Burgers & Chateaux at La Cava

A few weeks ago, I was invited to an event at La Cava, Rosewood Abu Dhabi's wine cellar, to sample their new concept of Burgers & Wine. Every Monday Night, their chef Francisco Sanabria will prepare 2 delicious burgers, one red meat and another white meat, and their sommelier Isael Goncalves will pair each burger with a red wine or a white wine. 

The burgers include mouth watering concoctions like the Classic Wagyu Bacon Cheese Burger, the Acapulco Crab Burger, or the Hickory Barbecue Burger. Each burger is served with the MOST delicious fries with options like retro curly fries and potato skins and you get 2 wine glasses. What a great combo! 

Both my husband and I WIPED OUT our burgers (OMG hands down the best burger in town!) and I would have finished every single curly fry if someone didn't come to chat with me! I highly reccomend you take your friends and try these burgers on Mondays :)

La Cava is located at the Rosewood Hotel on Al Maryah Island. The wine cellar is stocked with about 1,500 premium wines and the ambiance is very refined, yet relaxed and inviting. Perfect for after work drinks or cosy dinners. The Burgers & Chateaux event is on every Monday from 6 to 10 pm. 

Galeries LaFayette Fashion Lives Event

How cool is this?? To celebrate the launch of their new Autumn/Winter Collection, Galeries LaFayette threw an event called FASHION LIVES.  Dramatic looking mannequins came to life and led theatrical performances throughout the store for three days. They wore clothes from brands currently sold in store like: Versace, Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren, Lacoste, Poca & Poca, and Yves Salomon. I especially love how creative the fashion shows are...

Can't wait to shop this new collection in store now!

Galeries LaFayette is located at the Dubai Mall

Tulip Festival at Marc by Marc Jacobs

Last week I attended the Tulip Festival at Marc by Marc Jacobs at Abu Dhabi Mall. The event showcased the new Fall Winter collection which is covered in colourful Tulips. It was a lot of fun with a caricaturist who drew our faces on a Marc Jacobs Tulip Dress, a tulip planting station, a photo booth with props, and yummy catering. 

 I planted my own tulip at the Tulip Planting station - lets hope it grows! 

 I loved how the collection was covered in colourful tulips - everything was fun and very wearable. The tops, dresses, sweaters, and pants can very easily be incorporated into your daily wardrobe.

Exactly what you'd expect of Marc by Marc Jacobs!

 The main piece in the collection - a purple silk coat covered in tulips 

Even the yummy chocolate truffles we took home had tulips drawn on them! 

REISS: The Brand on my Radar!

At the beginning of this month, I was invited to an event for the clothing brand REISS. It was held at a chalet at the Kempinski Mall of the Emirates overlooking the ski slope. What a stunning setting and PERFECT location to showcase a Fall/Winter Collection! I must admit that I have never bought anything from REISS and it is not one of the my preferred brands. Well, I couldn't be MORE wrong!

The view from the Chalet was breathtaking - I felt like I was on a real ski slope! 

Their collection this season consists of super wearable clothes. Beautiful party dresses that are suitable for every occasion, amazing pieces for the working businesswoman who wants to stand out, lots of separates that complete a wardrobe and really cool accessories. I could see myself wearing more than half of the collection! REISS is definitely on my radar when I want to revamp my wardrobe.

Below are just a few of the pieces I liked in their collection. I especially loved the leather, the prints and the accessories. Each piece has that extra something special to make it stand out. 

 

This clutch is my favourite accessory in the whole collection. Love it!

CLICK HERE for the Stores near you 

Do you like the new REISS Fall/Winter collection??

LaFayette Gourmet Food Festival

Have you ever walked around Dubai Mall starving but unsure of what to eat, despite the many options? You find everything too normal and unsatisfying. Well, there is one more food destination to add to your list that will blow you away and leave you aching to come back for more... The Gourmet Food Hall at Galeries Lafayette.  After a long day of shopping, I usually stop here for a healthy salad - the kind where you have a choice from tons of ingredients and they toss it on the spot - or one of their many stations of freshly cooked food. There is something about food being cooked in front of me that makes it taste better and when the ingredients are super fresh, colourful and delicious- well then, that's something I will keep coming back to! 

Today, I was invited to the Food Festival at Galeries Lafayette. OMG there was station upon station of delicious food to eat. The suppliers of the ingredients and masterchefs were there to teach us about what we were eating and how they are made. Food like smoked salmon from Norway that is specially smoked and chilled in the cold temperatures of Canada, or purple potatoes made into a salad, coloured beets that are roasted and then drizzled with honey, Canadian angus beef and Quebec Veal, honey from Yemen... the list is endless! Everything we ate at the festival had three features in common: they were unbelievably fresh, incredibly delicious, and undeniably the highest quality of ingredients sourced from all over the world! 

I could sit here and rave about the food for pages and pages but it's the pictures that will leave your mouth watering! Here is my experience in pictures - Enjoy :)

We were treated to station after station of delicious, wholesome and fresh food like Angus beef, smoked salmon, paella, cheese, honey, pasta, dumplings, and rare fruits and veggies.

The Gourmet Hall is like heaven for food lovers! 

 Barrel upon barrel of CHEESE

I wish I could make sandwiches at home that look and taste as good as these  

 This was my favourite- smoked salmon from Norway that is covered in a secret blend of salt and spices, then marinated for 24 hours in REAL VERMONT MAPLE SYRUP (!!!), then smoked and finally chilled. I have never tasted more tender or flavourful smoked salmon in my life

 Delicious  Raw Honey from Yemen with combinations like honey & ginger 

 Purple Potato Salad- tastes very nutty ... YUMM! 

