French fashion king Yves Saint Laurent dies

French fashion king Yves Saint Laurent has died at the age of 71, hailed as a 20th century cultural icon who revolutionized the way women dressed.

The reclusive Saint Laurent's couture creations won global fine art status and he was widely considered to be one of an elite club of designers including Christian Dior and Coco Chanel who made Paris the fashion capital of the world.

From Princess Grace of Monaco to the actress Catherine Deneuve, Saint Laurent's creations adorned many famous women but he was also the first designer to make luxury labels accessible to a wider audience through innovative read-to-wear collections.

He exploded on to the world stage at just 21 and built up a clothes, perfumes and accessories empire that resulted in a 1989 stock market flotation -- the first by a fashion house.

But Saint Laurent, whose death on Sunday was announced without any details of the cause, was plagued by health problems -- he suffered from severe depression and underwent treatment for alcohol abuse.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy praised Saint Laurent as a creative genius. "He was convinced that beauty was a luxury that every man and woman needed," Sarkozy said in a statement.

"(Coco) Chanel gave women freedom. Yves Saint Laurent gave them power," Saint Laurent's long-time friend and business partner Pierre Berge told France Info radio.

"(But) he was someone who was very shy and introverted, who had only very few friends and hid himself from the world." Continue to the full story.

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Urban Male Lounge

Gentlemen of the modern day are beginning to follow the example set by the stylish Italians and pay increasing attention to the way that they look. Not simply for reasons of vanity but because the importance of personal presentation in the business setting is becoming more and more recognized. And this means attention to even the most precise detail. Much as we may resent it, first impressions count. Social psychologists have estimated that it takes around thirty seconds for someone meeting you to evaluate your character and abilities, including your educational level, competence, sophistication, trustworthiness and social heritage. In such a short space of time, this means that those impressions are formed almost entirely on how you look. Personal presentation counts.

This is increasingly evident in the Western world, notably from the sale of male grooming products. In 2006, men worldwide are reported to have spent US$16bn on cosmetics and associated products and this is projected to rise to US$19.5bn by 2008. In addition to cosmetic sales, grooming salons are cropping up in cities worldwide.

The observation that these establishments are city-based is a significant one. It is important for the modern professional in the urban environment to present himself with panache and this means attention to the most precise detail.

In place of the specialist facials, color manicures, pedicures and aromatherapy massages offered by beauty salons are hot shaves, sports massages and deep conditioning hair treatments. More and more are also coming around to the idea of facials, manicures and pedicures in an effort to set themselves apart from the crowd in the chic stakes.

Not only does the indulgence make the recipient look sharp, it is a bona fide stress buster as well. Though massage is an undeniable tension reliever, time spent idly looking after one’s appearance is an opportunity for the gentlemen to switch off the overworked mind for a short time, making it an ideal lunchtime treat or as a break if work commitments continue into the night.

The Middle East is no stranger to the trend either; the Urban Male Lounge (UML) has recently been opened in the Dubai International Finance Centre and is a stylish take on the male grooming concept, answering the demand that now exists here too. Clients have a number of treatments available from an extensive menu.

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Muslim designers to create Islamic fashion hubs

Muslim designers are not only keen on showcasing the latest trends and designs in Islamic-inspired apparels, but they also want to help establish Dubai, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta and Islamic fashion capitals.

“I think it’s time especially for Muslim women who take pride in the way she dress to dictate the direction of Islamic fashion,” Raja Rezza Shah, the founder of the Islamic Fashion Festival.

“We don’t have to take the signal from the West anymore.”
Designers and fashion labels gathered in Dubai on March 30 at the IFF’s fourth edition opening. Past editions of the fashion festival were held in the Malaysian and Indonesian capitals Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta in 2006 and 2007 respectively.

Muslim designers hope to turn the three cities to capitals of the industry that reconciles the Muslim faith with the dictates of fashion, just as London, Paris and New York are to Western labels.

“The demand has never been more present than now,” Rezza says on the IFF official website. “A gap exists at the moment as Islamic fashion capitals and trend setters don’t have a commonplace to serve this demand to a greater market. The Festival aims to bridge this gap.”
The annual festival brings the latest trends in Islamic fashion to an international audience.

