The Creative Space - Beirut - A journey- not to make clothes, but to make designers

The Creative Space was launched on June 1, 2011 in Beirut, Lebanon. It is a free intensive educational program that aims to inspire and empower youth from various backgrounds, through fashion design. Gathering for seven hours a day, five times a week, the initiative functions out of a vibrant space in Saifi Urban Gardens.

The project is run by Sarah Hermez, a graduate from the BFA Fashion Design program at Parsons the New School for Design, and Caroline Shlala- Simonelli, a part-time faculty member at The School of Fashion at Parsons the New School for Design and Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Caroline has had a long and highly praised career in the fashion business. During the summer, Sarah and Caroline taught a class of five students between the ages of 16-22, from different backgrounds, lifestyles and education who lack fair opportunities and have an interest in fashion design.

Their goal was to guide their students on the road to discovering the roots of their creative ideals through fashion, creating an atmosphere of teamwork and collaboration while promoting individuality. Throughout the two months, the class worked together to create an haute-couture collection, with each student responsible for designing and producing at least two garments that contributed towards the final collection, that was showcased in a selling exhibition in the beginning of August 2011.

The long-term vision for The Creative Space is to develop a participatory, democratic educational system that also serves as a brand, a system that generates income by producing and selling collections in which profits are equally distributed among designers, giving them opportunities to work and sustain their lives.

The Creative Space is a journey- not to make clothes, but to make designers.

Saudi Princess Amira Al-Taweel Best Dressed at Prince William and Kate's Wedding

I’m sure many of you know of the Saudi Princess Amira Al-Taweel, which literally means “the tall princess”(yup that is her real name). The 26-year-old princess is the 4th wife of the global tycoon Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talaal, nephew to Saudi King Abdullah and the 13th wealthiest man in the world. She is one of the first Saudi royal ladies to step out with her husband in public and also to appear in public without her abaya or scarf. She is the Vice President of the Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal foundation, spends time helping and visiting sick children, orphans and abused women across the world. She also travels with her husband to meet world leaders to improve the image of Saudi Women. She is famous for openly saying that she would be the first to start driving in KSA.

Princess Amira is definetly a style icon with her glossy wavy black hair and bronze skin. At Prince William and Kate's wedding she was listed as the top 5 best dressed and for the best hair. In my opinion I think she was the best dressed, best makeup and best hair (Her hair reminded me of a Pantene Ad)! Overall, she looked STUNNING. Loved the custom made Zuhair Murad dress. She looked super elegant in a lace overcoat over a plain dress with a cute belt and bow. She accessorized with a gorgeous hat, clutch and satin pumps for a perfect outfit to fit the occasion.

Her hair and makeup was just amazing. I find a lot of Saudi girls and women don’t like to wear nude color lips. Its more of a tanned skin, bright lip color which has been the trend for a while now. But why not try some more natural colors?

Heres how to get her Look:

Face:

Chose a Face & Body Foundation to unify the complexion invisibly (MAC & Makeup Forever both have great ones). Apply it in small dabs only on the T-Zone. To get rid of dark circles and imperfections, use a matching concelar and pat on under your eyes and on any blemishes or marks try Studio Sculpt Concelar from MAC. Use a liquid concelar for a softer finish. Finish off with a pressed powder Try the Studio Fix powder from MAC (apply with a large powder brush instead of the sponge).

Eyes:

Apply a drop of a nude MAC Paint Pot on the eyelids to tone and unify the skin. Then, apply a few drops of Make up Forever's Lift concelar on the eyelids and brow bone to brighten the eyes. Make your eyes the main focus of this look and think Au Natural. Use a peachy pink eyeshadow to dust over your eyelid. Try expensive pink from MAC and use a very natural soft highlight try Shroom from MAC.

Use a liquid liner and thinly line your top lashes and use kohl inside the eyes. Finish off with a few layers of lengthening mascara. If you want your lashes to be thicker, dust some loose powder on your lashes before you put on your mascara.