 How cute is this pasta stand?

For all you chocoholics out there- they even make their own chocolate fresh on the spot

The Lafayette Gourmet Food Festival will run from May 8 till 12 from 10 am to 6 pm. 

There will also be free masterclasses for anyone interested.

The Gourmet Hall is located on the second floor of Galeries Lafayette at the Dubai Mall 

If you love fresh, delicious food straight from the source, I highly recommend you go and let your taste buds take over! 

My SnapShots of Fashion Forward Season 1

I spent the past weekend in Dubai attending Season 1 of Fashion Forward (FFWD). FFWD is a three day event filled with fashion shows showcasing up and coming designers from the Middle East, inspiring talks and panel discussions led by global industry experts, and tons of social events. It will be held twice a year with the aim of encouraging new regional designers to showcase their collections and ultimately drive forward the fashion industry in the Middle East.

I thoroughly enjoyed the three days, learned a lot, met plenty of people in the industry from designers to bloggers and PR people, got introduced to many new regional designers, and had a blast. Everyday there was a 'Glam Hour' for people to mingle, after parties, brunches, lunches, lounges, and live music playing. It was a different world- one which only revolved around Fashion, my favourite topic! 

Here are my highlights of Fashion Forward

 The Fashion Gallery showcased iconic pieces from each of the designers' FW 2013 collections

There was a FABULOUS pop up store with very original jewellery, bags,  and scarves by emerging Middle Eastern designers that I previously never heard of.  I especially loved the jewellery by designer Dalia Hamdallah (Link) and shell clutches by Nathalie Trad (Link)

I bought this cute LOVE bracelet from By Sophie (Link) to add to my collection of arm candy. 

I haven't taken it off since I bought it!! 

My fav panel discussion was by Louise Nichol of Harpers Bazaar Arabia, Rabih Kayrouz, and Zayan Ghandour. They discussed the identity of Middle Eastern Fashion from the different perspectives of a person working in media, a designer and a buyer

 The shows were jam packed with regional Socialites and big media personalities. Every half an hour there was a new show and we were usually running between shows and getting stuck in the huge line up at the doors to the halls. It felt like a mini-version of the Fashion Weeks in London, Paris, and NYC with Dubai's own FROWers

My Favourite Fashion Shows

 I loved the KAGE show. The collection consisted of many clothes that are super easy to wear and very versatile for both day and night. I'm looking forward to buying some pieces for Fall!

 The ZAYAN show was the most fun, playful and girly with tutu skirts and polka dots. 

Models went down the runways smiling, having a great time, and interacting with one another. There was a long bench at the beginning of the catwalk and two chairs throughout. They would start by sitting on the long bench, dance down the runway and sit on one of the chairs, then twirl at the end for the photographers.

There was a big focus on the fact that the clothes were stitched in Satwa, an area in Dubai, highlighting the fact that great fashion can be found just around the corner in the Middle East 

 The most theatrical show was by AMATO. It was based around a dark and sombre circus theme with models going down the runway in back embellished dresses and capes. Then the mood changed and a ballerina danced in the midst of strong light beams, followed by models with stunning white dresses. 

AMATO is Filipino and his clothes and embellishment are very similar to the style of Alexander McQUEEN. I wouldn't be surprised if this designer is the next big thing! 

My favourite piece of the collection was the wedding dress at the end which was hand painted and dip dyed with black paint all around the bottom. STUNNING!!!  

On the final day of FFWD, there was a lunch for industry professionals. The CEO of the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) spoke about creating a governing body for designers of the Middle East and was accompanied by Reem Acra, a member of the CFDA. 

Being held in Dubai, it was very stressful for me to choose fashionable outfits to wear each day! Everyone was so effortlessly stylish with both men and women dressed amazingly, each with their own personal stamp to the outfit that they were wearing. It made me realize how important the Fashion Industry is to the Region and how much we need initiatives and events like Fashion Forward.

My Favourite quote of the whole three days was "Where there is a will, there is a Way... and the only way is FORWARD" 

The next Fashion Forward will be held in October, Click here for more details 

Do you think you will be attending Season 2 of Fashion Forward??

REPLAY Launch at Dubai Mall

As you have read on my blog before, I was chosen as a Brand Ambassador for the launch party of REPLAY last week (Read my post here for a recap). REPLAY is a denim brand for men and women selling all kinds of denim cuts under the sun- I can guarantee that you can find the perfect cut and fit for your body at this store. They also sell t-shirts, shorts, shoes, hats, bags, denim jackets and basically anything you would wear during the day to look really funky and stand out from the crowd. 

 The way clothes are displayed in the store is really cool with denim on bookshelves, rolled up or folded, and tables of original outfits to choose from

 The models and I - all of us in REPLAY clothes

ALL the bloggers and I were dressed in REPLAY. 

I was very impressed how differently each of us styled our outfits- thats the thing with this brand, it suits all body types and styles because you can do whatever u like with it and STILL look good! 

 The event was really fun- they took pics of everyone outside on the 'red carpet' and posted them on a board inside the store. The board will remain in the store for a few months

FULL HOUSE!

 REPLAY is located in 'THE VILLAGE' - a section of Dubai Mall right infront of the ice rink - and it houses denim stores and casual wear like Lacoste, Adidas, and Fasconnable. 
I was surprised that I had never visited it before! 

The Village is in a different style to the rest of Dubai Mall and has a very cosy vibe. I especially love the jeans hanging on a line from the ceiling! 

Have you visited the REPLAY store at THE VILLAGE yet?