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The Bride Show ddraws in the most exclusive names in the industry

The Bride Show Dubai is drawing in scores of exclusive exhibitors from around the world who will touch down in the Emirate to showcase their collections to the public in April.

Among them, photographers of the rich and fabulous, Ronicka Kandhari and Vickrant Mahajan have chosen The Bride Show Dubai to offer their talents to UAE residents for the very first time. The famous husband and wife team, known for their work at weddings for Bollywood stars, industrialists and officials, will attend the four day exhibition to launch their service, a thorough photographic and artistic wedding portrayal.

The photographs they capture throughout the wedding experience are compiled into a custom-made handcrafted album, embellished with Swarovski crystals; to produce an ornate jewelled book of memories.

“We work with very exclusive, very discerning clients, and only undertake 12 to 15 weddings a year,” said Vickrant Mahajan, who recently returned from a 10-day wedding of a chief minister’s son. “The Bride Show fits our profile to a tee because of its exclusivity and the calibre of exhibitors we will be joining. We feel that it is an ideal venue to meet potential clients in the UAE for the very first time.”

The Delhi-based couple are joined by other international names who flock to Dubai for the largest bridal exhibition in the region. Mantra Living, a specialised couture fusion fashion that combines eastern embroidery and western silhouettes, will fly in from Singapore to meet brides-to-be and women with a taste for luxury fashion.

Hong Kong brand Fine n’ Rhine will offer evening and day bags, dripping in Swarovski crystals, as well as cashmere scarves and embroidered tops, while Bina Enterprises from India will exhibit their modern saris, Salwar Kammeez & Kurtas.

Many exhibitors will use The Bride Show Dubai as their only selling opportunity to customers in the UAE as they do not operate retail spaces outside of their native countries.

European services and products will also be available, including high end skin care products from NUXE, and the über chic floral arrangements of Space & Flowers, both of which originate from Paris, France. Gianni Piazza, an esteemed Italian jeweller, President of Belle Arti, will display ‘Dolce Vita’ inspired classic contemporary necklaces, earrings and rings, all with the signature flair of Italian colour and fantasy with his brand BELLAGIOIA, while German and Ukrainian bridal dressmakers, Cecile and Junist respectively, will display their collections.
“The Bride Show Dubai has grown so much over the years and we are excited that such exclusive international names have joined us,” said Daphne Cota, Exhibition Manager of The Bride Show. “We now feature 400 companies from 13 countries, showcasing everything from wedding gowns and international haute couture fashion to jewellers, florists, and photographers.”

The Bride Show Dubai will host 20 fashion shows from local and international designers demonstrating their eagerly anticipated collections as well as the creations devised by the finalists of the prestigious Swarovski Young Designer Award.

Exclusive discounts and daily competitions will be taking place and one lucky visitor will win the grand prize of a luxury honeymoon package.

The Arabian Home Show and Women’s Healthcare will run alongside The Bride Show Dubai at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre from 23- 26 April.

The Bride Show Dubai is open daily from 2.30pm – 10.30pm. Entry fee is 10dhs per person per day. To request an invitation to attend The Bride Show Dubai or to join the mailing list for regular Bride Show Dubai updates visit www.thebrideshow.com. Source

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Abu Dhabi Fashion Week kicked off on Sathurday

Against the stunning backdrop of the Emirates Palace Hotel and in an arena purpose-built to reflect the Arab World's distinctive architecture, the stage is truly set for the opening night of the inaugural Abu Dhabi Fashion Week.

For the first time in the Middle East, the runway shows, featuring the collections of top international and regional designers are set to take place simultaneously on two catwalks in the main arena and in a ladies only section. The Arabian architecture of 100,000 square foot arena has been designed to reflect the distinctive character of the Abu Dhabi Fashion Week, setting it apart from other international fashion events with a unique setting and line-up of shows.

Vittorio Missoni, CEO of renowned fashion house Missoni, arrived last Friday to lead the opening night on Saturday with a collection of his well-loved signature designs. The next few days will see the best of Arabian and international fashion from established international Masters through to exciting new Arabian Designers. For the first time ever in the region, pioneers of modern day fashion like Missoni and Emilio Pucci along with celebrated young designer Albino D’Amato will show their collections along with top Arab designers like Rabih Kayrouz from Lebanon, the UAE’s Aisha Desmal and Saudi designer Amina Al Jassim.

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