H&M just announced its autumn guest collaboration with the Parisian house of Balmain! A veritable bastion of French luxury, under the creative directorship of young Olivier Rousteing, Balmain has grown into a global pop-culture phenomenon. Last night, Rousteing himself and his friends Kendall Jenner and Jourdan Dunn, walked the red carpet at The Billboard Music Awards revealing the first pieces of the collection. Through social media H&M and Balmain invited their fans to join a movement of togetherness with: #HMBalmaination.
“I want to talk to my generation: this is my main aim as a designer. H&M allows me the unique possibility of bringing everyone into the world of Balmain, getting a piece of the dream and creating a global #HMBalmaination: a movement of togetherness, fuelled on a hashtag. The collaboration felt extremely natural to me: H&M is a brand that everybody connects to. It calls for unity, and I am all for it”, says Olivier Rousteing.
Available from November 5, in around 250 stores worldwide and online, the collection will feature clothing and accessories for both women and men.
A few weeks ago I was approached by KENZO team in Kuwait to host their FW14 collection launch event. The preperations started almost immediately after; Save the date, event agenda, set up, and invites were sent out to around 300 of Kuwait’s bloggers, socialites, and fashion lovers. Of course, I was going to wear KENZO for the event and what’s better than Pre Fall 14! I picked up my outfit from KENZO store at The Avenues, phase two, a few days before the event, and I just loved it. Here’s an over all shot of my look, but I will be writing a detailed outfit post within couple of days.
On the event day people started arriving just on time, It was great seeing everyone so dressed up and absolutely glamorous. It was also a chance to meet some of the people I know only through social media and haven’t met in person yet. Everyone was dolled up, and dressed definitely to impress. The collection got amazing reviews, and everybody was in love with the bold colors and patters. They started shopping right then and there. The ambiance was perfectly set by DJ Nasque’s electric mixes, the ladies enjoyed the coolest personalized nail designs by Nail Station, and the crowd indulged in american-styled catering, while lots and lots of photos were being taken in the store and on the mystery photocall’s sloping floor, and uploaded live onto instagram under #KrazyforKenzo.
Now talking about the KENZO FW14 collection; It explores a world of mystery inspired by David Lynch; who has proven to be one of the most interesting and insightful directors, artists, and musicians of our time. His imagination and ingenuity can stimulate forgotten emotions through his canny use of whatever medium he chooses. The pieces have portrayed love, revenge, the strange, and the mysterious with equal candor.
The silhouettes hold contrasts in volume, and everything is amplified. Lean and tall, or high-waisted and exaggerated, the structure remains resolutely, ultra-feminine. Collars are reinterpreted, blown up, and tied around the waist as nonchalantly and intimately as the appropriation of a mans coat.
You’ll find yourself in a world of fox fur in ‘Wild Lula Lime’, ‘Laura Lilac’, and ‘Midnight Dorothy’ transform with detachable paneling. Lacquered twill jackets in flame inject fire colors to the palette. Skirts and dresses with shaved kangaroo are paired and layered with cross coats and embroidered and shredded organza. Foiled mohair grosgrain ribbons appear as belts and as inserts on trousers.
Prints this season come in wrapped versions of habitual vistas, the David Lynch herring-bone flooring and reflections of a mountain in shattered glass. A layered organza adds a 3D effect to skirts and tops. Sweaters feature high definition tryptic embroidery and metallic foiling.
In the beginning of this year, In March to be precise, I worked with family photographer Ahlam Raffii to photograph my son, Yousef and I. The photos were amazing, and you can view all of them on Ahlam’s website, here. But the reason I’m writing this post is because Ahlam recently surprised me with these two video edits from our shoot! I just love them! It’s amazing how time goes so fast, Make sure you always enjoy every minute with your loved ones, life is really too short.