Use a matte blush on your cheekbones. Smile and start at the apples of your checks and follow your check bone upwards towards your hairline. Try Melba from MAC which is a nice matte coral peach.

Eyebrows:

Brush the eyebrows with a soft brush combing the hair upwards. Then draw dots in the empty spaces with an eyebrow pencil (never go for black even if your hair is black. Try the darkest brown instead). Brush agin to blend and soften the effect.

Lips:

Go for a naturally pink lip by applying red lipstick all over your lips and blotting it all off on a tissue. Apply clear lipgloss on top. There you have an oh so natural soft pink lip!

This princess seems to have mastered the Art of Nude Beauty.

Muslim headscarf banned in an Islamic country

The hijab, the traditional headscarf that many Islamic women wear and that has become a subject of heated debate in countries like France and the U.K. , where large Muslim populations live, has been banned - in Tunisia, a majority-Muslim country in northern Africa. Lately, Tunisian police have been enforcing, "with renewed vigor," a 1981 decree that "prohibits women from wearing Islamic headscarves in public places." The restriction requires that Tunisian women not wear Islamic dress in schools or government offices. "Police...have been stopping women on the streets and asking them to remove their headscarves and sign pledges that they will not go back to wearing them....Human-rights groups describe the move as unconstitutional.

Middle Eastern designer dresses – Evening wear and bridal dresses

With increasing globalization, the Middle Eastern fashion trend changed gradually. The Middle Eastern designer dresses are not only being preferred by the Middle Eastern customers but are in demand globally. The range of Middle Eastern designer dresses starts from the contemporary dresses to evening formal wear and bridal dresses. The most extravagant Middle Eastern designer dresses are the bridal and evening wears which are being designed by the top end designers. The Middle Eastern designer dresses in the category of bridal and formal wear are a mixture of traditional Middle Easter style and wedding styles. These Middle Eastern designer dresses are available in styles like strapless wedding gown in white color and are also available with a veiled headpiece with a wedding gown that goes down to the floor and at back of the dress. Such Middle Eastern designer dresses for wedding are also embellished with embroidery.

The Middle Eastern designer dresses for bridals can easily be recognized due to their distinctive style with beads and embroidery. Most of these are handmade which clearly tells that these dresses are not inexpensive and have good resale value for the customer. The Middle Eastern designer dresses for bridal/formal wear are now available in low cut designs, strapless, and mermaid style with lots of laces. Along with high collars and half sleeves, the cathedral length and layered petticoats are seen frequently in these dresses.

Dubai has become a shopping paradise for tourists from many countries. Although it is still in the process to be exactly like New York, Paris, Milan or London but the charismatic presentation and awareness offered by Dubai to shopaholic is worth appreciating. In the context of fashion world, Dubai surely has excelled in the Middle Eastern designer dresses. The Middle Eastern designer dresses in Dubai show their individualism and identity. In Dubai, the Middle Eastern designer dresses range from casual wear to radical designs and the tourists can easily get the desired dress as per the occasion.

However the Middle Eastern designer dresses industry needs a major boost in terms of many dimensions. If Dubai Fashion week wants a transition to major industry, then proper planning needs to be developed between the designers and government authorities. In this context, the Middle Eastern designer dresses manufacturers need to communicate with the production companies, international even organizers and textile retail industry. The top end Middle Easter designer dresses manufacturers need to address development and growth opportunities in the clothing industry and arrange more events to attract more public. The Dubai government must encourage the Middle Eastern designer dresses top end producers in order to develop, increase and promote the fashion from the Middle East. In order to promote the Middle Eastern designer dresses, the need is to strengthen links with international designers, international fashion weeks and retail and textile professionals.

مقابلة مع سارة آل الخولي

تأمل لحظة تتويج الليلة لها في مسابقة ملكة جمال الكون 2011 ، ومقرها دبي شركة سارة ملكة جمال الخولي يحصل بصراحة عن قضايا قريبة من قلبها : تمثيل مصر والخطط المستقبلية لها ، ويحدد لها ما عدا.

تخبرنا أكثر قليلا عن نفسك. عندما لم تحصل في النمذجة؟ وكان هذا شيء كنت قد أردت دائما أن تفعل؟

لقد ولدت من أب مصري وأم كرواتية في ليبيا ، والآن أنا أعيش في دبي. أنا واحد الشقيق الاصغر الذي أعتبره واحدا من أعز أصدقائي. أدرس في الجامعة الأميركية واختصاصي في العلاقات العامة. على مدى السنة الماضية ، لقد كنت مشغولا للغاية مع واجباتي ملكة جمال العالم ومصر هذا العام هو 100 مرة أكثر انشغالا بالنسبة لي ، لاني الان واجبات لملكة جمال الكون مصر ، فضلا عن ملكة جمال البحر الأبيض المتوسط. أحيانا يحصل متعبة جدا ، لكني أحب ذلك. وتعطى لك الفرصة لتفعل أشياء كبيرة ومذهلة في حياتك. هواياتي هي التسكع مع أصدقائي ، والتسوق ، ومشاهدة الأفلام ، والسفر ، والأزياء ، والسباحة ، والتصوير الفوتوغرافي وغيرها الكثير.

هل من أي وقت مضى يعيشون في مصر؟

وقد قضى معظم وقتي في دبي لدراستي ، ولكن قضيت وقتا في ما بين في مصر عندما كنت أصغر سنا.

ماذا تمثل مصر بالنسبة لك؟

انه لشرف المجموع ، خصوصا أن أول امرأة لتمثيل مصر في مرحلة ما بعد الثورة.

في السنوات القليلة الماضية ، ومصر لم تكن ناجحة جدا في الوصول إلى المراحل النهائية لملكة جمال الكون. ماذا عليك أن تحضر إلى الجدول الذي يجعلك مختلفا؟

وأعتقد أن ممثلي مصر ملكة جمال في السنوات القليلة الماضية ولقد تم كل عظيم ، ولكن أعتقد أنني يمكن أن يجلب الخبرة إلى طاولة من السنة الأخيرة في مسابقة ملكة جمال العالم 2010. أيضا ، بعد أن نشأ في دبي ، ولدي كل التقدير الكبير للجنسية نظرا للثقافة أكثر من هنا. وبصرف النظر عن هذا ، وأنا أشعر أنني لديها شبكة دعم كبير من حولي -- الأصدقاء والعائلة جنبا إلى جنب مع دعم كبير من بلدي ، والناس في دبي وكذلك تم ذلك فعلا داعمة ومشجعة ، بحيث يتم دفعة هائلة في ثقتي .

مع ما يجري في مصر في الوقت الراهن ، ما هي الرسالة التي يمكن أخذ معك الى البرازيل؟

ما يحدث حاليا في مصر هو مقلق بالنسبة لي. ومع ذلك ، أعتقد أن الثورة لا يأتي أبدا من دون مجموعة معقولة من الخسائر. وقد حرمت مصر من الديمقراطية لعقود ، والناس بحاجة للتعلم والتعليم في كيفية التعبير عن آرائهم بحرية من دون أن ننسى أن تحترم القوانين والقواعد المعمول بها.
بالنسبة للاضطرابات الأخيرة على الحدود بين مصر وإسرائيل ، وأعتقد أن الشعب المصري لن تتسامح مع الانتهاكات لكرامتهم تحت اسم السياسة. لقد ارتكب خطأ من جانب إسرائيل ، ونحن نتوقع استجابة من شأنها أن ترقى إلى مستوى الموقف. وقال ان الشعب المصري هو قبول أي شيء أقل من اعتذار رسمي ، وبالتالي على اسرائيل ان تفعل ذلك.

