DSQUARED2 Fall/Winter 12/13: The Substitutes

I am ALL OVER this campaign video for DSQUARED2's Fall/Winter 12/13 Collection. All over it! The creativity, the clothes, the production, the shoes!! I want everything!

DARMAKI: The Middle East's Own Luxury Footwear Brand

The Middle East has yet another gem to add to its crown, it's very own homegrown luxury footwear designer! UK- based Sultan Al Darmaki, the Emirati designer behind the luxury footwear couturier, DARMAKI, combines cultural and artistic influences to create one of a kind designs. DARMAKI incorporates culture, high-end materials, superior Italian manufacturing, and attention to detail to create luxury footwear that makes the line a unique and viable contender in the international designer footwear market.

Sultan Al Darmaki follows the philosophy of Andre Perugia in believing that a woman's personality is revealed in her shoes. That being said, the ideal DARMAKI woman is elegant, sophisticated, and not afraid to experiment with her style. Each shoe in the collection exudes its own character that caters to a different type of woman. DARMAKI also expresses the creativity of the designer who uses different motifs, including Arabesque, while not sacrificing the femininity and sexiness of the shoes. To find out more about DARMAKI's A/W 2011 collection, check out the site here. 

In the meantime, here are some of my favorites:

NazCannon: Emirati Style Avant-Garde

 While in Dubai this past month I got the chance to take a look at the Spring/Summer 2011 collection of Emirati designer Nasser Mohammed Al Midfa, the driving force behind the menswear label NazCannon. I was simply blown away by the edginess of the pieces in the collection. It is not everyday that you see edgy and avant-garde fashion coming out of the label obsessed Emirates, but NazCannon breaks the mold by breathing fresh air into not only the Emirati menswear fashion scene, but also the international menswear fashion scene. His use of a range of silhouettes and dramatic draping techniques goes against the grain of many menswear designers who choose a more tailored and staid look for their collections. NazCannon's look is part punk, part chic, part rock n roll, and all original. I especially like the androgynous nature of many of the pieces as they would look equally as sexy on a girl as on a boy. If you want to check out all of NazCannon's looks, head to the boutique Bullets & Butterflies at the Mercato Mall in Dubai where his collection is sold exclusively. In the meantime, check out some of my favorites from his SS '11 Lookbook!!

Omar Joseph Nasser-Khoury at The Mosaic Rooms

The Mosaic Rooms, which is a UK based art space showcasing contemporary culture from the Middle East and its diaspora, has recently been graced with the well thought out designs of young Palestinian designer Omar Joseph Nasser-Khoury.

Nasser-Khoury's work is very much inspired by his homeland Palestine where traditional embroidery still has a place in fashion aesthetics. He worked with local artisans to stay true to the embroidery tradition and traditional garments of the region but puts his own spin to it. The synthesis created a product that is pure genius and I've seen nothing like it from a Middle Eastern designer.

There is a certain uncanny richness to the collection and this richness is enhanced by the stern expressions on the models' faces. Seemingly, through these expressions and through the garments, the designer seeks to provide commentary on the Palestinian people and their occupied status.

The collection features 22 pieces and is on display at The Mosaic Rooms until 03/09/11. Anyone in London should go and tell me how it is!

For more information click here

Christian Louboutin for Men

I am absolutely OBSESSED with the Christian Louboutin men's shoes that the models of Marlon Grobel's AW 11 collection were wearing. I've been eying the black studded rollerboy shoes for a while now but the gold shoes are just to die for! If I had the money, I'd buy them all. It's very rare that you find shoes for men that absolutely pop, but Louboutin succeeds in giving even his men's shoes a life of their own. These are on my birthday wishlist!

Jeremy Scott x Linda Farrow Cafgar Sunglasses

Jeremy Scott teams up with Linda Farrow to produce these ancient Roman inspired Cafgar Sunglasses. The sides are flanked by gold olive branches and the front gives a more modern twist to 80's style sunglasses. If I don't see cool Pharrell-types wearing these on the streets of NYC, I'll be sad. They're available at RSVP Gallery.

Mjölk Homme Spring/Summer 2011

I'm in love with the designs of Danish designer Lars Stoten who designs under the menswear label Mjölk.

For his Spring/Summer 2011 collection, he keeps the designs simple and clean cut but the creativity shows in the detail of the cut. I love his oversized shirts paired with more fitted pieces. I love his color choice as well because he effortlessly pairs muted colors with more vibrant ones. And I adore the sandals as they are hand cobbled. His work is genius and he recently just moved his work from Melbourne to New York. Check him out here: Mjolk

Emirati Designer Naz Cannon Hits the Menswear Mark

The Emirates have yet another designer to be proud of. UAE native Naz Cannon is new to the design game but his eye for fashion is well seasoned. In his menswear collection, he focuses on tops that are trendy and modern, using great fabrics and innovative draping. It's so hard to find a lot of creativity in menswear but Cannon's designs make up for that lack. Check out his website here.
These are my favorites:

Designer Thobes?

 Above: Television Producer  Tariq Edrees sporting Toby

I love it when designers take a traditional garment and make it glamorous. One brand, Toby, has done just that with its own unique take on the traditional men's garment of the Arab Gulf countries. For many men in the gulf countries, the thobe signifies a tie to their past that they are adamant about keeping. Many men take pride in wearing the traditional garment but for today's fashion conscious Arab youth, a little more sophistication and glamor is needed for them to sport the thobe proudly.

 As the brainchild of Saudi Arabian designer Hatem Al Akeel, Toby prides itself on producing thobes that merge the traditional with contemporary fashion elements. Toby creates pieces that are palatable to both Eastern and Western tastes and provides an opportunity for Arab youth in the gulf countries to express their individuality while holding on to their sartorial legacy. I want to buy a thobe now!

The designer:
Toby: