals.