Lindsay Judge, Author at A&E Magazine

Latest Fashion and Beauty News from the Middle East and Beyond

Cartier partners with Ocean’s 8

The highly anticipated launch of Ocean’s 8 will finally take place later this month and Cartier will be the exclusive jewellery partner. The film is one of the most highly awaited films this year with an all-star cast including Anne Hathaway, Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Rihanna, Sarah Paulson and more. The powerful female line up work together on a seemingly impossible jewellery heist at the MET Gala. The target of the robbery is the Toussaint – a legendary diamond necklace created by Cartier.

The necklace was initially designed for a man, but was adjusted to fit Anne Hathaway’s neck in the film. For the film, the Toussaint is comprised of flawless, colourless diamonds. Meticulous attention was paid to the finishing of the settings and polishing as any imprecisions would be highlighted during filming. For the film, Cartier used the resources of its High Jewelry workshops in Paris. The best jewellers were required to produce pieces for the film in less than eight weeks. The newly refurbished Cartier Maison was also the setting for scenes in the film. Ocean’s 8 will debut in cinemas on June 7th.

Oscar does island living

Oscar de la Renta is moving to paradise this summer to open a pop-up store on the island of Mykonos. The boutique was designed by Jeang Kim, sister of Oscar de la Renta’s co-creative director Laura Kim. It will stock the Oscar de la Renta X Morgenthal Frederics sunglasses collection along with an exclusive capsule collection of tunics, kaftans, palazzo pants, swimwear and towels, inspired by the Green beach town. Aside from the special edition collections the store will feature ready-to-wear pieces, handbags, shoes and jewellery from the Pre-Fall 2018, Resort 2019 and Spring 2018 collections. The store will be located in the idyllic village of Nammos, Mykonos until mid-October.

Karl Lagerfeld takes over Paris

Karl Lagerfeld took over Paris earlier this month with the launch of his beauty collection in collaboration with Australian beauty brand ModelCo. An army of over 100 ‘Beauty Butlers’ wearing Karl-inspired robotic helmets marched across the city to promote the collection. The cartoon helmets are a key feature of Lagerfeld’s beauty collection and appear on the Lip Lights lipgloss, one of the key products from the range. Channelling the theme of ‘illuminated beauty’ the limited edition colour cosmetics range features over fifty products is available globally at Karl Lagerfeld stores and at karl.com.

Net-A-Porter launching a regional site

Net-A-Porter has revealed plans to launch a localised version of its site in The Middle East later this year. The luxury e-commerce platform will be available in Arabic with content localisation to the Gulf market and a new state-of-the-art distribution centre opening in Dubai. This means same-day delivery and there is also likely to be a ‘cash on delivery’ option for shoppers. While the core brands will stay the same on the site, editorial content will be created specifically to the region allowing for an easier, seamless shopping experience. The changes are expected to take place from September onwards.

Dior To Open a Pop Up Store in Mykonos

Dior Mykonos capsule collection

Still undecided of where to go on your summer holidays? The island of Mykonos is calling the fashion elite with the opening of a Christian Dior pop-up boutique.

The brand has always has a close link to the idyllic Greek island. The founder Christian Dior himself stayed there in the early fifties, helping to popularise the local handwoven fabrics. His designs that year in 1953 featured strong Greek influences that inspired him during his visit.

Fast forward to 2018 and Dior have created a collection of Mykonos-branded pieces, available throughout the summer at their pop-up boutique.

The collection was designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri and features striped bodysuits and cashmere sweaters bearing the slogan “J’adior Mykonos.” They have also created a special edition version of the Dior Book Tote Bag with the word “Mykonos” branded across the centre, as well as silk scarves, ballerina pumps, bracelets and sandals with the words Christian Dior Mykonos.

The boutique will also carry an advanced selection of the brand’s Fall/Winter accessories including baseball caps and berets, Oblique zipped pouched and DiorClub1 visors.

The store will reflect the traditional architecture of the island with white façade and geometric lines blending into the natural landscape.

The store will be located in the upscale shopping village Nammas from June 15 to October 15.

Six Summer Style Rules For Men

Menswear this season seems to be more daring, bold and relaxed than ever. The style rules we used to live by are changing, and ways of dressing once deemed uncool are having their heyday once again. Here are six key style rules to live by this summer.

Eid Style Inspiration by Shopbop

Shot here in Dubai, and styled by Shopbop’s Associate Fashion Director, the shoot features pieces from the site’s latest ready-to-wear, accessories and lifestyle collections.

Set with the stunning Dubai Marina skyline and bright blue skies as the backdrop, the campaign features pieces from Vivetta, Giambattista Valli, Alexander Wang, Versace ad more. Shopbop is embracing the modest trend with easy-to-wear pieces, by layering dresses over trousers, long maxi dresses and kaftans paired with elegant footwear, and chic two-piece trouser sets.

Some of our favourite looks include a floral printed blouse and matching trousers by Adam Lippes, a Temperley London jumpsuit layered with an long white dress by Adam Lippes, and a Giambattista jacket paired with printed Versace trousers. Each of the looks is created by carefully choosing cool but stylish fabrics the looks are the perfect solution to take you through to Eid.

The outfits are styled with turbans and evening bags – the perfect finishing touches to any outfit for watching the sunset before iftar or heading to suhoor.

Available now at shopbop.com

Haute Couture FW18: Dior

Maria Grazia Chiuri celebrates the technicalities and design elements of Haute Couture for her Fall/Winter 18 collection. Letting the fabrics do the work she presented a combination of simple structured silhouettes and feminine detailed designs.