I had the pleasure of being interviewed for a feature on Rtister.com, a global home for the savvy shopper who loves to own something contemporary, special, and unique. Based in London, Rtister nurtures and hones emerging designers and merges them with some of fashion’s most established names to create a global platform that showcases the very best in contemporary womenswear.
My feature is now available on Rtister, or you could check it out here! Don’t forget to shop a little and follow them on Instagram @Rtister
My latest project for Posh Fairy was a shoot for the soon to be launched L’Occitane au Bresil; a new brand with a French soul and a Brazilian heart. Traveling through the waters of Brazil, Olivier Baussan; the founder of L’Occitane en Provence discovered rich and exuberant eco-systems with fascinating ingredient stories, this encounter of Brazilian liveliness with L’Occitane’s values inspired to create a new brand: L’Occitane au Bresil.
The concept of the shoot was obviously inspired by Brasil, the beauty, the vivid colors, and the tradition. After scouting a few potential locations, we decided to shoot at a nursery, and Home & Garden were more than welcoming of the idea, and offered us complete access to their showroom. I will be sharing the final shots with you very soon, as they are currently exclusive material to Styles Magazine June issue.
And lastly for now, I would like to bring your attention towards every person who worked with me on this shoot, the team was in amazing harmony and they made the entire project such a great experience. A big thank you goes to all of them.
– Art director / Stylist: Joumana Soufi @thesidetalk
– Photographer: Jean Claude Dib @jeanclaudedib.photography
– Model: Hannah Delaimi @stylenscones
– Outfits: Enti @entikw
– Accessories: Stylist’s own
– Hair: Aziza ‘Zizi’ Skaff @azizaskaff of @blushkwt
– Makeup: Amal Al Adwani @amal_makeupartist
– BTS photography & videography: Roqaya Shamo @rshamo_
– Location: Home & Garden Nursery @homeandgarden
For those of you wanting to know Kim Kardashian’s wedding day makeup details. They are finally out! Her makeup artist of the day Mario Dedivanovic has shared all the products that went into creating her “natural and timeless” effect, and here they are.
Eyes:
Urban Decay Ink for Eyes Waterproof Precision Eye Pen
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Original
Urban Decay Perversion Mascara (launching soon)
Kardashian Beauty Individual Lashes
L’Oréal Paris Infallible Eyeshadow in Eternal Sunshine
Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade
Lips:
Kardashian Beauty Honey Stick Lipgloss in Natural Honey
L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Lipstick in Extraordinaire
L’Oréal Paris Liquid Lipstick by Colour Riche in Nude Ballet (for reception)
I found her bridal makeup beautiful and almost angelic, and I think the look took her to a whole new level of style. Have fun recreating it!
We love makeup! Personally I get to experiment loads of beauty products all the time. Sometimes it gets overwhelming to judge the result of a certain product, and the whole thing gets mixed together with other products, let it be makeup or skin care, doesn’t it? Well, a little help every now and then is nothing but a bonus. That’s why I look for the VIVA Beauty Awards every year. Mostly to know if i’m missing on any good products some how, or just to know if my beauty routine is going on the right track.
