Ahlan Hot 100

I was super flattered to be one of 2011's 'Hot 100 List'- noted as a 'Pioneer', and I think my portrait turned out pretty good too (thank you to Daniel Partovi for buying my portrait to donate money to Breast Cancer Research and to Juliet Catherine Dunne for the lovely picture).

It was such fun trying on clothes with Pia Aung at various boutiques but I ended up splurging on my own black and gold floor-length number with a lace train and a custom-headpiece. I like to make an entrance. ;)

I was up to no good at the party of course, kicking my heels off and jumping around like a ninny long after all the glamorous people left and only the debauched remained, crowded around the speakers in our finest threads.

The hardbound book sits on my coffee table next to my David LaChapelle and Urban Art books and I thought I'd share the article with you. It calls me 'crazy beautiful creative'...and an 'octopus'...all in one line. Hmm...

At last...Rolling Stone!

Growing up I wanted to be a rock star. And therefore it's always been a dream to appear in Rolling Stone Magazine. And finally I have achieved this. Ok so it's only my name in point size 6 on the bottom of the Gig Guide for a gig that got cancelled...but still. Rolling Stone I have conquered you at last! ;)
(Obvs I have highlighted the mention in yellow just because it's so small even I may miss it...)

Infusion Magazine's Pic of the Week

Thanks to the lovely Angela Susan Riles-Baker from Infusion mag for this pic of me with my jazz hands out. Taken at a night out on the lash at the infamous Freshly Laced event at Casa Latina, Ibis Hotel, it got published as the pic of the week. GEEKFEST!

Grazia Style Awards + Valleydez vouchers

So in addition to getting a little statue with my name on it I also got AED 5000/- worth of vouchers to splurge at Valleydez. Valleydez, in case you don't already know it, is a quirky little boutique in Wafi crammed with adorable accesories and odd clothes. Needless to say it's my kinda place...

Grazia took these photos of me wearing some pieces from the store mixed in with my own pieces. I really don't like 7am shoots-I look lost! The shoot isn't really my style..its all a bit too 'cute' for me...I prefer a more 'mannish-androgenous' look personally. But hey I got a two-page spread of the magazine all to myself!

Ahlan! Because I'm a foodie...

I love food. So Ahlan! got in touch to ask me about some lesser-known Dubai gastronomical treasures...

TimeOut Magazine- Street Style

The super talented photographer Verko Ignajovic at ITP took this photo of me. I later teamed up with him to take the photos for the S*uce Loves blog which I posted about a month ago as well...

Parachute Secrets & Bucharest, Romania

It's been a busy summer and I spent a while shooting some hair commercials in Bucharest, Romania. Bucharest is a strange place. Everything is stuck in time- the architecture, the music blaring out of shops as you pass by (think Wham! Micheal Learns to Rock and Boyzone...), and the way people dress.

We spent our days working, walking the streets, people-watching, eating big fat dinners and drinking coarse wine. Oh yeah and a one off visit to a casino and a strip club (I got tricked into it I promise you!).

I also got in touch with some Romanian fashion bloggers such as Alice in Vintageland at PopCulture&Magic and Tokyo & Seoul Dreams. Who pointed me towards some vintage stores and markets. Thanks ladies!

Here are the hair commercials we made for Parachute Secrets hair oil...

Main commercial...


Testimonials...






Credits:
Agency: DDB Dubai
Client: Marico- Parachute Secrets
Creative Director: Firas Medrows
Account Director: Anshuman Kishore
Senior Copywriter: Karim Sherif
Senior Art Director: Diya Ajit
Arabic Copywriter: Ali Mohammad
Production House: ABIS Films, Bucharest, Romania
Producer: Heba Kharouf
Director: Nicolas Salis
DOP: John Alfirevitch
Sound: BKP, Dubai

Tropicana Frutz sparkling drink ad

So here's the commercial I made for the launch of new sparkling fruit drink Tropicana Frutz.



Full credits:
Credits:
Agency: DDB Dubai
Client: Pepsico - Tropicana
Creative Director: Firas Medrows
Business Director: Elizabeth Morrison
Group Account Director: Edward Harris
Senior Copywriter: Camilla Mclean
Senior Art Director: Diya Ajit
Arabic Copywriter: Ali Mohammad
Production House: Clandestino Films, Beirut
Producer: Mona El Hajj
Director: Kal Karman
Animation Director: Agustin Verrastro
Sound: Audioforce, Berlin

I love headpieces

I've always like putting things on my head. And so in the run-up to the New Era Introducing project(which I shall introduce you to soon!) I thought I'd post some of the headpieces I've made in the past few months...

