FLAIR 11th Anniversary Issue

THE BMW X4.

PACKED TO PERFECTION.

The BMW X4 merges lifestyle with dynamic performance: a blend that dares to differ and is rarely perfected. When it comes to power and ability, the 3-litre, 6-cyliner BMW TwinPower Turbo Engine delivers a hefty 306hp, taking you from 0 to 100 Km/h in just 5.5 seconds. Inside, an all-embracing driving experience with the BMW Head Up Display, BMW Navigation System Professional with 8.8’’ screen, Intelligent All-Wheel Drive System, leave nothing left to be desired.

Sheer Driving Pleasure

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Design by sieger design

The name says it all Offering plenty of extra storage space and extra elegance, the X-Large furniture series is popular with instinctive good taste. And they can now develop this even further with the X-Large series, which Duravit now has completely re-interpreted. Great in terms of function but even more sophisticated in terms of form.

X-Large

December 2017/January 2018

FASHION

Fashion Clippings p. 26 Beauty Clippings p. 28 Interview: AMMANII p. 30 Interview: Dina Shaker p. 32 Feature: Jayda Hany p. 36 Feature: DYAD’s “Everybody” p. 38 Feature: Best Dressed 2017 p. 42 Bijou: Winter Sparkles p. 46 Holiday Wish List p. 48 Fashion Shoot: Diesel p. 52

LIFESTYLE

Feature: 10 Things in 2018 p. 64 Beauty: “The Hair Addict” p. 68 Hotspot: Tiffany & Co. p. 72 Boutique Hotel: Hotel de Crillon p. 74 Home: Season’s Greetings from Moscow p. 76

DESIGN

Design Notes: Dubai Design Week p. 86 Art: Louvre Abu Dhabi p. 90 Architecture: Dior Seoul p. 92 Driven: Future Concept Cars p. 94

REGULARS Editor’s Note p. 10 Happenings p. 16 FLAIR Loves p. 22 Stylish Living p. 96

UNWR AP THE FUN FOR THE JOLLY DAYS!

Lights sparkle ... eyes shine with happiness.

So as the temperatures chill, warm your heart and share festive joy with loved ones and dearest friends. Bring this holiday season magically to life in the glittering surroundings of the Palace, and delight in the scrumptious seasonal creations showcased by our chefs.

Start your wintry celebrations with Christmas Eve dinner buffet and Christmas Day buffet lunch at Omar’s Café. As ‘party time’ beckons on New Year’s Eve, delectable set menus at Ristorante Tuscany, Torii, Egyptian Nights or Empress Lounge will have you ready to dance the night away.

Then head back for the ‘early bird’ breakfast at Omar’s Café or head to the ‘late risers’ BBQ brunch at the Garden Promenade Café. The perfect start to a New Year.

16 SARAY EL GEZIRA ST., PO BOX 33 ZAMALEK, CAIRO 11211, EGYPT. T: 00. 202.27.28.3000 CAIROMARRIOTTHOTEL.COM ARABIC.MARRIOTT.COM

EDITOR’S NOTE

Celebrating Fashionable Flair!

A

s the year comes to an end, we not only celebrate the festive season, but celebrations are also in order as Flair turns eleven! And what a year this has turned out to be. Throughout 2017, we have been proud to be a platform that showcases established as well as emerging talents in Egypt. This issue is no different where we focus on talented women who have been shaking up the fashion scene as we feature an impressive roster of designers: LA-based jewellery designer Amany Shaker, shoe designer Jayda Hany, and ready-to-wear designer Dina Shaker. We also bring you the first ever photo shoot from the newest agency in the fashion industry DYAD. Once an unripe market, this year saw the continued rise of many talented companies and individuals in Egypt’s fashion scene. While it is far from mature, plenty of clues indicate that the upcoming years will prove to be even better as brands blossom and take on center stage even more.

From the first edition of Flair, we sought to bring our readers the best in luxury living, fashion, art, design, travel, and more. While eleven years might seem so young- so much has changed since our first issue hit the newsstands. In the fast-paced world we live in where news travels faster than the speed of light, the act of reading and holding a magazine in our hands has become a luxury and not the norm. Even with the continued rise of digital media we strive to provide you with a timeless luxurious magazine to read, indulge in, and hopefully keep!

Wishing you and your loved ones the very best in 2018 Enjoy the issue, Hind El Ramly editor@flair-magazine.com

MY PICKS FOR THE ISSUE

AMMANII ring from our Holiday Wish List p.51

The “Hair Addict” movement p.68

The rennovation of Hotel de Crillon p. 74

The long awaited opening of the Louvre Abu Dhabi p.90

December / January EDITOR IN CHIEF

Ahmed I Hassan

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Hind El Ramly

EDITORIAL UK Editor Daniela Bonetto Editorial Consultant Kate Dannies Staff Writer Nour Ibrahim Staff Writer Mohamed Taky Contributor Amy N Pugsley ART DIRECTOR & VIDEO EDITOR

Tony Atia

PR & SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Bashayer Alridi

SALES MANAGER

Rinato Atef

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Ismaeel Khoudeir

PHOTOGRAPHER

Hassan Ibrahim

FINANCIAL OPERATIONS MANAGER

Maged Azoz

OFFICE COORDINATOR

Christena Samir

DISTRIBUTION Distribution Officer Farid Sayed Distribution Officer Ahmed Ibrahim PRINTING |

Tel.

(+2)

INTERNATIONAL PRINTING HOUSE

CONTACTS Adress: Apt. 1, 11 Bahey el Din St., Off Giza St., Giza, Egypt 0235720632 Mob. (+2) 01000493100/200/300 Fax. (+2) 0235720632 INQUIRIES

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CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS IN STYLE WITH LE MERIDIEN CAIRO AIRPORT Bring in the New Year at Live Sports Bar with a memorable performance by Latino Dance Community and DJ Karimchata bringing the uplifting Salsa, Cubana, Reggaeton, Kizomba, Commercial and Dance beats to the dance floor.

Raise your glass and get ready to dance away the old year in style with Le Méridien Cairo Airport for 600 EGP Book your spot now for an unforgettable end to 2017 Visit www.lemeridiencairoairport.com for more details about festivities offers ©2017 Marriott International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Preferred Guest, SPG, Le Méridien and their logos are the trademarks of Marriott International, Inc., or its affiliates

FLAIR TEAM

DANIELA BONETTO A psychology graduate who probably needed a therapist herself, Daniela decided that her form of expression was writing. Curiosity, tenacity and just enough vanity has brought her to desire ‘all things beautiful’ which she extends to in her lifestyle blog, “theinkedition.com” Excited about the world, her greatest pleasure is traveling and discovering new things.

BASHAYER ALRIDI An advertising and public relations graduate, Bashayer is incredibly passionate about movies. The social media enthusiast also has a knack for photography and is a makeup addict!

TONY ATIA “Don’t just make an eye catching design; create ideas to change minds.” With a passion for drawing and art, Tony started to design graphics at the age of 15.

He loves the guitar ,the violin and the cello as well as reading and playing sports.

NOUR IBRAHIM Student. Loves Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Comic books. Bakes for unhealthy amount of time.

KATE DANNIES Kate is a writer an editor with a penchant for luxury, history, and politics, which she has found to surprisingly compatible. An adopted Cairene for six years, Kate currently lives in exile in Washington DC.

RINATO ATEF Long before joing the team, Rinato has always been a Flair fan. With a career specializing in sales management, success and hard work are his principles.

AMY N PUGSLEY Amy is the latest contributor to join the magazine. She is a Persian-Canadian international development specialist and an educator living in Cairo.

MAGED AZOZ Incredibly dedicated to his work, Maged’s passion is unmeasurable!

Flair Magazine truly is his baby.

CHRISTENA SAMIR

Our new office coordinator studied information systems and computer programming. A self proclaimed shopaholic, Christena loves to travel and experience new things.

HAPPENINGS

SODIC & Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation Charity Run Sixth of October Development & Investment Company “SODIC”, in cooperation with Cairo Runners, hosted the fourth annual SODIC Charity Run in SODIC West to raise funds for “the Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation”. Around 7,000 participants gathered in SODIC West at 7:30 for a 6 km run, which helped in raising more than 438,000 LE for the Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation. This year’s run was attended by celebrities and key public figures who support the cause such as Razan Maghrebi, Bushra, Sherif Ramzy and Reham Abdel Ghafur.

Netflix Fuels Egyptian Viewers’ Hunger for Entertainment After almost two years of streaming in Egypt, Netflix in Egypt celebrated local fans’ enormous appetite for ‘Netflixing’ and ‘binge watching’ in an event titled “Netflix House in Egypt” which took place at the Mena House Hotel. Leyla Guilany-Lyard, Netflix MENA spokesperson said, “Egypt has a long and rich heritage in film and cinema - it’s a country synonymous with entertainment that can transcend borders. Since launching here two years ago, Netflix has been welcomed with open arms by an Egyptian audience with a voracious appetite for amazing content and a desire to be entertained.”

Celebrating 50 Years of Accor Hotels To celebrate its 50th anniversary, AccorHotels opens the doors of its hotels to everyday heroes in 16 establishments in Egypt. AccorHotels honored everyday heroes – men and women, such as firefighters, nurses, teachers, craftspeople, small businesses and local residents – who work each day to serve their communities, by inviting them in close to 2000 establishments around the world, including 16 hotels in Egypt. This global event is an opportunity for the group and its more than 250,000 employees to thank the people who are committed to serving their communities.

“Steigenberger Alcazar” Home for the Top Media Celebrities During the Sharm El Sheikh World Youth Forum, “Steigenberger Alcazar” gave a perfect example of hospitality by being home away from home to all the top media anchors, journalists, and talk show presenters in Egypt and Middle East, as well as ambassadors, and official delegations. These included Mofid Fawzy, Khairy Ramadan, Wael El Ebrashy, Khaled Habib, Mohamed Henidy, and Magdy El glad, amongst others.

Semiramis InterContinental Cairo Hosts ECA’s 20th Anniversary To celebrate the Egyptian Chefs Association’s 20th anniversary, the Semiramis InterContinental Cairo in collaboration with Agriform, hosted an elegant cocktail reception at its award-winning, fine dining restaurant, The Grill. In recognition of the longstanding partnership between the hotel and the ECA, the Association presented Sameh Sobhy, General Manager Semiramis InterContinental, with a certificate of appreciation, commemorating two decades of success and many more to come.

New Director of Sales At Conrad Cairo Conrad Cairo has recently announced the promotion of Sarah Sobhy to director of Sales at Conrad Cairo. Sarah has more than 10 years of experience within Hilton Hotels & Resorts. “It is such a pleasure to announce Sarah’s well deserved promotion,” said Mr. Wolfgang Maier General Manager of Conrad Cairo. “Her success is a combination of effort, strong relationship and selling skills, beside her strong sales ability and fully dedication which led me to choose her to this position.”

Global Entrepreneurship Week Sponsored by Tatweer Misr Under the patronage of H.E. Engineer Tarek Kabil, Minister of Industry and Trade, the Global Entrepreneurship Week, the world’s largest celebration of entrepreneurship, kicked off in November 12th with the policy forum. The week was organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Council for Small Business (ICSB) and sponsored by Tatweer Misr for the third year running. The policy forum’s objective is to seek policy-oriented solutions to SMEs’ challenges.

Xiaomi Opens its first Authorized Mi Store in Egypt Global technology company Xiaomi recently held the grand opening of its first authorized Mi Store in Cairo, located inside City Stars. The opening of the store falls in line with Xiaomi’s continuing commitment to bring more innovative products with accessible prices to Egypt and the local markets in the Middle East and Africa region (MEA).

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PepsiCo Egypt Sponsors INJAZ Al-Arab 11th Annual Young Arab Entrepreneurs Competition In a strategic partnership between the Egyptian Tourism Authority, INJAZ Misr Foundation and PepsiCo Egypt, Cairo hosted INJAZ Al-Arab 11th Annual Young Arab Entrepreneurs Competition, which was held for the first time in Egypt, under the patronage of the Ministry of Education on the 20th and 21st of November 2017. The competition witnessed the participation of 10 Arab countries including: Egypt, Algeria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia. INJAZ Al-Arab Foundation, a member of Junior Achievement Worldwide (JA), organized the event with the attendance of more than 400 Arab and foreign figures and distinguished guests.

“Lan Tania” Awarded the Thai Select Premium Seal As part of Fairmont Heliopolis & Towers continuous success, Lan Tania joined hands with the Royal Thai Embassy and hosted a dinner reception in celebration of receiving the “Thai Select Premium Seal Award”. Thai Select is essentially aimed to certify and promote authentic Thai cuisine around the world. It is a seal of approval granted to the Thai restaurants overseas that serve authentic Thai food, having the “Thai SELECT” stamp ensures a credible journey into the authentic Thai culture. The event was attended by high profile delegation of Guests and public figures; including His Excellency Mr. Chainarong Keratiyutwong, Ambassador of Thailand, deputy assistant Foreign Minister for Asian and South east Asian Affairs, Egyptian media figures and many more.

GROHE Celebrates the Award-Winning “Blue Home” GROHE, the World’s leading provider of sanitation fittings, celebrated in Egypt the launch of its award-winning Blue Home System, which saw more than 60 guests witnessing the creation of cocktails and meals made with a fundamental ingredient – filtered water from a GROHE Blue tap. The event featured an exclusive Live Cooking Show with Celebrity Chef Andrew Mitchell, who highlighted the importance of using fresh filtered water offered by the GROHE Blue to enhance the taste of food and allow natural flavours to shine, untainted by tap water.

Almaza Bay to Deliver 400 Houses this Year Almaza Bay, Travco Properties’ flagship development on Egypt’s North Coast, is currently in the process of delivering 400 houses this year as the latest achievement of a remarkably successful year. With the aim to revolutionize the real estate market in Egypt, Travco Properties’ team is sparing no effort to provide Almaza Bay’s residents with all means of comfort and well-being. Partnering with the top interior designers and contractors, Almaza Bay is working year-round to welcome their new home owners in time to enjoy the sparkling backdrop of lakes, lagoons and landscaped gardens that make Almaza Bay a little piece of the Caribbean in Egypt.

InterContinental Cairo Citystars Celebrates Japanese Autumn Festival In a country known for its rich history and ancient culture and a month known for its chilly weather and beautiful autumn colours, InterContinental Cairo Citystars has recently celebrated autumn festival with the Japanese community in Egypt. To celebrate November Japanese Autumn Festival, InterContinental Cairo Citystars treated the festival attendees to delicious ramen noodles prepared by talented Shogun restaurant chefs and with the compliments of Chef Komatsu Kuhiniko. The Festival was held in Cairo Japanese School in Giza.

New Director of Food & Beverage at JW Marriott Cairo Mr. Magdy Naguib, Multi-Property General Manager at JW Marriott Cairo & Renaissance Cairo Mirage City hotels has announced that Mr. Antonio Ostuni has been appointed Director of Food & Beverage at JW Marriott Cairo. Mr. Ostuni brings nearly 17 years of experience in the Food & Beverage field, and in his previous role he was pre-opening Director of Food & Beverage of the flagship Sheraton Grand Hotel in Dubai and Food & Beverage Manager of the Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa in Malaysia. Mr. Ostuni was honored with several certificates and awards: he holds an International MBA Diploma, as well as a Bachelor Degree and a Junior Diploma in Tourism Management.

Marriott International Celebrates Global Customer Appreciation Week Marriott International celebrated the Global Customer Appreciation Week (GCAW), which is the annual activity by Marriott International to reinforce relationships with existing customers and establish connections with new ones.

In #GCAW2017, sales, marketing and Public Relations leaders from all Marriott & Starwood properties in Egypt came together with the Global Sales Office in to highlight #MarriottSaysThx to all customers around the world. The GCAW kick off is always a hit, with this year’s Marriott Egypt Leaders, Sales manager and GCAW champions started with having breakfast at Cairo Marriott Hotel and Omar Khayyam Casino’s Salon Vert, followed by a lovely felucca ride across the Nile with 10 boats carrying total of 150 associates in the spirit of #MarriottSaysThx.

Renaissance Cairo Mirage City hotel: Business Unusual!

New Cairo’s Renaissance Cairo Mirage City hotel celebrated its first Navigator’s table dinner series this year featuring the lifestyle brand. To shine a light on Business Unusual, The Navigator’s Table dinner series was created with a focus on dinner and conversation along with a fare of the locale hosted by a hotel navigator. The purpose is to create a unique and memorable event in an unexpected location while providing an exclusive feel. A special hand-picked group of social media “tummies came” to experience a dinner that took place at the club lounge hosted by Chef Wesam Masoud, a board member of The Egyptian Chefs Association.

FLAIR REVIEW

Huawei Mate 10 Lite 2017’s Best Budget Smartphone In a world full of smartphones and new technologies, one can get confused to choose the right device. While technological advance plays a vital part in someone’s decision, price also can be a determining fact .But if you want a budget smartphone with high-end specs, then you should get the Huawei Mate 10 Lite, first smartphone to sport an impressive 4 cameras!

Here are the full features, you should know about the Mate 10 Lite: As we said before, the Huawei mate 10 Lite is the first smartphone in the world in its segment to support superb 4 cameras, rear-facing camera combines both a 16MP lens and a 2MP lens. The 16MP lens is responsible for image rendering, and the 2MP lens captures depth of field information to create a professional bokeh effect, to help you capture beautiful and amazing pictures. To enhance selfies, the Mate 10 Lite’s front-facing camera features a 13MP lens and a 2MP lens. The front 2.0 13MP lens focuses on image rendering, and the 1.75um 2MP color lens focuses on capturing depth of field information. The two lenses work in unison – one for image rendering, the other for bokeh effect – to accentuate every detail, giving you the Perfect Selfie.

To support the volume of high-res content consumption that takes place on smartphones, the Huawei Mate 10 Lite is the first device featuring a Full-View display within its price range. A large 5.9-inch panel provides a better viewing experience in every function it performs.

Performance and battery life wise, the Mate 10 Lite is a heavy hitter with Huawei’s proprietary Kirin 659 chipset and EMUI 5.1 deliver outstanding power efficiency in the Mate 10 Lite, in addition to supporting a 3340mAh battery, that can easily last up to two days of ordinary use, which is a perfect option for fitness users.

Obviously, the Huawei Mate 10 Lite doesn’t scream budget handsets as it comes with a very attractive price that stands at EGP 5689, which we consider as a surprise compared with its exceptional features, Huawei once more proved that it can bring a unique piece of art with an affordable price.

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FLAIR #LOVES

By Daniela Bonetto

Christmas Letter to Santa Women, Men & Kids

“You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I’m telling you why”….

Santa is Coming to Town!

After drafting and redrafting our Christmas letter, FLAIR has put together a twinkling gift guide that will satisfy the whole family. Whether its more of a stocking filler or that extravagant piece you have been mulling over for months; tis’ the moment to feel jolly.

WOMEN

“Off the Moon No1” Tray by Thomas Dariel for Maison Dada

“Spring” Vase by Bordallo Pinheiro for Vista Alegre £439

“Regards” Pillowcase by The Invisible Collection, €168

Anything from KALAN by Suzanne Kalan Amalfi Collection

JP Gaultier, Scandal, €53.50 Flower Power Note Cards by Galison, prices starting from £7

MEN “Model M” luggage by Horizn, € 299

“Home Chess Set” by Daniel Libenskind for Atelier Swarovski, £13995 “Kvadrat” Stan Smith shoes for Adidas, €120

“Kenya” Plaid by Noel Linge de Maison, €290 . “Antea Fountain Pen” in Cocobolo Wood by M’Art for Artemest, €245

“Shaving Set” in Maple and Padauk Wood by Stefano Raffa for Artemest, €320

KIDS

“Plume de Paon” Cushion by Blanc Cerise, from €25 “1000-piece puzzle” of Paris by Michael Storrings, from €16.77

“Bambi Artoys” by Leblon Delienne, €60

“Andy Warhol Brillo Wooden Blocks” by Galison, from €20.13

“Nanook of the North” rocking seat by Matteo Cibic for Scarlet Splendour, from €4,370

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FLAIR REVIEW

F5: OPPO’s first Infinity Display Phone OPPO prides itself as the world’s smartphone-ofchoice for selfies and they demonstrated this time and again. The F5 represents yet another of OPPO’s achievements to push smartphone photography to a new level, another first that is aimed to “Capture the Real You” as well as OPPO’s first infinity display screen; a full-screen FHD+ display model, providing a vivid, visual enjoyment without increasing the size of the phone. Overall, the phone will have simple and humanized features for better user experience.

The high-resolution screen will give a more immersive experience when watching videos and gaming experience, as well as the ability to have Split Screen – running two apps together side by side on the same screen. The 6-inch FHD+ Screen will also have 18:9 aspect ratio and 84.2% of screen-to-body ratio provide a vivid, visual enjoyment without increasing the size of the phone.

The sleek unibody offers a visually slim appearance without any cut-offs, with a graceful curved body

that fits well in the palm, expressing a simple and elegant look. A user’s palm will not feel tired even after using the phone for a long time, either playing games or chatting. Laser string is carved onto the phone – a delicate linear finish that adds detail to the phone body.

As for the features, the F5 is the first OPPO phone to have the Facial Unlock feature; unlocking the phone in just 0.4 seconds. Other options for locking the phone are also available – fingerprint scan (Fastest fingerprint sensor with 0.2 sec. unlock), as well as the traditional protection methods like password and pattern protections.

The F5 also has an extremely powerful battery; allowing for up to 12 hours of continuous use, with the ability to charge quickly. Another new feature for OPPO phones is the Do Not disturb feature; which allows user to receive incoming calls as banner alerts while gaming for an uninterrupted gameplay.

The F5 will also feature the groundbreaking AI Beauty Recognition technology – which uses artificial intelligence to recognize skin tone and type, the gender and age of all subjects within an image and analyze environment lighting conditions by referencing other facial images from a massive global photo database, to beautify a Selfie shot. This technology will allow you to have a professional seasoned photographer in your hand that help to “Capture the real you”.

Equipped with these unique features along with its economic price, OPPO F5 will be your best choice for impressive photography and using experience ever.

Fashion

P. 52 AMMANII/Dina Shaker/Jayda Hany/Best Dressed 2017 25

FASHION CLIPPINGS

By Nour Ibrahim

Stuart Weitzman x Gigi Hadid The hottest model of the year Gigi Hadid has once again combined forces with the esteemed brand Stuart Weitzman to create another set of must have footwear. These new and exclusive lines are called the EYELOVE and EYELOVEMORE collections, meant to represent Hadid’s inner connection with the symbol known as the ‘evil eye’. The EYELOVE, available in ballet suede and deep indigo suede, showcases her minimalistic design aesthetic with one “evil eye” symbol on just the right foot of each silhouette. The EYELOVEMORE, available in frosted suede, illustrates her playfulness with its bold multi-eye pattern on both shoes.

Roberto Cavalli Middle East Eyewear Roberto Cavalli has created a new line of eyewear, inspired by and designed specifically for the Middle Eastern region. The opulent collection includes three beautiful designs dripping with luxury, coming in gold and silver. Encrusted with crystals and side stones, the line attributes itself beautifully to both sophistication and intricate culture.

Walmart High End Fashion Walmart-yes Walmart- is entering the business of high-end fashion. Partnering with the prestigious department store Lord and Taylor, Walmart plans to “create a premium fashion destination on their website Walmart.com”. Trying to keep up with the competition, Walmart is planning to give their consumers the variety and choice they would have on other online stores such as Amazon. This can be a big step for the company, and we are yet to see if it is to succeed.

Arab Fashion Week Arab Fashion Week has come and gone with their fifth successful show. The five-day fashion event featured many international designers such as Lebanese designer Aisha Ramadan, whose designs have graced the bodies of A-list stars such as J-Lo and Ariana Grande, and Furne One, who designed for Beyoncé and Shakira. The event not only celebrated celebrity glamour, but Arab glamour as well. It was a beautiful week filled amazing fashion and talented designers that helped, once more, to bring recognition to Arab designers.

Claudia Schiffer x Aquazzura The super model Claudia Schiffer might not be modeling anymore but she’s still making her mark in the fashion world. The German is teaming up with Aquazzura to create an eight pieces capsule collection. After meeting randomly through common friends, the two decided to collaborate to create a line that represented the perfect balance between casual fashion and modern luxury. The model posed for the line herself, looking no different than when she started her thirty-year modeling career. A great celebration of the model’s success that resulted in a new line of shoes just in time for the holiday season.

Exclusive Eveningwear from NET-A-PORTER NET-A-PORTER has recently launched its second exclusive eveningwear collection as part of a local campaign in the Middle East starting November 24. The ten-piece offering features unique limited edition gowns from eight coveted designers; Elie Saab, Erdem, Jason Wu, Jenny Packham, Roksanda, Reem Acra, Marchesa and Roland Mouret. Using their meticulous craftsmanship and exceptional eye for detail, each designer has been handpicked by NET-A-PORTER to create these exquisite pieces just in time for the holiday season.

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BEAUTY CLIPPINGS

By Nour Ibrahim

Make Up on the Go In the fast-paced world of today, makeup on the go has become an essential part of any working woman’s routine. However, liquid liner and lipstick are not the easiest items to apply on a moving vehicle. That’s why the evolution of makeup has risen to meet those needs. Sephora’s fingertip eyeliner allows you a better grip on your wing as you attach the cap to your finger for extra precision. Pout case is a phone case that can hold three of your makeup products. Lipstick Queen’s color changing lipstick adapt to the heat of your lip, nullifying the need for a mirror. These products and many more are adding to the commuter makeup revolution that continues to be on the rise.

Spotify Makeup Spotify, yes you read correctly, is now branching out into the world of beauty. Already selling musical merchandise such as band tees and posters, Spotify is now getting ready to sell a makeup line made by singer Maggie Linderman and makeup artist Pat McGrath. The “Pretty Girl” and artist are calling the collection “So Obsessed” and are releasing through Spotify’s Merchbar platform.

This introduction to the industry can lead Spotify to sell more singer sponsored lines on this platform, allowing the world to access a whole new line of celebrity sponsored makeup.

Personalize Your YSL If you’re still looking for the perfect present for a makeup lover, look no further than Yves Saint Laurent’s customizable Lips Stick Line. Coming in every shade of the company’s Rouge Pur Couture line, this long-lasting lipstick can be personalized to the shopper’s desire. Coming with custom made gold caps, the lipstick tubes can be personalized by adding either your or your friend’s initials. This engravement adds a personalized aspect to a usually generic gift, and is a tactic to ensure that they can’t re-gift it next year.

Espada: Blue Light Saviour The Swedish beauty brand FOREO’s Espada is lighting the way to perfect skin. Their new device uses ultra powerful Light Pulse Technology to target and terminate any acne related cause. With a built-in timer and a long-lasting battery, this device is meant to last you 240 uses with each charge. Targeting your skin with surgical procession, FOREO is revolutionizing the world of skin care by replacing the usual will they/won’t they work skin creams and masks with a more professional at home solution. Technology like this is proving the future is here and it’s for the better of the beauty industry.

Sally Hansen’s DIY Chrome Chrome nails have been blowing up on the internet for the past several months, and many are trying to replicate the look at home. Given that the process requires special care and powder, the look was almost given up on as a DIY project. However, nail magician Sally Hansen has created three magical colors to replicate the heavily desired look with ease at home. Coming in Rose Gold, Peacock and Holographic, the nail kit comes with the shimmery color powder, the powder applicator and a clear coat that sets the whole thing down.

It also comes with a colored coat and a top coat for further strength and protection.

Golden Alligator Turns 50 Celebrating the 50-year run of its Golden Alligator Compact, beauty giant Estee Lauder is creating a beautiful anniversary edition of their iconic compact in perfect time for the holiday season. Now featuring a beautiful blue crystal, the compact vibes the feel of sophistication, all the while maintaining its iconic and daring aesthetic. A truly luxurious gift for any lucky lady who has a flair for class and quality.

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INTERVIEW

AMMANII Aiming for the Sky

When Amany Shaker searched for an inspiration of her new collection she looked no further than the sky with its vast offerings. The founder of the Los Angeles based jewelry brand AMMANII, her latest collection titled ‘Sa’maa” (the Arabic word for sky) is derived from the designer’s love for skylines. The mesmerizing collection is comprised of 18 pieces, including earrings, necklaces, rings and bracelets. Most of the pieces feature celestial shapes, dominated by star and crescent forms. All pieces are silver jewelry plated in 18k gold, and sometimes 21k, using microplating, a highly precise plating technique, ensuring that the plating would last for the longest time. Adding a nostalgic touch to the jewelry, alluding to the designer’s Egyptian heritage, the gold plating on the jewelry has been finished using the sanding technique giving it a unique texture.

We spoke to the woman behind the brand who opened up to us about her love for skies, inspiration, and future endeavors.

Where do you draw your inspiration?

Nature and human history are my great inspiration and guidance. I try to find a common human connection that could be translated across cultures. Once I have the initial inspiration or idea that would be the theme for a collection, there’s a lot of research involved to learn about the historical significance or meaning that resonate with my idea.

“Sa’mma” collection is a good example. Throughout my travels, I’ve always been fascinated by the skyline in different countries. I was moved one day by realizing that the sky is the universal blanket that covers and protects all us all with no differentiation between color, race, religion or any orientation. I’m also fascinated by the meaning and power of celestial beings, what they represent in many cultures, and the historical stories associated with them. The unchanging nature of the stars was used to regulate the daily calendar of the most advanced of civilizations. The stars were said to represent the souls of those who departed and are watching over us. The moon was used to guide the travelers on their convoy in the desert, to provide light and direction. The eye is the divine power that provides sense of protection.

I wanted this new collection to reflect the spirit of the greater protection and guidance that stem from the steady unchanging confidence in knowing who we are. We have a strength that can withstand the turbulence of life and shine brighter after the storms. I want Sa’mma to signify the grace and power that women hold and be a reminder to confidently live in a way that honors the gift we have, being a woman!

How would you describe your design aesthetic?

Unique, personable and luxurious. I pay close attention to the details of the design and how it’s meticulously executed. This is my way of honoring my work and the special women who will wear it.

Describe the Sa’mma collection in 3 words. What are your favorite pieces from the collection?

Daring. Feminine. Engaging

I love all the pieces. Like your kids, hard to have favorites!The Dome ring is close to me though; as it resembles the sky sphere with all celestial components and the protective eye watching over all of us.

How would you like women to see your jewelry and style it?

I’d like the AMMANII wearer to have her own connection with the piece and style it in a way that reflects her own personality and inner beauty. That’s really my goal.

What is your future plan for your brand?

My plan is to become the go-to jewelry brand for many women in the region and globally, that means designing more and telling more stories through the designs.

Also continue to establish my designs as ambassador of peace that can connect women across the world with a shared purpose.

Take us through the design process…

I start sketching different possible interpretations of the initial theme, always keeping in how to match design with functionality. Creativity is key while searching for the material the best protects the integrity of the design. Any design goes through distinct phases of tweaking and changing until it’s finally ready to be translated into an actual jewelry piece.

When designing how much are you influenced by trends?

I’m not really influenced by trends when designing.

I believe in setting your own personal trend, one that speaks to you and not just follow the crowd.

I find that to be more unique and attractive than following what is popular! I’m in the fashion scene, I travel often and have lived around the world; my global awareness defines most of my designs and transcends the idea of a trend. I’m presenting lifelong stories through beautiful timeless, yet fashion forward jewelry designs

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INTERVIEW

Dina Shaker DECONSTRUCTED

Dina Shaker’s namesake label is undoubtedly one of the most fashion forward Egyptian brands on the market today. Her edgy designs are uniquely her own- characterized by sharp lines, deconstructed cuts, and an overall sophisticated and minimal look. With around 20 years of experience in the fashion scene, Dina is one of the most established Ready-to-Wear local designers in the country. We speak to the dynamic designer about her latest collection and more.

This is Dina Shaker‌Deconstructed.

How did your background in interior design influence your work?

My architectural background influences my work a lot. My mind works in a problem-solving mode. I give a big attention to details and find inspiration in everything around me. The design process begins with an obsession with materials, forms, and textures then it builds up like building blocks to create a functional comfortable design that enhances the human figure in the most artistic way.

How would you describe your design aesthetic?

Minimal, deconstructed, and asymmetric.

Deconstruction and asymmetrical lines prominent in your collection-have been a recent trend in fashion. How do you balance following trends and staying true to your style?

Deconstruction and asymmetrical lines has always been a main aesthetic of my designs.

It happens now that there is a certain preference in fashion for this direction as it follows a global consumer’s need for uniqueness and individuality. I don’t like to follow trends I believe style shouldn’t be dictated. For me fashion is a tool to express ourselves freely. I prefer to design timeless pieces that inspire women to express their individuality. Today fashion is so much about consumption, which I don’t really like. I want my designs to be always the kind that you fall in love with and keep wearing no matter how long it hanged in your wardrobe.

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What is your favorite piece from the recently launched collection?

My favorite is the deconstructed military coat. This design resonates a lot with the theme of the collection. ‘RECOMPOSED CLASSICS�. I believe it is a timeless piece that would be styled endlessly.

Your brand has been in the market for many years. How do you see the fashion scene in Egypt with its emerging brands?

Being in the market for almost 20 years now I witnessed major changes in the Egyptian fashion scene. A dramatic switch from a society inspired only by imported fashion, to a more mature supportive fashion enviroment for Egyptian creativity. A lot of emerging designers are out everyday. This created a healthy competition to bring out the best from everybody to attract a bigger audience from market share. Not only on the local level but on an international one as well.

What is your future plans for your brand?

After establishing a sound ground on a local level for quite a long time now, I am working to expand internationally and opening new channels for my designs to explore new markets and reach customers from all over the world.

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FEATURE

City Slicker Riv-It by Jayda Hany Among the chaotic mess that characterizes the city of Cairo, footwear designer Jayda Hany found inspiration for her “Riv-It� Fall-Winter Collection. Her discerning eye trained in architecture saw the finer details in building infrastructures throughout the busy city. Inspired by the unnoticed structural parts of the streets of Cairo and its urban fabric, her collection was born.

Rivets-permanent fasteners used in various complex structures, such as bridges gave the collection its name. One of the main inspirations behind the use of rivets is Cairo’s Imbaba Bridge, which is iconic for its metal formation that is adorned by the mechanical fasteners all over.

With her background in architecture, Hany has always viewed a shoe as a mobile structure that is carrying the human body.

“I noticed the strong relationship between my past profession as an architect, footwear and fashion as a whole”, she expresses.

As she explains, “Rivets in particular, being permanent structural fastening tools for locking and firmness much like any timeless non-conformist character, they resemble the modern Cairene female’s personality that includes persistence and boldness. Riv-it! encourages the individualistic needs of a modern female urbanite who is confident enough to seek her goals and lead a busy life”.

The Riv-It shoe collection is made up of four models available in three to six colourways, including black, white, two shades of grey-including cool grey and mocha grey-, blue and maroon. Three of the four shoe models are adorned by the city’s iconic rivets, which are the collection signature.

Photography: Hady Ashraf & Marwan Morsy Model: Aya El Kolaly

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FEATURE

DYAD Introducing “Everybody”

Imagine a typical model in the fashion industry. Odds are she is tall, slim, and simply perfect. Although fashion is for everyone-after all millions of women and men around the world embrace fashion- it seems like the fashion industry doesn’t embrace them back. Its no surprise that the industry is often looked at as an exclusive and uninviting one. Thankfully, the fashion industry is slowly changing its ways by gradually championing a wider vision of beauty and difference.

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For their very first photo-shoot, the recently launched fashion direction and styling agency DYAD did just thatby featuring six girly with varying body types and sizes. The founders of DYAD Mariam Zahw and Nancy ElTaher wanted to convey a message as well as make a fashion statement. The six girls in their shoot showcase the beauty of difference and the power of being comfortable in one’s own skin. They dedicated it to every woman and aptly titled it “everybody”.

They wanted to make a strong statement with their first shoot and portray how they direct and style. “ For this project, we wanted to emphasize the different beauties of different women and we wanted to inclusive as much as possible. The fashion is shifting today for women and we wanted to be part of that change. It is also something that is not talked about often in Egypt today and we wanted to highlight the issue. For us, it was bold and fashion forward”, the founders expressed.

Their aim is to create and be part of an Egyptian fashion scene that recognizes artists and designers and represent them to the world in the most appropriate manner. “Creating pictures aren’t just about styling but about capturing the essence of a brand. As majors in marketing and graphic design, we look at and beyond the product and evaluate exactly what it needs�.

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FEATURE

2017’s

Best Dressed List Now that 2017 is coming to an end, we must ask the critical question…who came out fashionably on top? Take a look at the celebrities who ruled the runways and beyond all year long.

By Amy N. Pugsley

International Stars Ashley Graham From the catwalk to her sultry Instagram page, model Ashely Graham has had an amazing 2017. Graham is proving to the world that great style is beautiful at any size. Ashley is one of the highest earning models this year and deserves to be on the best-dressed list for her swimsuit-sexy style. At only 30 years old, she is on track to become the first plus-sized “supermodel” earning almost six million dollars this year alone.

Creating a more diverse fashion industry is part of Ashley’s platform and normalizing models larger than a size 0 has given some fire to runways around the world!

Emily Ratajkowski Emily Ratajkowski has been one of this year’s most talked about fixtures on the fashion scene. Born in Britain but raised in California, Emily was recruited

by FORD models when she was only fourteen years old and has continued to appear in magazines, movies, and music videos. This beauty bombshell looks stunning in anything she wears and is undoubtedly 2017’s queen of street style. From jeans and a crop-top to a black slip dress she is can make the simplest of wardrobe pieces look glamourous.

Priyanka Chopra After winning Miss World India and miss World in 2000 Priyanka Chopra has become a household name from India to Indianapolis. Being one of the most famous women in India and with the spotlight constantly pointed in her direction the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador has undoubtedly harnessed a signature style.

Always dressed to impress, Chopra isn’t afraid to mix and match her chic style wearing some of the biggest international designers as she appears in magazines and red carpets. At the Academy Awards this year she looked flawless in a Ralph & Russo column dress and then outdid herself at the Met Gala wearing a Ralph Lauren trench coat with an extended train.

Gigi Hadid The Hadid family style is definitely high society and daughter Gigi isn’t afraid to mix couture and athleisure wear in the same week. Hadid’s career in fashion and design has made her an international success and her fashion sense has fans from around the world wondering what she will wear next. Hadid is a supermodel in her own right and has expanded her resume to include director, student, and fashion designer.

Yara Sayeh Shahidi Not many teenagers can say they had a year that included meeting Hilary Clinton, advocating for girl’s education with Michelle Obama, getting accepted to Harvard and being a spokeswoman for their generation. Yara Shahidi is a rising star whose fashion sense is evolved far beyond her mere 17 years. This young “Black-ish” star is of African-American and Iranian decent bringing politics, religion, and social awareness to everything she does. Yara’s style can be described as college-cool and her natural beauty make her a showstopper wherever she goes. This young star proves that fashion can be both unique and practical.

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Fashionable Duos

Jennifer Lopez & Alex Rodriguez

George & Amaal Clooney

One of the newest Latinx couples made their debut as a couple last year at the Met Gala. The timeless 41-year-old Jennifer Lopez known as J.Lo and retired New York Yankees baseball start Alex Rodriguez as the king and queen of New York City. Rodriguez told reporters that he and Lopez are “very much twins” as Latinos from New York and have similar taste in almost everything from food to fashion. While their relationship is new, fans are anticipating a very trendy 2018 for the couple.

Power couple George and Amal Clooney are a red carpet feature at most major events. American actor and high profile human rights lawyer respectively, this couple knows how to look immaculate in the spotlight. The couple favors labels such as Giambattista Valli, Dolce & Gabbana, Alexander McQueen ,and Stella McCartney. The couple has earned their spot on 2017’s list of best dressed celebrity couples and next year will be a family affair for this fashion forward couple and their twins.

Chrissy Teigen & John Legend As a couple, these two are sometimes opposites with their own individual styles. John’s causal dress code often finds him in jeans and a t-shirt and Teigen’s runway ready style has her wearing sexy high-end pieces. Opposites attract making them a dynamic-duo. For fashion week in October Teigen showed off her model legs in a sexy black Miu miu dress accessorized with silver as her and Legend roamed the streets of Paris.

Kim & Kanye West David & Victoria Beckham Soccer star and ex-Spice Girl popstar David and Victoria Beckham have evolved their style in the public eye.

This British couple has been on the best dressed list for the last decade for good reason. With sophisticated style, great taste in clothes and accessories, and many designer campaigns under their belts 2017 has been another year of fashion bests for the couple. David has become a menswear icon and isn’t afraid to play with his style and try new looks and Victoria is the ultimate queen of monochrome.

One of the most talked about couples on the planet, Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West are a power couple that is breaking down fashion barriers and bringing couture to the streets of Los Angeles. From their own labels to supporting their friends and families fashion ventures the Kardashian-West’s are the one of the best-dressed couples in Hollywood today. With close relationships with fashions kingpins including Oliver Rousteing of Balmain, Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy and Valentino Garavani Kim and Kanye are fashion royalty.

Beyoncé & Jay Z Welcoming twins this year, hip-hop couple singer Beyoncé and rapper Jay-Z had an interesting year in fashion. Taking a backseat to his pregnant wife, Jay remained calm, cool, and collected in his usual rap mogul chic wardrobe. Incorporating ultra-vibrant prints into her pregnancy wardrobe Beyoncé “broke the internet” with her maternity photos. The Bey-Hive went wild as photos emerged online of the couple celebrating the birth of their twins with an African-inspired fertility goddess photo shoot. To end the year, the iconic couple dressed up for Halloween as their 90s counterparts Biggie Smalls and Lil’ Kim.

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BIJOU

Winter Sparkles Make sure you rival your Christmas tree this season and pick up, ahem, look at, some fabulous sparkles for the ears, neck and wrists. Tradition has a way of coming back and these haute joaillerie showcase a stunning selection of updated reinterpretations of classic jewels.

BOUCHERON The new Serpent Bohème jewellery collection from Boucheron reinterprets iconic Serpent pieces from the maison’s history.

High jewellery brand, Boucheron, first showcased its latest bejewelled creations at the boutique on Place Vendôme earlier this year during February Couture Week in Paris. The brand chose to present a modern take on its iconic Serpent theme.

So rather than the iconic sharp fangs and menacing venom of the earlier incarnations of the snake this Serpent Bohème has been tamed into a sweet and wearable collection that expands on pieces from the house’s history.

CHOPARD Official partner of the Cannes Film Festival since 1998, Chopard knows how to make the perfect photo-op. Just think about all the high-glamour moments since 2007 when it launched its Red Carpet Collection. A decade has passed and its creations have been draped across Hollywood’s most illustrious bosoms (Jennifer Lawrence with a diamond necklace trickling down her back at the Oscars in 2013. There’s a barefoot, smiling Julia Roberts with a 52.76-carat emerald nestled at her décolletage, and Kate Moss, her face framed by a dazzling pair of diamond earrings). But there is one picture which stands out above all: an image of a 342-carat rough diamond, a stone christened the Queen of Kalahari. Creative Chopard cut 23 diamonds of various shapes and sizes, all of which are D-colour and Flawless (the highest clarity grade, completely free of blemishes and inclusions). The Garden Of Kalahari, one of our most stunning haute joaillerie collections to date.

FABERGÉ Captivating, colourful, vibrant and utterly delightful is the new Secret Garden Collection by Fabergé. A mesmerising explosion of blossoming flowers making a stunning composition of dazzling gemstones to be worn to add a touch of colour during the dreary winter months. Spring has come early with necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets and brooches which look like they have just been picked fresh from the garden. Based on Peter Carl Fabergé’s love of flowers, and stone samplers that showcased stone specimens, the Secret Garden collection brings together a wide array of precious materials as well as highly skilled craftsmen.

DE GRISOGONO Industry records were broken as Christie’s auctioned de Grisogono’s ground-breaking necklace, ‘The Art of de GRISOGONO, Creation 1’, at the landmark Magnificent Jewels sale in Geneva on November the 14th, with the necklace achieving the price of US$ 33.1 million. To date it is the world’s most expensive D-Flawless diamond to go under the hammer. The word “carat” comes from the Greek word keration, or carob bean, a unit that has been used to measure precious stones since the 16th century. One carat equals one bean, roughly, and perhaps most of us may know what a one-carat diamond might look like on our finger but very few of us will ever know the weight of 163.41 carats – beans yes but bling no!

VAN CLEEF & ARPELS You might not think there is much resemblance between dancing and dangling beauties, but Van Cleef & Arpels showed us that excellence exists in both through their new Precious Ballerinas’ collection. The two art forms are the embodiment of accuracy and finesse, and cause soaring excitement. The collaboration between Claude Arpels and choreographer George Balanchine half a century ago was not Van Cleef & Arpel’s first recognition of their love for ballet. The miniature dancers, with a rose-cut diamond instead of a face, have been produced by Van Cleef & Arpels since the 1940s. According to the story, one evening at a late dinner in the “Latino” nightclub in the Lower East Side, jeweller John Rubel was captivated by a flamenco dancer.

He quickly jotted down her drawing on the corner of the tablecloth. The very next day the idea was shown to Maurice Duvalet, designer of the American division of Van Cleef & Arpel. Duvalet modified the sketch and turned it into a luxury brooch in the form of a Spanish dancer. It was the first jewellery piece from the ballet series that made both Van Cleef & Arpels and the Rubel brothers famous.

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HOLIDAY WISH LIST

Aigner Tom Ford

Tory Burch Azza Fahmy

Diesel

Diesel

Okhtein

Salvatore Ferragamo Djewelled

Rochas

Tiffany & Co.

Saint Laurent

Stella McCartney

Marc Jacobs

Gucci Oscar de la Renta

Cerruti

AMMANII

Tory Burch

Chloe

Rochas Paris

Swarovski

Golden Glam Christian Dior

Guerlain

Guerlain

Massimo Dutti Tom Ford

Jimmy Choo

Marc Jacobs

Michael Kors

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Balmain

Diesel Zara Home Prada

Diesel

Balenciaga

Jimmy Choo

Julien Macdonald

Jimmy Choo Marc Jacobs

Gucci

Roland Mouret

Michael Kors Collection

Sandbox

Tiffany & Co.

Isabel Marant

Azza Fahmy

Sultry Silver Messika Joaillerie Tiffany & Co.

Sandbox

AMMANII Swarovski

Giuseppe Zanotti Michael Kors

Miu Miu

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FASHION SHOOT

D I E S E L

FOREST GRUNGE

For the Fall Winter collection, Diesel is all about “the energy of grunge in the forest at night time”, explains Diesel Artistic Director Nicola Formichetti. “The spirit of rock ’n’ roll is nocturnal and be-ing surrounded by nature after dark can be a strange experience. A lot of crazy things can happen.”

Styled in a mismatched way, plastic raincoats are worn with silky dresses, whilst stripes and checks are clashed with polka dots and flower prints. The shiny and new is paired with the well-loved – and perfectly ‘destroyed’ denim.

Iconic striped grunge knits are transformed by incorporating lace, an element of the precious, whilst characteristic rock leathers, signature zips and knit beanies appear throughout the collection.

The feel of American vintage is present through trucker style, from shearling-trimmed jackets to classic red-and-black plaid, alongside elements of uniform and utility.

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Lifestyle

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“The Hair Addict”/Tiffany & Co./Hôtel de Crillon

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FEATURE

2018, Come!

Here We

10 Things to Look Forward to in the New Year Out with the old, in with the new: hello 2018! A new year is exciting all by itself, but contemplating the next 12 months is even more fun with a little preview of some of the hot things to look forward to in 2018. We bring you our list of the top events and trends to watch out for as you make your New Year’s resolutions.

By Kate Dannies

Balmain x Victoria’s Secret We are already not over the gorgouesness of this year’s Victoria’s Secret fahion show so Balmain collaborating with Victoria’s Secret is expected to be fabulous. The 22-piece collection includes an assortment of bras, panties, lingerie, t-shirts and handbags. High-fashion product details include tartan prints, custom graffiti graphics, Swarovski crystals, mesh, studs and sexy straps. Expect plenty of body con and gilded items.

Istanbul Design Biennial Being the gateway between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, Turkey has long been recognized as a world economic, political, and cultural hub, particularly in the multicultural metropolis of Istanbul. The Biennial strives to highlight Turkey’s emphasis on innovation and design within the creative industries to enrich global design culture. At the very least, a good excuse to visit one of our favourite cities in 2018.

Samsung Frame TV A chic TV blending high technology with an aesthetic that allows the device to look like a piece of art when not being used to binge watch Netflix. Frame features a 4K screen, smart apps and the Samsung Collection, a library of 1,000 pieces of artwork that you can set as your background when you’re not using it in TV mode.

Enough said.

Oman Botanic Garden Oman is at it again in its efforts to highlight its international profile as an eco-tourism destination. And we are very much on board with this new project, a 400-plus hectare botanic garden slated to be the largest in the world. The gardens will celebrate the country’s botanic diversity in the foothills of the Al Hajar Mountains.

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Art Paris Turns 20 In 2018, Art Paris Art Fair will be celebrating its 20th anniversary. True to its original vocation to support the French art scene, the fair will be fusing the exhibition curator‘s subjective, historical and critical perspective with a selection of projects focusing on artists in France who, both in the past and today, have managed to preserve their independence from dominant trends, remaining on the margin of mainstream Art History. From April 5th8th 2018, Art Paris Art Fair will bring together 140 galleries from some twenty different countries at the Grand Palais. Find us there.

Ember Mug We hate it when our coffee gets too cold (or too hot!) and that is why we are extremely excited about the Ember Mug, which is the first temperature-controlled mug keeping our coffee at just the right level. We might have to get the travel mug version as well.

Kristin Hannah is Back And better than ever! Since we need a good book to read while sipping from our Ember-mug in 2018, the release of the latest by bestselling author of The Nightingale is right on time. Great Alone is the story of a family that goes off the grid in Alaska and is forced to survive the elements both outside of their house and the dangers within.

Art of Living Mall in Dubai Another year, another mall in Dubai. But we are actually excited about Art of Living Mall, which will be the first mall totally specialised in homeware, with over 100 stores dedicated to furniture (home, kitchen, office), lighting, accessories, gifts, flowers, curtains, textiles, and home appliances. In this case, 2018 might be the right time for some redecorating.

“Bel Canto“ Onscreen Is anyone else obsessed with Bel Canto? If not, we encourage you to jump on the bandwagon. It won’t require any reading either, as the film adaptation starring Julianne Moore is set to drop in 2018. A preview: Roxane Coss, played by Moore, a famous American soprano who travels to a military dictatorship in South America to give a private concert at the birthday party of a rich Japanese industrialist. Just as the gathering convenes, the house is taken over by guerrillas, led by General Benjamin (Bichir), demanding the release of their imprisoned comrades.

Also, it’s a love story.

Egypt at World Cup 2018 Egypt has qualified and is headed to Russia for the 2018 World Cup and the entire country went gaga over this historic feat. We can’t wait to cheer them on as they battle it out with the best in the world.

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BEAUTY

Embracing Nature “The Hair Addict” A lot of people don’t realize how much of our identities and the way in which we express ourselves and even value ourselves are tied to our appearance and especially our hair. Women in particular generally struggle with accepting the natural appearance of their hair. They often go to great lengths to change the look of their hair and will it to be something its not in order to appeal to society. Like millions of women around the world, Egyptian women often find difficulties embracing their natural hair-which is usually curly. The curly strands are very misunderstood and looked upon by countless Egyptians as inferior to straight and sleek hair. But in more recent years perceptions have been evolving and going natural with one’s hair and beauty routines has been a growing trend. The trend has been so powerful that it is turning into a fully-fledged movement. In Egypt, “The Hair Addict” has started this movement to empower women to embrace nature and calling on women to “Stand Your Natural Ground”. We speak to the self proclaimed “Hair Addict” Doaa Hassan Gawish who established her project in 2016 about her journey so far…

Why did you create “The Hair Addict” project?

When I started The Hair Addict, I didn’t solely aim to tackle hair care issues. My goal was to promote self-love and to make it become second-nature to my audience.

I want all women to love themselves enough to invest the time and the energy needed to care for their beauty in a sustainable healthy way. I also want them to love themselves enough to stand their ground and embrace their natural hair.

Unfortunately, we are raised in a society where women are often denied the right to invest the time needed to have a healthy hair care routine and as a result, they often resort to quick fixes such as chemical relaxing treatments, which have plenty of long-term negative effects. Moreover, this same society appreciates only one type of beauty that’s rarely attributed to natural hair. This automatically makes most of these women opt to achieve this desired standard of beauty and try to change the nature of their hair via heat, chemicals’ loaded products, etc....

What is the Aim of “The Hair Addict”?

The Hair Addict aims to challenge all these norms and to encourage women to understand that they are worthy of the time needed to care for their hair in a healthy, sustainable way via using natural remedies, organic or low chemicals products, eating healthily, and working out. And most importantly, we want all women to love themselves enough to embrace their beautiful, natural hair whether it is curly, wavy or straight.

What have been the biggest challenges that faced you in “The Hair Addict”? How did you overcome them?

Since most women in Egypt haven’t avoided heat long enough to see how their hair looks (undamaged) and haven’t tried natural remedies nor products that are low on chemicals, it was quite hard at the beginning to convince them that this is a winning combination. We began promoting this idea by sharing natural hair transformations of celebrities and bloggers. After that, when some members took the initiative to test these methods for themselves and witnessed the results, we then approached those members to be featured on the Hair Addict page and share their stories. This helped many other members to start implementing our recommendations and feel more empowered to share their own natural hair transformations.

Another challenge was correcting people’s perception of hair care. Many believed that if one routine doesn’t work for their hair, they should give up on the

whole Hair Addict approach. Advertisements always play on the idea of one magical solution that fits all hair types and will totally change your hair after one use. We are trying to change that and raise awareness that having healthy hair is about keeping up with a regime that fits your hair type. We believe that all hair types are manageable and beautiful but it is important to find the routine that is best-suited for you. This process needs trial and error as well as patience.

Another challenge was finding organic or low on chemicals products that are produced in Egypt to advise people to use.

However, thankfully some companies started responding to this need and offering these types of products.

What has been your proudest moment through managing “The Hair Addict”?

Proud moments always come when I see the joy of women on our page when their natural hair-which was once a source of anxiety and weakness- turns into a source of joy and confidence. I am also proud when I see that I have created a platform where women compliment and appreciate each other’s natural beauty. I read many touching stories posted on the page by mothers whose young girls get bullied at school or surprisingly by family members because of their hair type to a harmful and discouraging extent where they started to feel ashamed of their hair.

Those mothers and young girls feel more confident through receiving the support of the page members. I am always happy when I see women from different age groups sharing their stories of how they started to love their natural hair and how confident they became.

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How do you strive to keep the content on the social media fresh, interesting, and engaging?

I believe that when you are passionate about something or addicted to it, you become your most creative, and this is the case on our page, with myself, other moderators, and the members themselves. So for example, on top of the new ideas that are suggested every day by our moderators (who happen to be a team of pharmacists and dermatologists), the members’ posts direct us on what to research and what information to provide. Also, we dedicate many of our Facebook pages and Instagram accounts posts to members to share their experience with their hair and their transition stories. Most importantly, we ensure that we, The Hair Addict Team, are not “teaching” the members and audience about how to perceive their hair and take care of it but rather we act like their companions in their journeys.

What did you learn through your work in The Hair Addict?

The Hair Addict taught me that all women are capable of loving and embracing their hair but it is really our society and culture that teaches them otherwise.

However, through this platform of thousands of women, they got the validation to embrace what God gave them and to enjoy it. Additionally, I learnt that hair is not simple a part of our looks seeing that it affects the way we perceive ourselves to a great extent.

What has been your proudest moment in the project?

My proudest moment were the responses received on this platform when one girl had a medical condition that caused hair loss and she was very emotional about it.

Every person on the group was not only generous with positive comments and motivation but they even got her professional help and sent her the products needed to help her condition.

What are your future plans/goals?

We hope that one day all women will believe that they are worthy of the time to invest in and to care for themselves in healthy sustainable ways. We also hope that the idea of praising one single type of

beauty will be a thing of the past. I hope that that next generations won’t suffer from bullying and stigmatization because of their hair type. We organize many competitions and campaigns for our audience to express their happiness with their natural hair. Also, we recently launched The Skin Care Addict group for women to start a similar journey but skin care related.

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HOT ADDRESS

Breakfast at Tiffany’s Blue Box Café Breakfast at Tiffany’s aficionados can finally make their dreams come true and enjoy, well, breakfast at Tiffany’s. Tiffany & Co. recently opened the doors to its new eatery, The Blue Box Café, on the fourth floor of its flagship store on New York City’s Fifth Avenue.

Why didn’t someone come up with this sooner?

By Kate Dannies

Finally, a place where we can truly sit, relax, and soak in the rarefied atmosphere of Fifth Avenue. The cafe is, surprisingly, the company’s first leap into the retail dining concept, part of a wholly renovated space that showcases a luxury home and accessories collection, the first major project from Reed Krakoff, who became the company’s chief artistic officer in January. Krakoff’s seductive collection features over 200 must-have pieces that allow Tiffany lovers to bring a wider variety of the brand’s products into their homes.

Blue Box Café makes the most of its compact space. It’s entirely Tiffany blue but the effect is pleasing and chic as opposed to overpowering and cliche. After all, Tiffany blue is a timeless an iconic signature look and it translates well from the box to the interiors of the space. The chairs have blue slipcovers, and the china plates—Krakoff originals—are dipped in blue glaze. The walls are painted Tiffany blue and ample use is made of Amazonite, a natural material in the same shade.

There’s a small cake one can order on special occasions, or just because; it’s

a Tiffany box with glossy blue icing and a big, white confectionary bow. Instead of art on the walls, there are Tiffany windows inset in miniature. Some include an array of actual Tiffany boxes adorned now with chrome figurines and diamonds or pieces of the homeware.

The restaurant serves American classics, for breakfast and lunch, and will also offer tea service. The breakfast menu items include truffle eggs and avocado toast, and for lunch, customers can enjoy a Charles Lewis Tiffany club chicken sandwich and the Fifth Avenue salad, which is made with lobster and avocado. The simple menu will change each season, and the dishes will be prepared fresh with regionally sourced ingredients. Sounds perfect for a light breakfast or lunch in the company of fabulous friends.

We would be hard-pressed to come up with a better place to break for lunch during a shopping spree on Fifth Avenue.

Or just to recreate the sophisticated simplicity embodied b Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Whatever form it takes--a croissant and coffee on the sidewalk, or an elegant high tea at Blue Box Café-- a meal at Tiffany’s is aspirational and hopelessly chic. Now that Blue Box Café is open, we are still wondering why no one thought of this sooner. Better late than never.

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BOUTIQUE HOTEL

Creme de la Creme HÔTEL DE CRILLON

What happens when you combine an historical 18th-century Parisian palace and luxury hotel with Saudi investment and a design team that includes Karl Lagerfeld? Good things, apparently.

Renovations of beloved landmarks are always fraught with controversy, but the remake of the HĂ´tel de Crillon seems to have resulted in a unanimous verdict: fabulous.

By Kate Dannies

The Hôtel de Crillon has recently reopened its doors after a four-year closure, during which it underwent a spectacular renovation. The Crillon’s history stretches back centuries, to when Louis XV commissioned architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel to construct the palace’s neoclassical facade along the Place de La Concorde. In the 1770s, a private home was built behind the facade. In 1778, the Duc de Crillon acquired the home, and his descendants would live here until 1909, when the building was turned into an opulent hotel. Ever since, it has been the most elite hotel in Paris and has served as a gilded home away from home for royalty, politicians, and celebrities since it opened its doors to upper crust guests in 1909. Charlie Chaplin, Andy Warhol, and Madonna have slept here. So have Sophia Loren, Peggy Guggenheim, Orson Welles, Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi of Iran, and Queen Sofía of Spain.

By 2010 the Hôtel de Crillon had started to feel like a museum, when it was acquired by a member of the Saudi royal family.

Two years later it was announced the Crillon would close for an upgrade, together with its competitors the Ritz Paris and Hôtel Plaza Athénée. under the guidance of new management by Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, embarked upon a massive restoration. Architect Richard Martinet was tasked with reimagining the Crillon while still preserving and honouring its heritage, since the facade and grand receptions on the second floor are classified landmarks. Four Parisian designers — Tristan Auer, Chahan Minassian, Cyril Vergniol, and Aline Asmar d’Ammam — were brought in to do the interiors.

Lagerfeld, a well-known authority on 18th-century antiques brought his collector’s eye to Les Grands Appartements— two exquisitely over-the-top rooms on the hotel’s fourth floor. Opening to parque marble floors, the rooms feature theatrical baldachin beds, crisp his-and-hers dressing areas, and a living area set within carved wooden walls that have been painted seven times, then sanded down for an impeccably smooth surface with visual depth.

It is refreshing to see a successfully executed renovation that has been undertaken with no expense or detail spared to recreate the original opulent essence of the original Hôtel de Crillon. This is a Crillon for the modern age bringing together the best of historical Parisian heritage and the best of twenty-first century living.

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HOME

Seasons Greeting FromMoscow

By Oleg Klodt

This apartment on Gnezdnikovsky Street in Moscow is a project which reflects the personality and character of the apartment’s owner - yet is still created within Oleg Klodt Architecture & Design’s hallmark style.

The fusion of noble reserve and fine detail of the space creates a comfortable apartment for a family with two children. The tranquil structure is offset by elegant furniture, unusual and original décor items, and detailed textures. The colour palette is achieved through a delicate interplay of differing shades.

Oleg Klodt Architecture & Design’s attentive ap-

proach to conceiving an interior design is always based on a careful fusion of original items with elegant furnishings. This project has proved to be an outstanding example of this way of working. The team not only designed and completed the interiors – they also assembled the complete range of household items needed to equip it as a home.

All the surfaces were chosen for the tactile delight they offer – fabrics, woods, metals, and stone, all in perfect harmony with each other.

The artwork within the apartment has become the central focus for the design concept. The studio’s art department established connections with re-

spected British galleries especially for this project.

Art experts compiled a collection of works – whose subjects may be different, yet which all chime with the particular taste of the client, and which became the deciding factor in the selection of the particular works chosen.

The apartment came equipped with its own terrace, which the studio transformed into a summer garden divided into two charming areas. One is for reading, with a Kettal fireplace and trailing grapevines - while the other is perfect for a romantic evening, offering inspiring views of the capital’s cityscapes along the Boulevard Ring Road that runs alongside the house. olegklodt.com

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FLAIR REVIEW

Italian Flavours La Gondola

By Nour Ibrahim

Good food, entertainment and sophistication can all be found at the Sonesta Hotel, Tower & Casino – Cairo, authentically flavourful Italian Restaurant, La Gondola.

Beautifully decorated to portray an Italian aesthetic, La Gondola surrounds you with both ancient authentic decorations, such as a fountain that once belonged to an Osmanian Palace, and natural garnishes spread about the room. Each table is complemented by a natural flower that they change every day, giving you a break from the usual artificial lifestyle we live everyday and really adding to the naturalistic vibe of the restaurants food.

The food itself is made of all-natural and organic ingredients and is made to resemble an authentic Italian kitchen. To give the Italian taste, the seasoned chef, who has worked in Italy for most his life, adds to the authenticity of Italian taste. These organic necessities are there to not only make the food taste good, but for the person to feel good as well, as the organic elements of these basics add to the natural and nurturing nature of the food. This authentic take, compared to the usual artificially processes diet we tend to keep to, is what truly makes the meal a unique experience.

The experience is furtherly made exceptional by the restaurant combining the world of food and entertainment. Adding an interesting twist to the experience, most of the meals are made right in front of the customer. Whether it’s a flaming flambé or a phenomenal Caesar salad, the food is made into a show. This also adds to the

friendly vibe of the restaurant. To the staff in La Gondola, the customers are not just customers, but guests that a friend would want to entertain. The fun-loving nature of the waiters and waitresses, mixed with their respectful and welcoming vibes, make the overall experience all the more special.

Gondola is a place more than worth a visit. The authentic Italian restaurant provides you with amazing meals, all the while keeping you happy and entertained.

Whether eating the secret seafood special Maalouf, or a classic desert, you always feel at home at La Gondola.

So, with amazing food, a beautiful aesthetic, and a beyond amazing service, La

La Gondola Sonesta Hotel, Tower & Casino – Cairo For Reservations dial: 02-22628111

Design

P. 86 Dubai Design Week/Louvre Abudhabi/Dior Seoul 85

DESIGN NOTES

Dubai Design Week FLAIR’s Picks

by Daniela Bonetto

It opened its doors in 2015 and it was a big success. In 2016, it built an even bigger reputation for celebrating top-notch design so it’s no wonder that all bells are ringing this year as Dubai celebrated its third Design Week in November. The event witnessed more than 50,000 visitors including architects, designers and public audiences from local regions, as well as from afar. Dubai Design Week (DXBDW) is the Middle East’s most important design event and as with previous years it will be the most comprehensive and accessible celebration of design and creativity ever staged in the region, establishing a new benchmark for the city’s reputation as a vibrant and diverse platform.

The calendar at this year’s DXBDW 2017 had everyone jumping for joy whether they were an industry guru or a mere passer-by with an eye for design. With over 200 activities staged in locations across the city there was something for everyone to get their eyes immersed in this fabulous trade show. With so much going on FLAIR has decided to highlight a few key projects:

Downtown Design: The commercial heart of Dubai Design Week and the region’s leading design trade show held at the new d3 waterfront event space. In 2016, the show attracted 12,500 visitors; over 80% of whom were trade professionals. Doubling in size this year with over 150 exhibitors from across 25 countries, the 2017 edition of Downtown Design features 70 new high-end international and regional brands and debuts eight emerging design brands from the UAE region.

Global Grad Show: The “Oscars” of graduate design and technology, is the world’s largest and most diverse meeting of design and innovation graduates.

200 projects showcasing the best in progressive thinking on the future of design, science and innovation exhibited from 90 of the world’s elite universities.

Abwab: Dubai Design Week’s exhibition of regional design talent selected by a high-profile international editorial board including Joy Mardini, Max Fraser and Sheikha Lateefa bin Rashid, was situated at the heart of d3. Living up to its name - Abwab translates as doors - this year’s exhibition hosted 45 designs from 15 countries selected through a process requiring creatives to nominate another designer upon submission; coined as a ‘design dominos’. The innovative structure, designed by Dubai-based Fahed + Architects using repurposed bed springs sourced from waste management company Bee’ah, encapsulated Abwab’s emerging, regional designs.

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DRAK: (Design Ras Al Khor), a collective

initiative established by three UAE-based designers, returned this year with ‘Industry To Luxury’. DRAK has partnered with ECAL University, a renowned Art & Design University in Switzerland as its official Educational Partner and for the second consecutive year, Eyes on Talent, a Paris-based, invitation only, digital platform that connects innovative brands with creative talents will be an Official Partner.

DRAK, co-founded by Khalid Shafar, a product designer, Khulood Thani, a fashion designer and Nadine Kanso, a Jewelry designer, aims to be a design movement that encourages design research, innovation and material exploration. Khalid Shafar, Co-founder of DRAK commented, “DRAK highlights four very talented designers this year. Together with ECAL University, the participating designers will enjoy professional mentorship, a short course and insight during the exhibitions taking place. The designers will also be invited and profiled on The Eyes Of Talent platform, offering them great exposure to a global audience. We expect more products this year than installations and more personal objects than public works.

The products that will be created will carry historical references to luxury and will be designed to facilitate a luxury-lifestyle and made for luxury use regardless of the materials they are made of. We are excited to see the final products this year.” The week-long exhibition explores the design topic of ‘Industry To Luxury’ and brings light to industrial and mass-produced materials sourced from the Ras Al Khor area that have been recreated to produce product for luxury use.

Indoor Pop Ups: Dubai Design Week’s pop-up programme of activities for all ages include the Super Design Market, featuring a carefully selected range of design brands for visitors to purchase high-quality design products, and award-winning watchmaker, RADO who invited visitors to discover the latest collections with their “Portraits of Design” exhibition. The lineup also emphasised design-led activities for weekend visitors at d3, welcoming all ages to the popular Ripe Market brining weekend atmosphere to d3 with carefully selected hand-made products, and IKEA’s engaging exhibition ‘Let’s Play for Change’ that aims to bring out the child in every visitor and inspire people to integrate play into their everyday routine.

Alongside this there were opportunities for everyone to get involved at the Makers Space hosted by Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children, Maska, Urban Sketchers and The JamJar, among others.

dubaidesignweek.ae

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ART

Written in the Stars THE LOUVRE ABU DHA BI

We weren’t sure that this day would ever come, but are pleased to say that it finally has! The Louvre Abu Dhabi, perhaps the region’s most ambitious cultural project to date, has opened its doors at long last. In addition to world-class art aside, the Louvre is an architectural landmark in the already star-studded skyline of the UAE. The Louvre offers plenty of wonders for all to explore from culture and history to architecture and the finest art the world has to offer. It was certainly worth the wait.

By Kate Dannies

Located on Saadiyat Island, the £1bn Louvre Abu Dhabi is a veritable museum-city designed by Pritzker Prize winning French architect Jean Nouvel. The new Louvre, built over the past 10 years, holds 600 artworks permanently and 300 loaned from France. The museum’s original scheduled opening date was set for 2012, but it was delayed multiple years due to construction issues. A deal between Abu Dhabi and France will see the Louvre name leased for a period of 30 years, with loans of high profile artworks from France’s major museums filling many of the walls. The works on display for its opening come from Paris greats as well as the Louvre itself: the Musée d’Orsay, Centre Pompidou, Château de Versailles, Musée Rodin, Musée Guimet and Musée du quai Branly. Works have also been sourced from galleries outside France – the National Museum of Oman, for example.

Louvre Abu Dhabi’s museum galleries tell the story of humanity through 12 inspiring chapters. Each chapter focuses on shared themes and ideas that reveal common connections throughout humanity. The works on show range from prehistoric artefacts to contemporary artworks. On display will be the museum’s important collection of artworks, artefacts and loans from France’s top museums.

These span the entirety of human existence: from prehistoric objects to commissioned contemporary artworks, highlighting universal themes and ideas and marking a departure from traditional museography that often separates objects from different civilisations.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi was opened in mid-November by French President Emmanuel Macron. On show for the opening are works from around the world - from established European masters including Van Gogh, Gauguin and Picasso, to Americans such as James Abbott McNeill Whistler and the modern Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. The mu-

seum has also joined force with Arab institutions who have loaned 28 prized works.Among the priceless artefacts on show are a statue of a sphinx dating back to the 6th Century BC and a frieze depicting figures from the Koran.

The architecture gives the art a ron for its money: under a star-studded silver dome visitors can walk through promenades overlooking the sea beneath the museum’s 180-metre diameter dome, composed of almost 8,000 unique metal stars set in a complex geometric pattern. When sunlight filters through, it creates a moving rain of light beneath the dome, reminiscent of the overlapping palm trees in the UAE’s oases. Visitors can explore 55 detached buildings.

Twenty-three of these buildings are devoted to galleries, which were inspired by the low-lying homes of the local region. In addition to the 23 galleries, the museum will include exhibitions, a Children’s Museum, a restaurant, a boutique gift shop and a café.

We suggest making multiple visits to the new Louvre to take in all that it has to offer. The artistic journey through all of human civilisation encapsulated in the Louvre’s collections should be given due consideration, as should the architectural accomplishments that Nouvel’s masterwork embodies.

It may have taken awhile, but we think everyone will agree that the Louvre Abu Dhabi was well worth the wait and will keep us busy for quite awhile to come in 2018.

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ARCHITECTURE

Gangnam Style House of Dior Seoul

By Kate Dannies

We never expect anything less than excellence from the likes of Dior, but this time they have outdone themselves. House of Dior, the brand’s new flagship store in Seoul, is an architectural work of art that houses the best of the best in terms of international art, cuisine, interior design and, of course, fashion.

Seoul’s Gangnam district has long been a hotspot for international fashion lovers, but with this new opening it is a must-visit for 2018. Just be sure to plan plenty of time to take it all in from bottom to top.

Located in the heart of Seoul’s Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu district, House of Dior’s twelve soaring resin and fibreglass sails give the building a unique visual identity. Designed by Pritzker Prize winner Christian de Portzamparc with interiors by famed retail architect Peter Marino, the sculptural white building resembles an Asian budding flower. Its six storeys house Dior’s accessories, fine jewellery, watches, women’s wear, shoes, and menswear. There is also a VIP lounge, a gallery, and the rooftop Café Dior operated by French pastry chef Pierre Hermé.

The exterior sculptural white fibreglass panels, each measuring 20 metres tall, gently undulate in an attempt to depict the fluid movement of clothing created in Dior’s Haute Couture Atelier in Paris. The immaculate facade echoes immense lengths of fabric, finely stitched together, overflowing out from a metal framework. The panels were formed over giant wooden moulds and laid

over a metal framework to create the shopfront. An inner layer of perforated anodised aluminium panels overlap above the glass doorway, creating an arched opening. Some panels curl around the side of the building, while others part over the entrance to create an arched opening to the six-storey store.

Peter Marino designed the interiors, which features monochrome tiled floors, mirrored walls and fabric draped chandeliers. The luxuriously glossy interiors are paired with contemporary artwork and furnishings. Two benches in the form of woven branches and leaves, created by French sculptor Claude Lalanne, take center stage. Above them hangs a glass-and-aluminum piece by Lee Bul, one of South Korea’s leading artists. Furniture by artists Hubert le Gall and Hélène de Saint Lager, table lamps by Véronique Rivemale, a piece by artist Rachel Hovnanian in the shoe salon, and a mirrored-glass decoration by artist Rob Wynne fill the space. Slivers of glass inserted in the joins between panels help to naturally light the shop floors. The staircase is conceived as an unfurling ribbon that guides shoppers upwards through the store’s spaces.

For those so inclined, such as ourselves, private appointments can be held in the VIP Lounge and Gallery on the third floor. This exclusive space is not to be missed. The reception area is decorated with drawings by Austrian artist Lucas Zallmann, Innerblow glass benches by Japanese design brand Nendo, and a sculpture by Carmelo Tedeschi. The lounge also features six framed drawings by Austrian artist Lucas Zallmann, a sculpture by Carmelo Tedeschi. The gallery is outfitted lamps by C. Jeré, and a console by Juan and Paloma Garrido.

After an afternoon of shopping we like to relax at the top-floor Café Dior, the brainchild of famed French pastry chef Pierre Hermé. The menu at the Dior Café

by Pierre Hermé includes flavors from far-off lands and culinary discoveries especially created for the House of Dior. Call it haute couture cuisine if you will; we call it delicious and the perfect culinary complement to the artistic beauty that abounds on every floor of House of Dior. In short, if you need us, you can find us in Gangnam.

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DRIVEN

Future Concept Cars DRIVING INNOVATION We love a good concept car and this genre has gotten more and more exciting with the development of electric and autonomous driving technologies in recent years. Concept cars are, by definition, made to showcase new styling and technology and to shock and awe car aficionados at auto shows. But one they have us hooked we have to wait; and depending on what happens these cars might never go to market. But some of our favourites from 2017 seem poised to hit the streets in short order, and we couldn’t be more pleased. These three concept cars from Mercedes-Benz, Renault, and Audi bring together the best of European engineering with cutting edge technology and forward-looking concepts that are giving us an exciting preview of what driving could become in the future.