Viva, the biggest selling women’s monthly magazine across the GCC, announced the winners of the 7th VIVA Beauty Awards, during a dazzling event which was held at the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai. The rewards went to:
Prestige
Best Foundation: Chanel Perfection Lumiére Velvet Smooth-Effect Make-up
Best Perfume: Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Eau De Parfum
Best Mascara: Lancôme Hypnôse Drama Instant Full Body Volume Mascara
Best Nail Varnish: Essie Nail Colour
Best Anti-Ageing Product: Clarins Double Serum
Best Hair Product: L’Oréal Professionnel Absolut Repair Masque
Best Face Moisturiser: Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF30
Best Lipstick: Christian Dior Rouge Dior
Best Body Product: Kiehl’s Créme de Corps
Mass
Best Foundation: Max Factor Miracle Touch Liquid Illusion Foundation
Best Perfume: L’Occitane Magnolia & Mure
Best Mascara: Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara
Best Nail Varnish: OPI Nail Lacquer
Best Anti-Ageing Product: Pond’s Age Miracle BB + Cream
Best Hair Product: TRESemmé Salon Silk Conditioner
Best Face Moisturiser: Olay Total Effects Day Cream
Best Lipstick: Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet lipstick
Best Body Product: The Body Shop Shea Body Butter
Best Hair Salon: JetSet
Best Nail Salon: N.bar
Editor’s Choice Cult Classic: Chanel Allure Eau De Toilette
Editor’s choice Most Innovative Product: Philips ActiveCare Jojoba Straightener
Editor’s Seal of Approval: Max Factor Whipped Creme Foundation
If you’re using most of these products, then you’re beauty routine couldn’t get any better, if not, maybe it’s now time for a bit of change. You can follow the hashtag on instagram #VIVABeautyAwards for more info on the event and the products, or, use good ol’ Google for heaps of links on any products you wanna know more about.
For as far as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated with underwater photography. Maybe because it reflects a certain type of beauty that you don’t see everyday, and you definitely might not even know exists!
The work on this project was challenging as much as it was very exciting. I put the team together and was stuck looking for the photography equipment that we needed, rented some from a company and scheduled the shoot which had to be between 3 am and 9 am since the pool of Al Hamra Thermae would be open for members after that. The shoot was a while back so add to that, it was freezing! Unfortunately, Jalil and I weren’t happy with the results, and the shots were not a success. We had to stop, go home, and reschedule another early shoot. Meanwhile, look for better equipment.
About 3 weeks later, we were ready. With an excited team and killer equipment, we scheduled the shoot for the second time. Here’s a glimpse of what went on, and of course, the outcome.
– Art Director / Stylist: Joumana Soufi
– Photographer: Jalil Marvin
– Photography Equipment: TechSys Marine / AAB World
– Model : Sune Vantonder
– Makeup: Marvelous Makeup
– Location: Al Hamra Thermae
Marc Jacobs Announced the launch of his namesake cosmetics line, Marc Jacobs Beauty. The brand debuts with a whole 120 products available exclusively at Sephora Kuwait, Qatar, and UAE. I was invited to visit their store at The Avenues and enjoy the testing the new line, and oh boy! I spend about over an hour just playing around! The variety, the textures, and the colors are uh-mazing! I loved the shadows, the mascara, and the pen eyeliner. And although I’m not a foundation kinda girl, their foundations felt so soft and velvety, and most importantly, light! It’s as light as a BB cream, but with a foundation coverage, which I found extremely handy.
What caught my attention the most was the fact that the brand is launching a complete line, not just a few items here and there like we usually see in most of the fashion brands that . The only thing missing could be the makeup remover and the toner. Apart from that, you could have your complete beauty routine out of Marc Jacobs Beauty, including the brushes! which I think is very impressive.
Pass by your nearest Sephora, pay their stand a visit, I’m absolutely sure you’ll love it! Oh and you could visit Marc Jacobs Beauty website too, it’s very interesting and visual, which I loved!
I’ve worked with H&M Kuwait team a few times before to conceptualize and direct shoots for different collections last year. And this year, I had the pleasure of working with them again on the oh-so-hot conscious exclusive collection that has been making headlines all over the world, and it’s SO worth it. Here are the shots.
CREATIVE DIRECTOR | STYLIST: Joumana Soufi @thesidetalk
PHOTOGRAPHER: Saleh Al Sanad @al_sanad
MODEL: JiaoJiao @jiaojiaoyao
WARDROBE: H&M Conscious Exclusive Collection @hm
HAIR: Aziza ‘Zizi’ Skaff – Blush Hair & Beauty Center @azizaskaff
MAKEUP: Amal Al Adwani @amal_makeupartist
LOCATION: Al Hamra Thermae @alhamra_thermae
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