Peplums - Peplums Everywhere!

I was out in Dubai on Thursday night and it seemed like everywhere I turned, I found a girl wearing the Peplum trend! In peplum dresses, tops, or skirts, they all looked really slim around the waist and very cool! Flattering and fashion forward, it seems that Peplums can transform any outfit into feminine and flirty. I guess this trend is here to stay for Fall :)

Wearing this look isn't as easy as it seems. Here are some tips and a few of my favourite picks:

Dolce & Gabbana Mini-me's!

I was browsing through the Children's section of Harvey Nichols at the Mall of the Emirates and was shocked when I saw the Dolce & Gabbana section. Either Dolce and/or Gabbana have lost inspiration and ideas because they have to make so many collections a year, OR they expect children and adults to dress exactly the same! This season, the designers have created a kids collection that includes evening wear exactly like their Woman's collection!  It is definitely cute but perhaps a wee bit over the top?! 

Check out these very similar clothes for women and children. I don't mean to offend anyone by calling the more grown up dresses 'the mommy version' but the whole time I was looking at the little outfits, all I could imagine were a mom and child wearing EXTREMELY similar outfits!!

The mommy versions are on the left and the kiddy versions are on the right: 

Floral Print dress: Mommy Version - Kiddy Version

The Together Bag

At the Bloomingdales Fashion Show, we were given small pouches of the 'Together Bag' from the label Thursday Friday in our big gift boxes. With images of designer IT handbags (Balenciaga, Chanel, YSL)  printed on cotton canvas totes, they give a great illusion that you are carrying a designer handbag. Then you realize up close that they are actually just pictures... I think they are SUPER cool!

Style.com Arabia

So it seems International Fashion publications and companies are finally taking notice of opportunities and the importance of Fashion in the Arab world! On October 15, Conde Nast (the company behind Vogue, W, Allure, Vanity Fair, Style.com and Brides to name a few) is launching Style.com Arabia - their first Fashion Publication for the Middle East and their first EVER Arabic publication.

Their magazine and website will feature the International Editorials that we are used to as well as original content specific to the region - in both Arabic and English. They will feature runway coverage, trend reporting, street style and breaking fashion news. Basically, everything I enjoy reading about!

From their Facebook Page with almost 28,000 Likes before they even officially launched, I gather that fashionistas are eagerly awaiting the launch!  

Would you be interested in Style.com Arabia? 

How to wear Polka Dots

Polka Dots are HUGE this fall! But I've been finding the trend to be quite tricky to wear- too much and you could end up looking like a doll or a fashion disaster. Last night, I wore this polka dot top with black skirt/shorts (skirt at the front, and shorts at the back) and kept the accessories all the same colour gold so as not to overpower the dots. I also wore a simple round necklace, similar to the collar of the top, so that I didn't clash too much on top. 

Outfit Du Jour

I've been getting a lot of feedback that my readers would like to see more of my outfits and how I wear certain trends. Here is how I wore my trusted Zara harem pants today (I've already worn these pants a hundred different ways): 

 Zara harem pants, Chloe top, vintage Christian Dior bag, Lanvin flats, YSL Ring, 

Camilla Klein necklace

Circle Cafe Abu Dhabi

This past Friday for brunch, I went to the newly-opened Circle Cafe at Raha Garden Plaza in Raha Gardens, Khalifa A. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of people and families inside - usually new places in Abu Dhabi are empty and lack soul. This place couldn't be further from the Abu Dhabi norm! The cafe has a very cosy, neighbourhood vibe with friendly waiters who are genuinely happy to be there serving you. The furniture is very modern - mostly white with beautiful chandeliers and a library section where you can sit in one of the large brown armchairs with a cup of coffee and enjoy your time. 

Mawi Clutches at London Fashion Week

At London Fashion Week, British fashion jewellery designer MAWI showcased for the first time ever their new collection of luxury inspired clutches.  I'm truly OBSESSED!  They are beyond stunning! I really can't wait till they are for sale so they can bling up my Summer outfits....

All pictures are from www.facebook.com/MawiJewellery

Mawi Clutches can be purchased at My-Wardrobe.com (link), S*uce in the U.A.E, &
 Harvey Nichols in Mall of the Emirates

Weekly Fashion Cravings Sep 19 - 25

Hope you enjoy my ten picks this week- Happy Shopping! :)

I would wear these Alexis Bittar earrings anywhere and everywhere

This 3.1 Philip Lim sequined chiffon pants and attached skirt is perfect for this season's trend of skirts attached to pants. Wear with a plain t-shirt or blazer so as not to overdo it

World's biggest Shoe Emporium at Dubai Mall

What does heaven look like to you? If you never really thought about it - visualize this: 96,000 sq ft of shoes, shoes and even more shoes! That's the largest space for footwear in the world. 

Taking over the space that used to be the Gold Souk at the Dubai Mall, the Level shoe District is going to house over 30,000 pairs of shoes from 250 low-end brands to high end-brands for both men and women. Basically, you are GUARANTEED to find a shoe that will fit your size, style, taste AND budget. Now isn't that amazing?!

The Level Shoe District will also house a Sole spa, a Fashion Cafe to rest your feet from all that shopping, a VIP suite, and The Cobbler where you can repair all your beautiful shoes.  

I can't wait till October for The Level to open!! :)

Home-made Guacamole Dip

I can't cook, actually its better to say that I DON'T cook! So when we entertain guests, I order almost everything in. To not seem useless, I discovered that its impressive to have at least ONE thing that is home-made! I found the recipe of this Guacamole Dip online and tweaked it a bit to my taste. I now always serve it and get rave reviews. Hope u enjoy it as well :)

Topshop Unique LIVE

Customer is king these days in the Fashion world and design houses and stores are no longer simply relying on the tastes of the "professional buyers" to choose the pieces that we will be wearing in the upcoming season. Rather, they are directly asking US what WE would like to wear. Isn't that refreshing!

This trend was seen at Topshop Unique's Spring/Summer 2013 show at London Fashion Week. If you didn't love the brand before, I am sure you will start to love them now! :)

My Office

My husband FINALLY got the internet in our apartment fixed so I don't need to sit at the entrance to write my blog anymore!! I'm so excited to be back in my office again that I would like to share it with you. It's my favourite room in the house- minimalistic, funky and has a very positive vibe. Enjoy! :)

Nicole Richie for Macy's Impulse

Studded velvet mini dress

A few days ago, Nicole Richie launched a capsule collection of 25 pieces for Macy's Impulse. Each piece in her collection features her signature boho-chic style with adornments such as lace, studs, faux-leather and really cool prints. The BEST part about this collection is that everything is less than AED 500 so you can affordably mix and match these pieces with items in your wardrobe for truly show-stopping looks. Here are my favourite picks from the collection:

Over 2000 page views!

My blog has been viewed over 2000 times since I launched 5 weeks ago! Yay! I just want to thank everyone for their support and for taking the time to read my blog- I really appreciate it! Seeing the counter go up everyday really makes my day...

Keep reading and let me know what you want to see more of :)

Love,
Tala  xx

A new Japanese resto in Abu Dhabi- Yay!

Abu Dhabi has a new sushi restaurant - FINALLY!! Tori Nosu at the Jumeirah Etihad Towers

The decor is fabulous- stunning lighting (my pictures aren't really giving it justice!)

Nails gone WILD at NYC Fashion Week

I've been browsing cool new trends being showcased at New York Fashion Week 2013 and it seems like wild NAILS are having their moment. Most designers are matching nail art with their upcoming collections, and it seems the more extreme and crazy, the better! Here are some designs that were showcased - some are seriously creepy and extremely difficult to replicate at home while others are very cool... 

Metallic nails at Erin Fetherston to "mimic the effect of jewellery" using Butter LONDON Lillibet's Jubilee
(Source: www.thefashionspot.com)

Pre-season shopping?

Today I have a topic for the SERIOUS fashionista- the one who likes to be ahead of the trends, hates buying last season's clothes and prefers to be unique.

Lately, I have been noticing an influx of new websites that offer customers the chance to order pre-season items before they hit stores. First came online shopping for current season clothes, then came discount websites where you could buy previous season items (www.theoutnet.com) and others where they have sales for a few days of items that were overstocked in stores or that needed a push to be sold and now websites are popping up with pre-season items and a chance to buy directly from designer's trunk shows. It's genius- why didn't I think of it?!

Weekly Fashion Cravings Sep 11- 17

This week I'm feeling quite depressed that I missed all the Fashion Nights Out around the world and I wasn't really in the mood to shop... but for this post I pushed myself  to browse through all the new pieces sold online. After about 20 minutes, I was back in shopping mode! My picks this week don't follow any particular trend but are a mix of stuff I found attractive and eye-catching. 

Happy Shopping! :)

I'm obsessed! with this Diane Von Furstenberg gold lips satin clutch. It's in all of the brand's magazine ads this season so it'll be sure to get noticed!

Anna Dello Russo for H & M

(Source: www.vogue.co.uk)

I just found out that the designer collaborating with H&M this fall is Vogue Japan's editor-at-large, cooky Anna Dello Russo. She will be bringing us an accessories line filled with over the top gold jewellery, fun cat-eye sunglasses, small clutches, and gold sandals. 

They all look really fun - I'm obsessed! 

Anna Dello Russo showcasing her accessories in Vogue Russia
(Isn't the luggage to die for?! I hope they will be selling it in the UAE)
(Source: Vogue Russia)

Best Gourmet Burger in Abu Dhabi

Do you remember the last time you left a restaurant not only full, but entirely satisfied as well? Before yesterday, its been a long time since I've felt that way! Starving after the beach, we decided to go to Nolu's at Al Bandar in Abu Dhabi to have gourmet burgers. What a fabulous idea...

The burger menu stretches out over two pages where you can choose between 4 gourmet patties (angus beef, chicken, fish and vegetarian), up to 4 toppings from an extensive list, 2 dressings and cheese. The result is the most perfect burger entirely customized to your individual taste-buds. Add a side of fries or green salad to that and you're in heaven! 

(Source: www.foodspotting.com)

If you have space for dessert, actually let me rephrase that, MAKE SPACE for the sticky date cake at the end- nothing I have ever had tastes as good as this dessert drizzled with hot toffee sauce (its ok you can run on the treadmill tomorrow!)... 

Visit www.noluscafe.com or call 9712-557-9500 for more info

Fashion's Night Out

For those of you (and me!) who missed Fashion's Night Out last night in New York, Paris, London, and the other 15 cities around the world- here are a few pics to make us feel little more included. Oh, what i would have done to be in ANY of these places last night! :(

The Empire State Building in NYC was lit a brillant red to celebtrate FNO's 4th anniversary

Lets WANDER

I've been writing about shopping way too much lately so I feel like travelling on my blog today- or how about WANDERING?!

Greece- simply breathtaking!

For our honeymoon last November, my husband and I waned to go to Brazil and Argentina, but we had no clue how to go about finding nice hotels or planning our route within South America. Added to that, no one speaks English in Brazil so we were lost. Luckily, we found Reem Shath who owns WhyWander , a boutique travel agency that books hotels, flights from the UAE, internal flights within the destination, guided tours, and agents that pick you up and drop you back to the airport.

IF Boutique's annual warehouse sale!

For truly different, edgy and show-stopping pieces, head to IF Boutique in Dubai between September 4 and 15 for their annual warehouse sale. With up to 90% on amazing brands such as Yohji Yamamoto, Ann Demeulemeester, Junya Watanabe, Johnny Farah and many more - this isn't a sale you can miss!

IF Boutique is located on Umm Al Sheif Street (between Spinneys Al Wasl and Jumeirah Beach Road), Villa 26, Umm Suqeim. Call 04- 3947260 for directions.

See you there! :)

Kerastase Huile Celeste

This summer I discovered a product from Kerastase's Soleil line that is incredible for hair: Huile Celeste shimmering protective mist for sun-exposed hair. 

I sprayed this oil on my hair before I swam to protect it from harmful UV rays and chlorine and when I brushed it after swimming, it was smoother than ever and was so easy to brush through. No need for anti-frizz... magic! It also contains shimmer so your hair actually sparkles in the sun. This product is so amazing that every single one of my friends and family that have tried it from me ended up buying it! 

Unfortunately, and very stupidly I might add, salons in the UAE and the Middle East are not selling it yet so you have to purchase it from Europe or from their USA site here

Weekly Fashion Cravings September 3 - 9

This week I'm craving all things different, edgy and cool - pieces that really stand out. I searched through my favourite websites and here are my top ten picks.

Happy Shopping! :)

This KAGE dress has to be my favourite item this week- It is plain black velvet at the front with a plunging back lined with gold trim. I would walk backwards in this dress!
AED 1,750 at Boutique 1

Isharya on Sale!

I have really great news today! One of my favourite faux bijoux jewellery designers is on sale until September 4th!!