ما هو رأيك في الجراحة التجميلية؟ هل من أي وقت مضى تذهب تحت السكين؟

ليس لدي شيء ضد جراحات التجميل ، ولكن أنا شخصيا شهدت العديد من أصدقائي لعب مع الكثير من خصائصها أنها لم تعد تبدو طبيعية أو ما شابه أنفسهم ، وهي ليست جذابة جدا. يجب أن تعرف حدودك دائما في كل ما تفعل -- لا تفعل الكثير ، ولم تفعل سوى القليل جدا. قد يبحث البلاستيك المرأة جذب انتباه الرجل لبعض الوقت ولكن بعد ذلك سرعان ما ذهبت عليه. وأعتقد أيضا النساء اللواتي سن برشاقة ستكون دائما جميلة طالما أنها تعتني بنفسها.

هل كان لديك الفساتين التي صممها الخاص ومقرها دبي ، مصمم رامي العلي. كيف يتحقق التعاون؟

ملكة جمال مصر كان تنظيم عقد رعاية مع رامي. لقد كان رائعا جدا مع كل شيء ، وأنا أشعر بأن الثياب التي خلقها بالنسبة لي هي لافتة للنظر وأنيقة.

أخيرا ، ماذا تريد أن تفعل بعد حملة ملكة جمال مصر؟

سوف أنهي دراستي في الجامعة الأميركية في الشارقة ، وبالتأكيد سوف تكون متجهة نحو مهنة في مجال الإعلام.
كونها ملكة جمال يأخذ الكثير من العمل الشاق والتفاني. هنا ، سارة آل الخولي أسهم بعض من النصائح لها أعلى للبقاء في الشكل.

Toxicity Exhibition by Lebanese artist Nancy Debs Haddad

Lebanese artist Nancy Debs Haddad shows her photos and sculptures in Espace Kettaneh-Kunigk, in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Sept. 16, 2011. The exhibition named "Toxicity" features 17 photographs and eight mixed-media sculptures. It is centered on antique machine pieces which Haddad treats like human subjects, from which she invites her viewers to draw stories

Modern kaftans are most preferred choice of Arab women

Kaftans dresses are getting worldwide attention and praise especially in the Middle Eastern countries as they are adding elegant and charming look in women personality. Kaftans are becoming symbol of gracefulness and higher standards of women outfits. In the Middle Eastern countries, where majority of women respect their local customs, kaftans are helping them a lot to align themselves with the latest fashion trends by remaining in their society’s established parameters.

Due to the increasing popularity and fame of kaftans, world famous designers and brands are channeling their resources and expertise in bringing new innovations and styles in kaftans. Expert designer kaftan and several other professionals trying hard to add new elegance and aesthetic look in women outfit.

Kaftans are made of pure and extremely soft chiffon. Its softness could be termed as fluid like movement which delights its wearer a lot. Besides softness of chiffon, its availability in multicolor fabric providing extra edge in designing of highly attractive kaftans which are being worn over multicolor abayas. There is no doubt that present shape of kaftans is the result of extremely hard work of designer kaftan. In addition the embedded small and twinkling stones with hand embroidery are creating magnificent appeal to kaftans. Silk embroidery work is being performed by hands not with machines so that its durability could increase.

These elegantly designed kaftans are delighting women a lot as they are enabling them to amuse themselves with the latest trends of fashion industry without leaving aside their own customs. In fact in the Middle Eastern countries where hijab considered as most important element of women outfit, kaftans are easily fulfilling this requirement. New fashion trends and changing dynamics of fashion industry are compelling designer kaftan to produce more innovative and versatile kaftans in order to satisfy niche market demands.

Kaftans are available in different colors and sizes. The most important feature of kaftans is that, they are versatile. They could be worn on every occasion as they are not bound with seasonal variations. They could be easily matched with different abayas and could create magnificent and irresistible attraction in their wearers. So ladies, hurry up, it is your time to avail significant benefits from changing trends of fashion industry. Just avail the standard quality kaftans and start adding new grace in your personality. Although kaftans are a little bit expensive but their cost is nothing as compare to the extreme attraction and grace in wearers’ personality.