Here's one I made for the Ahlan Hot 100 party...



And another for my Ahlan Hot 100 portrait...









And yet another for Masala! magazine...



I love making headpieces so if you've got a crazy idea and want to make something- get in touch!

Ahlan! Face to Watch.

This came out a few weeks ago. Pretty rubbish scan of it but you can read it online here at Ahlan Live.

Henry Holland at S*uce Boutique

Had a fun evening at S*uce with Henry Holland at the decks and then went for some drinks with Alistair Mulhall from Esquire, Kate Hazell from Harpers Bazaar and of course Mr.Holland himself and his lovely business partner Jessica Fletcher (best bud of Agyness Deyn no less!). Sigh.

Thanks to fashion blogger Maha at Oversized Shades & Coffee for the post on the Henry Holland event at S*uce and for this pic of my geek-chic outfit...



And to Pamela Lico for some pics of Alistair and I...

An ambassador for the launch of Bimba & Lola

Spanish label Bimba & Lola teamed up with awesome events company Brag for their launch event in Dubai a few months ago. 10 Dubai stylistas, including myself, were nominated as ambassadors and sent limousines, champagne on ice and asked to invite our girlfriends for a night on the town culminating at a private soiree at the new store in BurJuman. Queue mad scrabbling for the fab goodies on offer at the store. The event was massive fun as you can see from my pictures below...we did have one male stowaway in the limo...










They also gave away the best giveaways I've ever seen from a brand. Leather tote anyone? Or perhaps some printed wooden-framed sunnies?

POSE Magazine feature

POSE Magazine did a feature on me a couple of months ago that I hadn't had a minute to scan in. Photographer Ali Rasit and I took off into the desert and spent an evening fighting sunset to get some pictures for the spread. We got some great images and they deserve their own post, but for now here's the article...

RedVelvetNation post

Thanks to the wonderful fashion blog RedVelvetNation for featuring me at the Grazia Style Awards 2011...

Satellite Voices article on me...

Satellite Voices is a new cultural platform created by independent city editors across the globe, brought to you by Dazed and Swatch. A brand new website, creative community and cultural guide celebrating seven diverse and creative cities from around the world, Satellite Voices supports the very best in fashion, music, art, film, photography and culture.

Their innovative new platform connects seven teams of influential local city editors from Paris, Moscow, Rome, Munich, Dubai, Shanghai and Santiago, to broadcast Satellite Voices to a worldwide audience of millions. Exciting new territories that both Dazed and Swatch are eager to creatively engage and explore.

Satellite Voices features the young and the visionary from the artistic underground, and champions creative cultural revolutions that deserve the world’s attention with daily interviews, inspired opinion pieces, scene spotlights, reviews and previews. They also delve behind the scenes with the mercurial artists and fashion designers that will be collaborating with Swatch throughout the year, those inspired by the iconic watch brand.

By providing a creative heartbeat featuring special guest editors, exclusive collaborations projects, local street style photography and monthly mixtapes, this is a global hub for local insights and youth creativity, the likes of which has never been seen before.

Here's the feature they did on me...

TimeOut Style Magazine Launch

TimeOut launched it's new Style Magazine a couple of months ago which promises to have it's finger on the pulse of all things neat. For the launch issue they asked me what I might save from my home should there be a fire...
Keep an eye out for their latest issue featuring Dubai's "Twenty Most Stylish"...

Ahlan Masala Feature

I got a call to do this interview and felt I wanted to showcase both my art and fashion sensibilities...and sort of have a commentary on all the recent press I've received for which I'm so thankful. So I made a newspaper dress, hat, shoes and cuffs. The dress fell apart the morning of the shoot...but I made do...

Grazia Loves (me!)

Post the Grazia Style Awards I've had a lotta love from TimeOut, Grazia, Ahlan, Masala and Harpers Bazaar...
Thank you everyone! (even if you spelt my name wrong Grazia! Although it's spelt correctly on my award statuete!)
xx

TimeOut Magazine Summer Style Feature

TimeOut Magazine got in touch to ask me what I'm wearing this summer...