Nakshatra opens in Dubai

Nakshatra, the jewellery brand endorsed by stunning Bollywood actress, Karina Kaif is now available in Dubai!

Seher loves Sparkle: Tiffany & Co

I don’t think you can top off a gift of jewellery ever. Yes I love my shoes and my handbags, but there is something incredibly special about getting jewellery that nothing else can match, especially if it comes in a Tiffany Blue Box® ;)

Seher loves Sparkle: Phioro Jewellery

Find me a woman who doesn’t appreciate jewellery and a little sparkle in her life and I may stop buying shoes. Well for a month at least! My inner magpie is always on the lookout for that special dazzle you get with fine jewellery and last month I became captivated by a new jewellery brand based out of Dubai called Phioro. 

The Blackberry Archive

I am such a shutterbug. If I’m not snapping away on my camera, I’m using my blackberry to capture pictures. In this first edition of “The Blackberry Archive”, I take you through the lens of my blackberry on some of the people, places and goodies I have come across, like that stunning Aila bag (above) that I found at S*UCE boutique. Enjoy!

The Dubai Diaries: Paloma Picasso Venezia Launch

There is always something magical about the Tiffany & Co. Blue Box that can raise a smile on a woman’s face. As a huge fan of the brand, I was honoured to attend the launch of Paloma Picasso’s Venezia Collection launch in Dubai last week.

Pink October: Sparkle with S*UCE

Every year S*UCE boutique designs and produces a unique, totally fabulous, I-need-to-have-it-now item to promote breast cancer awareness in the UAE. After putting their creative heads together, it was decided that what we girls need in our lives most are the following 3 things: sunglasses, bows and pouches. 

Seher loves Sparkle: Dinz Statement Necklace

I love DINZ. It is possibly my favourite brand based in Dubai and I swear when I clamped eyes on this stunning statement necklace from their collection last year, I immediately sent a blackberry message to Dina Zahran, designer at DINZ to ask her how I could get my hand on it! The geometric designed statement necklace is gold-plated and features beautiful pastel enamel stones. It is also available in turquoise. The perfect accessory for styling up a simple outfit and its candy colours are just up my street!

Dina, I still want one! Available online at Dinz Boutique now.

Seher loves Sparkle: Sophie’s Closet

“In a faraway land, there is a magical place called Sophie’s Closet. In this land, accessories roam free and there is plenty for everyone. Its founder Sophie is an ambassador for all sparkly things that women all over the world dream of.”

Welcome to Sophie’s Closet – my favourite online retailer for all things sparkly! Sophie’s selection of beautiful costume jewellery proves glamour doesn’t necessarily mean spending your entire month’s pay on a piece of jewellery. Stocking brands such as House of Harlow, LeiVanKash and Siman Tu, Sophie’s Closet is the first place I look for that piece of jewellery that will complete set me apart from others.

Here are my picks from the current collections from Sophie’s Closet.

CC Skye consistently creates the season’s must haves that perfectly fuse uptown elegance with downtown edge. My favourite from the collection has to be the turquoise rosary bracelet – perfect arm candy!

Fashionistas can’t get enough of Chan Luu’s boho-luxe jewelry with a cool eclectic spin and she has some serious A-list fans including Reese Witherspoon, Kate Hudson and Nicole Kidman. These Chan Luu cotton bracelets come in a variety of colours and at 300 dirhams are a great way of adding a pop of colour to any outfit. Load them up and have some fun!

If you are looking for some serious sparkly, look no further than Siman Tu. Inspired by a blend of Victorian and Art Deco styles and semi-precious stones, his intricately free-flowing pieces will turn any outfit from bland to fabulous. Siman Tu pieces are seen regularly adorning the cast of Gossip Girl.

If I could have them all I would. Especially the Olivia Rose ring in Rose Gold by LeiVanKash (top right) which has been on my wish list for a while now. I also recently bought a starfish ring from a boutique in London and having seen the Kenneth Jay Lane earrings to match, these will soon be my next acquisition!

Sophie is dedicated to making shopping in her closet fun and easy and as a result of her spreading the love and magic around the world, she offers free International delivery! How awesome is that?!

Shop at Sophie’s Closet now. I defy you not to leave without a sparkly smile on your face!

Seher loves Sparkle: Kahramana

Who doesn’t like jewellery? As a self-confessed magpie, I absolutely love a little sparkle and the designs from UAE-based designer, Samar Said for her brand Kahramana are just the kind I would gladly add to my ever-growing collection of unique jewellery pieces.

Kahramana’s philosophy is that “catchy designs shouldn’t be imitations but true creations!” I couldn’t agree more. I love nothing more that wearing something, whether it is shoes, clothing or jewellery that has a story behind it and that is exactly what you get with these designs.

Samar takes inspirations for her exquisite designs from the cross Mediterranean-Arab region’s multi-faceted forms of art & culture. She also introduces a new take on modern & funky designs influenced by the urban ambience and trends.

The Andalusian Nostalgia Collection released especially for Ramadan features the eight point star inspired from Al-Andalus, offers different styles in the form of keys, charm pendants, oversized earrings, mesbaha  (beads) and bracelets.

In addition, the Mizayana Collection,a Tunisian word meaning a beautiful charming lady, has also been released to commemarate Eid. Mizyana is a Tunisian term was chosen as Samar’s inspirations for the Khamsa & Evil-Eye designs came mainly from the Tunisian Culture. Offering a wide array of designs, styles & sizes, the Mizyana collection includes a Khamsa key, Evil Eye key, Khamsa wrapped ring, Khamsa wi Khemesa necklace & earrings and mesbaha.

For more pictures of designs, visit the Kahramana Facebook page.

Both these stunning collections are available now at S*uce Boutique in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Marami at Dubai Mall and also at Ginger & Lace in Wafi and Ibn Battuta Mall.

For international orders, you can buy online at Urban Souq and Aura-B.

Designer Profile: Ctrl+Z Jewellery

By far the quirkiest jewellery brand I have come across, Ctrl+Z, is my new obsession! Designer, Zinab Chahin’s designs are fun, unique and the definition of “making a statement”.

Aged just 24 and living in Beirut, Zinab lived in the States until she was 18.  This has influenced her designs as she says she designs “as an outsider looking in, making jewelry that I would have wanted as someone new to the culture.”

Zinab has taken old Arab pop culture, symbols and sayings and represents them in her jewellery by incorporating modern designs and bright colors.

Getting Started

Zinab started making jewelry in early 2009.  Before that she was always playing around with making her own “weird” jewellery, but only for herself.  In early 2009, she took a huge image of an old poor arab man and put in on a leather cord. The response she got from people was amazing so and from then on she started designing and selling to anyone who wanted to buy her designs.  As this took off, she decided the time was right to start on a small collection.

Inspiration

Zinab has two main inspirations.  The first is the arab pop culture… quirky little sayings like “I <3 Teta” or “I <3 Baba”, or ones for girls who are a bit more daring like “Toz 3lek”.  She also use images of Fairouz and other people specific to the Middle-Eastern culture.  Zinab has always loved vintage Egyptian movie posters and uses them frequently in her designs.  Her husband is an arabic calligrapher so he always helps her out in creating calligraphy such as the fam

Another inspiration for Zinab is affordable prices.  This was an idea she implemented from the very start.  “I think it is unfair that most unique jewellery nowadays is priced so high that most young people simply can’t afford it, or they save up money just to buy a necklace like I used to do.  Unique handmade jewelry shouldn’t be exclusive to those who are rich,” says Zinab. I love this philosophy!

Where to Buy

 Zinab organising many events where she displayed her work and her Facebook page is always updated as to where she will be! One thing I love about Zinab is the personal connection she has with her buyers, She loves it when someone contacts her and they meet personally at a cafe and she can show them all of her work and they can buy directly.

Another fun idea Zinab offers are jewellery parties where you can get a group of your friends together and she brings all her supplies with her and you can create your bracelets in a fun setting.

Ctrl+Z is sold at the following outlets:

LEBANON
Sunflowers boutique in Saifi Village

The Union in Gemayzeh

EGYPT
Zafir in Zamalek (Taha Hussein St.)

KUWAIT
Fortune Cookie (Sharq – Karizma – Next to Alameri Hospital)

JORDAN
Pinkdust – Amman – Abdoun – Ahmad Al Arousy St. – Al Batool Center – Bldg 17

Alternatively, head over to Urban Souq to buy her designs online.

Follow Ctrl+Z on Twitter and head over to the Facebook page to stay connected!!