By Kate Dannies

Mercedes-Benz The Concept EQA The Concept-EQA is part of a plan announced

by Mercedes-Benz to bring 10 new electric vehicles to market by 2022. EQ stands for “electric intelligence” and will be used to distinguish these vehicles from conventional models. Mercedes-Benz has already confirmed plans to build the EQC, which parallels the brand’s GLC model, for the 2020 model year. The Concept EQA is intended as the smaller version of the EQC. A 3-door hatchback, the EQA is styled to the automaker’s “Sensual Purity” idiom, which defines all future Mercedes-Benz products. The concept car takes this to the extreme, eliminating necessary practicalities such as rearview mirrors, for example, but we can expect a slightly less radical version of it to fill a space currently occupied by the gasoline-powered CLAClass within the next five years, a timeline that is shaping up to be a compelling era in the car industry. For Mercedes, it will be a test of how their vision of the future of cars works in reality as the EQC and then the EQA go to market. Which one will we choose?

Renault Symbioz The Renault Symbioz made a splash at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. The Symbioz concept is the vision of a car in 2030. It is is electrically-powered, autonomous and connected. The biggest difference to most other concept cars is that the car is designed to be an extension of the home and the interior has been designed to feel like home while the car drives you autonomously. Renault’s director of design explained the design thinking there like this: “The car becomes a new mobile, multi-purpose living space for the whole family and can be used—open or closed—more fully, even when parked.” Indeed, at the auto show the car was displayed together with a 120-square foot house that showcased how the vehicle was meant to integrate with a living space to provide an additional modular living space when parked. If you ask us, the idea of making our car an extension of our home in actuality rather than just practice is a fabulous one, but this concept, much more forward thinking than any others seen thus far, will need some time to be adapted to the consumer market. We are excited to see what happens.

Audi E-tron Sportback Good news: if you like the sound of this concept car, we are here to tell you it is market bound in 2019. And what is not to like? The Audi e-tron Sportback concept features an electric drive system that will be adopted in future all-wheel-drive models from Audi. The fully electric Audi e-tron Sportback concept is the next step in Audi’s development and goal of emission-free driving. The E-tron boasts dramatic styling elements, including large 23-inch wheels, and configurable lighting signatures. When the doors are opened, drivers and passengers are greeted with visual welcome signals from the lights. Below the daytime running lights and to the left and right of the grille, there are two light fields each with 250 LED lights, which are used to create graphics and signals to other drivers on the road. Inside, the e-tron Sportback holds up to four people. The model features a floating center console and two different touchscreens for accessing control systems. There are no exterior mirrors thanks to small cameras that help provide a view of the outside environment, all while eliminating blind spots for the driver. Sounds good to us!

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STYLISH LIVING

Dusit Thani Lakeview Cairo Celebrates Reopening Of Ruen Thai In a night of dazzling glitz and glam, Ruen Thai made an impressive comeback on November the 16th, redefining Thai cuisine and exquisite dining. The lavish opening was attended by society’s key figures, several celebrities, influencers and bloggers, as well as numerous media representatives. The guests were treated to a sumptuous dinner, exotic drinks, in addition to a spectacular entertainment by the singer Adel Haky and the violinist Azmy Magdy Azmy, luring the attendees with an upbeat party.

STYLISH LIVING

HL Launch Collection at Zag Store HL Designs recently launched its F/W’17 Collection in a glittering event held at the multi designer-brands high-end shop, Zag Store in Heliopolis. The collection titled J/S, featured 100% Egyptian leather mini backpacks, backpacks and evening bags that came in three colors: olive, burgundy and black.Event Ambassador Malak El Husseiny entertained guests with her sultry vocals, accompanied by her acoustic guitar, while guests mingled and enjoyed finger foods and refreshments.

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STYLISH LIVING

Huwa Takes Cairo by “El Sand Storm” Mesnswear accessories brand HUWA recently launched the their collection at Bar’Oro at The Ritz Carlton in Garden City. The fresh brand that launched in late October, displayed their debut collection of tie clips, cufflinks and signature lapel pins titled ‘El Sandstorm’. The founder, Hisham Wali, also unveiled four exclusive pieces that were added as an extension to the collection at the event. The exclusive event that was organized by FLARE PR brought together fashion influencers, actors, stylists, designers and press in a warm welcoming of the brand into the rapidly growing fashion scene.

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SEASON’S FESTIVITIES

Christmas & New Year’s Eve at the Cairo Marriott The festive season is here and it is sweeping over us with cheer and hope. A very Merry Christmas on the 24th and 25th December where many celebrations are ahead; from the Christmas treats at The Bakery like Santa Claus chocolate, cookies, Christmas cake, and a gingerbread house…to exceptional buffets at Omar’s Café on Christmas Eve for dinner and Christmas day for lunch to be the perfect start for the holidays. On the New Year’s Eve many celebrations await to bid 2017 goodbye and welcome the New Year in style! For a dinner party, head to Ristorante Tuscany, Harry’s Pub, Torii, or Som3a Basha for meticulously crafted set menus. The Empress Show Lounge will also have you entertained all night long with star performances, a DJ and a band.

Conrad Cairo Celebrates Conrad Cairo invites you for a unique festive celebration in any of its restaurants as the hotel is offering a great variety of events planned to suit every taste. This Year Executive Chef Paolo Rocco and his culinary team will be preparing a special Christmas eve at Solana offering an extensive dinner buffet while OAK Grill creates a wonderful atmosphere offering a special modern Lebanese set menu dinner. Kamala restaurant is asking you to invade the Asian cuisine on this unique Christmas eve with a special set menu dinner prepared by Chef Atita from Thailand.

Christmas at Grand Nile Tower During these highly anticipated holidays, Grand Nile Tower hospitality promises to make this, the most memorable holiday season close to your loved ones. Grand Nile Tower is expected to exceed your expectations by offering a variety of dining occasions-all overlooking the timeless River Nile. For a cozy gathering with family and friends on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, guests can enjoy endless mouth watering food and drink choices at the Sakya restaurant surrounded by the Nile, or for an elegant festive ambient at the highest restaurant in the Middle East, the Revolving Restaurant offers a delicate set of menus accustomed to the highest standards of service. For a more unique experience, you can always hop aboard the Private Marquis boat featuring the best international delicacies.

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Sparkling Season at Cairo Citystars Celebrate Christmas Eve in different flavors at InterContinental Cairo Citystars. Esplanade is treating its guest to a gastronomic international buffet as you enjoy the enchanting tunes of jazz with a live band and Christmas songs from the 20th till the 25th of December and don’t miss Santa Clause distributing Christmas cookies on the 22nd. Asian food lovers can give their taste buds a treat with the finest selection of Japanese cuisine at Shogun. Celebrate Christmas the Italian way at Maestro to the fine tunes of the guitar where you can choose between a set menu or a la carte. For celebrations with an oriental taste, experience authentic Egyptian cuisine at Al Khal restaurant and for some Lebanese extravaganza; Faryuz is the place to enjoy your favorite dishes with entertainment of live band and a belly dancer. Ring in the New Year in style at Holiday Inn Cairo Citystars. They have vowed to set the night in splendid glamour. At Holiday Inn Citystars’s main restaurant Windows, treat yourself and the ones you love to a one-of-akind gastronomic gala dinner set menu with oriental music, belly dancer, and a DJ from 10 pm to 2 am.

Festive Fireworks at Kempinski Soma Bay Soak up the festive atmosphere to celebrate Christmas and New Year and ring in the New Year along the year-round sunny and golden sandy beach of Soma Bay. The hotel’s festive setting unfolds a collection of dining experiences promising to be a special treat for the whole family. Spend time in a jolly mood on Saint Nicholas Day whilst Christmas stockings are distributed with a gift from Santa Claus to all the little ones. Chill out by the pristine sandy beach and enjoy the daily beach entertainment and sundowner in comfort and style. Savour a true memorable gourmet dining experience with the New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner at The View restaurant overlooking the breathtaking scenery of the alluring Red Sea, and with the glistening lazy river and pools as your backdrop. Enjoy a wide range of drinks and cocktails and put on your dancing shoes, sing loud and watch the midnight fireworks at Sultan Lounge.

A Festive Season at Sheraton Montazah Hotel Discover a selection of Christmas and New Year’s activities at Sheraton Montazah Hotel Alexandria and celebrate the festive season in a welcoming surrounding. Full program of activities are prepared for couples, groups and families at Tabia ballroom, Caesar Inn and Aquarius Discotheque. Whatever you decide to choose from, you’ll enjoy a new way to celebrate and live a true fun. They are offering different New Year’s parties with our specialty cuisine including a gala party with a variety of entertainment shows; trio band, latest Arabic and foreign hits with Dj. Hassan Darwish, live songs by Alexandrian Singers Fathy Meshaal and Yousry Abou El Wafa with his band in addition to fantastic belly dancing.

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Splendor of the Season at the Nile Ritz-Carlton Located on the Nile and overlooking the remarkable Egyptian Museum, the Nile Ritz-Carlton, Cairo is the ideal destination to celebrate the magic and wonder of this festive season. During the Christmas season, Santa Claus will accompany children to lighten the Christmas tree in the lobby and capture the moments by taking pictures with him. In celebrating the season and starting the New Year in true Ritz-Carlton fashion: Culina offers uniquely indulgent brunch experience with variety of proteins, rich BBQ, sushi, carving stations, seafood, seasonal salads, and dessert offerings while enjoying live jazz entertainment and Christmas spirit. Boasting authentic oriental dishes from all over the Middle East, Bab El-Sharq celebrates Christmas and New Year’s by offering prefix dinners and extravagant buffets featuring traditional oriental flavors while guests enjoy the artistic shows of the belly dancer. For Italian cuisine lovers, Vivo is offering a five-course dinner experience in a modern, contemporary setting overlooking infinite views of the Nile and Cairo tower.

Christmas & New Year Highlights at Semiramis InterContinental The newest addition to the iconic hotel’s award-winning restaurants, India along the Nile will celebrate Christmas and New Year for the first time this year. India along the Nile serves Indian cuisine in a modern, contemporary setting, redefining upscale dining. Acclaimed Indian star Chef Harish is known for his take on modern Indian cuisine and its colorful culinary traditions. The resto-bar offers delectable dishes and guests can choose from an array of à la carte options or opt for our “tasting menu,” designed for sharing and ideal for sampling. At the bar and lounge area, enjoy signature cocktails and Indian street food favorites. Toast in the New Year at the Cleopatra Ballroom’s best party of the year yet with the Middle East’s favourite star sensations and belly dancers. Revel in a sumptuous dinner course followed by an endless night of oriental entertainment with all musical hits lots of fun and excitement.

Holiday in Style at Le Meridien Cairo Airport Bring in the New Year at Live Sports Bar with a memorable performance by Latino Dance Community and DJ Karimchata bringing the uplifting Salsa, Cubana, Reggaeton, Kizomba, Commercial and Dance beats to the dance floor. Have a blast countdown to 2018 at Mezzeh, with a night of shakes and shimmies, enjoy the sizzling moves of the phenomenal belly dancer shaking along with live performance from our singer and live band. Get together and share the joy of Christmas with family and friends at EVOO, with a delightful dinner buffet on 24th of December.