In With the Old

There's been some buzz surrounding it for a while but last night it was evident that Bambah, the new vintage clothing boutique on Beach Road, had finally arrived. Vintage is a fairly new concept in Dubai so it was great to see so many people out showing support. I’ve been a fan of vintage fashion for some time but I’d never gone to any vintage shops in Dubai and so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Back in London, I would spend many a dreary afternoon in the basement of Beyond Retro or amongst the seemingly endless racks in What Comes Around Goes Around. While going on an epic treasure hunt for the perfect 80’s prom dress has a certain charm, this isn’t what you’ll be doing at Bambah. The collection has been expertly curated. The clothes have been organised either by era or colour or texture and the accessories are artfully displayed on vintage hat stands and furniture. If it’s there and you want it, you’ll find it. Above all, everything is in great condition.
But it's not just the clothes, the boutique itself is gorgeous. Bambah isn’t small but the little touches like the delicate chandelier, the anti-clockwise wall clock and the personal family photos displayed throughout culminate to make the space feel intimate, fun and whimsical.
I eventually squeezed past the throngs of fashion 'it kids' sporting the obligatory ironic eye wear and made my way over to Maha A. Rasheed (pictured above), the brainchild of this whole operation. Maha used to be a part of the corporate world (shudder) but she left it and we’re lucky she did. Doe-eyed and looking absolutely statuesque in her red and black polka dot dress, she was truly in her element. In the little time I had her to myself, she told me that the stock gets replenished every Wednesday but if she gets something in that she really loves, she’ll put it out straight away. This way you’re almost always guaranteed to find a new little gem every time you visit.
Before I end this I have to mention the canapés. They consisted of every single one of my childhood fantasy foods- milk and cookies, jelly beans, popcorn, mini tarts and macaroons. The photo booth was fun and the DJ was great but feed me and I will love you forever. Mabrook Maha!

A look inside Bambah. Quirky, cute and very well organised.

The ever stylish Hibah Halwani and Dana Kadrie

Milk and Cookies!

In With the Old

Cold Comfort

Newsflash! It's cold and raining in Dubai. I know the 23 degrees isn't exactly cosidered cold in most of the world but by our standards it's positively freezing! Call me crazy but I really look forward to this time of year. It opens up a whole new world in terms of fashion choices. Don't get me wrong, I love a summer dress as much as the next girl but i totally agree with mantra that says 'variety is the spice of life'. I have a whole collection of jackets and blazers and cashmere cardigans that spend most of their time sitting in my wardrobe, feeling abandoned. Time to release them from their garment bags and show them some love. When I'm at home, weather like this makes me want to curl up under a blanket whilst reading one of the great novels (or watching TV) and eat a big bowl of creamy mashed potatoes. I found this recipe a while ago. It's delicious and really easy to make. I'll be tucking into my little hug in a bowl while i catch up on War and Peace (or the Golden Globes coverage).

Cold Comfort

Not coming soon

The Picture House at Dubai Mall is a glimmer of hope but we're still sadly lacking in terms of outlets for local and international independent cinema. I'm not hating on blockbusters, escapism is great. We just need more variety. I hope the film industry follows in the footsteps of the local art scene and that 'Film Galleries' start popping up in Al Quoz. While we wait, here are a few titles on my to see list...

Waiting for Superman

The makers of An Inconvenient truth bring us a stark look at the broken education system in America.



Tiny Furniture

Lena Dunham directs and stars in this love letter to Hipsters everywhere. It was a huge hit at SXSW and looks hilarious.



Blue Valentine

Recent press storm and controversy aside, Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams are apparently brilliant in this intense and unconventional love story.

Not coming soon

Fashion with a Heart

So, last week I went to an open house hosted by the lovely Ayesha Mustafa. Ayesha has founded a sartorial concept which combines her interests in fashion and the empowerment of women. It’s called Fashion ComPassion and its main focus is to showcase articles of clothing and accessories made by highly skilled artisans from underprivileged communities from the Middle East and Africa. When I hear words like ‘ethical’ in the context of fashion, I don’t exactly picture items that are beautiful or glamorous. I think ‘Great, I’m going to buy an ugly bracelet for a good cause’. That’s not the case here. Fashion ComPassion sources from brands such as Palestyle, Polly and Me and Beshtar. Not only is there a strong emphasis on fair trade but a percentage of Fashion ComPassion’s profits is donated to women’s charities all over the world. Ayesha plans to come back to Dubai soon but in the meantime, the best way to access the collection is through the website- www.fashioncompassion.co.uk. No ugly bracelets in sight! Here are a few pics I snapped at the event. Top: Ayesha (wearing one of the dresses from the collection) strikes a pose with Naomi Chadderton.

Fashion with a Heart

Recommended- Kiehl’s Lip Balm #1

It's not flashy; it doesn’t come in pretty packaging and is unscented in its original form. Glamorous it isn’t but this product has been my trusty companion since my first Surrey winter because it absolutely does what it says on the tin (tube). Having grown up in Dubai, I had never really experienced a proper winter. We have two seasons in the UAE- Hot and Hotter. When the cold arrived, the freezing wind and rain made it so I couldn't feel my face, my lips bore the brunt of the exposure. I tried everything from high end brands to plain old Vaseline but nothing seemed to work. Then, I found ‘the one’- Kiehl’s Lip Balm #1 to be exact. Two things set it apart from the multitude of wannabes. First of all, I am comforted by the fact that I can actually pronounce the active ingredients. Cotton seed oil and bees’ wax are combined to give this product its hydrating and healing properties. It’s nice not to put chemicals on your mouth. In addition to this, its thin consistency makes it easy to apply over cracked lips. Once on, it absorbs quickly into the skin and gets to work. Almost instantly, your lips feel less reptilian. All natural before it became fashionable; Kiehl’s also have a great recycling programme so don't forget to hand in your empties!

Recommended- Kiehl’s Lip Balm #1

Tot Idols

I suppose it’s nothing new. Our culture is obsessed with youth. It’s easy to point fingers at the fashion industry but recently the fashion pages have been inundated with preteens. We’ve all heard of Tavi, child fashion blogger extraordinaire but now respected publications are joining the fold as evidenced in GQ’s inclusion of Romeo Beckham in their best dressed list and most shockingly, Sharif Hamza’s highly stylized editorial featuring little girls for French Vogue. These girls, some rumored to be as young as six have been made to wear skin tight dresses and stilettos whilst laying provocatively on beds and animal print rugs. Is it art if the subjects are too young to understand what they’re satirizing? I don’t know, I do know that it makes me uncomfortable. Fashion is supposed to inspire, entertain and rightly or wrongly provide us with what is considered to be the aesthetic ideal of the time. Does this mean we’re all supposed to look like 10 year olds now? And I thought jeggings were a bad idea…sigh.

Tot Idols