The elegant setting of the show at The Musée Rodin in Paris, was designed in line with the House’s Designer of Dreams exhibition which was held in Paris last year. The show space was a blank white art canvas, giving space for the couture designs to hold their own. 294 white simplistic mannequins designed by the House featuring toiles for real pieces from the collection were displayed on the wall, suggestive of the elements a Haute Couture piece goes through in its design process

As explained by the House “Haute Couture offers the opportunity to wear quality that is unique, to adapt a perfect work to one’s own body.” And Maria Grazia Chiuri did just that presenting designs that were simplistic in their appearance but complex in their fit and composition ensuring they seamlessly hung on the body. Pleats, elegant draping and origami-style folding added texture and life to garments, with pleats creating an optical illusion. The detail and work that went into each of these pieces is clear to see.

Evening dresses were strapless or featured plunging necklines. Gowns were presented in totally new fabrics and either streamlined or decorated with layers of lace and embroidery, so technical in its design with a perfect attention to detail.

Maria Grazia Chiuri also redesigned the iconic Bar jacket for this collection. Keeping the fundamentals of this iconic design, which was first discovered by Christian Dior himself, but putting her own twist on the arrangement of this piece. Maria brings this Haute Couture piece up to date with the addition of batwing sleeves and metallic fabrics paired with cigarette trousers or modest ankle length skirts

Accessories came in the form of pointed kitten heel shoes, berets and thin waist belts – creating and elegant nineteen forties silhouette – a decade that is very close to the House’s heart.

Despite their feminine approach some looks felt distinctly masculine, a nod perhaps to Maria Grazia Chiuri’s outspoken feminist views. All in all this was an understated elegant collection, combining original elements to create something unique and reflective for Grazia Chiuri’s style, but still true to the brands DNA.

V&A Museum to Stage it’s Largest Dior Exhibition

Haute Couture FW18: Schiaparelli

CEO of Buccellati Jewellery on Heritage and Today’s Global Market

Buccellati has been keeping family history alive since the eighteenth century. Creating exquisite and unique pieces of jewellery in their Milan based factories for over a hundred years.

The jewellery is simply breathtaking, and what makes it unique is the skill and technique that goes into making each piece. The pieces are made so perfectly for the body that you don’t even know you’re wearing them.

Many of the brand’s pieces featuring its signature brushed gold, which is engraved stroke by stroke. No two pieces are ever identical due to the way they are crafted by hand by a small team of expert Italian craftsman.

This relatively small jewellery brand has been passed down through generations, and Luca Buccellati; part of the original Buccellati family is now at the helm of the business that his grandfather started. The forward thinking CEO struck a deal with a Chinese investor in late 2016 that is allowing him to expand and develop the jewellery house into new markets and areas that previously weren’t possible. While the investor is a fantastic business opportunity, Luca is determined to keep the authenticity of the brand and family history alive in everything he does.

Here, we talk to the CEO about the brand’s legacy and his plans for the future of Buccellati.

Tell us about the latest jewellery collections .

Our new collections include some with really amazing pieces. The pieces have classic open work. It is fantastic. It looks very Bucellati, not overly expensive and it’s good gold. We managed to mix together white and yellow gold with diamonds and the engraving is all done by hand. It’s beautiful. We have earrings and a ring, we don’t make so many necklaces because it is very difficult to sell them. People don’t want to wear a necklace all the time, whereas a bracelet and ring can be easily paired with a white shirt and jeans and worn every day.

So is that what you are aiming to create with the brand; pieces that can be worn any time?

Yes this is the point. Of course we do have pieces that are super top luxury and yes I know we are a little bit more expensive than our competitors but we don’t care because we are the only ones that make everything handmade. There is one bracelet that takes one and a half years to make, it’s so unique and amazing. The metal is so soft I love it, I could even sleep with this bracelet!

Wow, how many pieces would you make of something like that?

Some are one of a kind pieces and others we will make ten pieces or less. The point is once you start designing and sketching something that only takes three months to put all the ideas together, but when you actually start to make it there is so much skill involved it takes a really long time.

And everything is still made in the original factories?

Yes, everything. It is not made in Italy it is made in Milan! Everything is handmade.

How do you manage to keep the family history and heritage of the brand alive in a market that is changing so much?

Sometimes we do change our point of view, but we never change our style. So changing the point of view means that we are now wanting to appeal to younger people. We have a new collection which isn’t here today that is aimed at a younger audience with entry prices of 1000 Euro. In the beginning it was tough, but now, all those young people have started to come into the store to see those pieces. We are attracting a lot of people who are around 30 years old. It the past it was starting from around 45/50. It’s changing a lot.

And have you specifically targeted the younger audience with the way you are marketing new collections?

Sure. We are now making campaigns for the newspapers. Last year when I was there, a lady came into the store holding a newspaper on the page of the advert and asked: ‘Do you have this?’ That never happened to me with jewellery before so I was like ‘wow!’ This was a 69,000 Euro pair of earrings and she bought it! That never happened before because we never used to advertise. We never had to before because everyone knew about Bucellati, but that is changing – I don’t know why we never did it before but it makes sense to do it now.

What about digital marketing have you done any of that yet?

Yes we have Instagram, Facebook. We have a team now of five people to work on it. The difference its ‘wow!’ When I saw the growth of these social media I was amazed. Now we have more of a following on Instagram than some of our competitors.

How do you think the brand has evolved through the decades?

Our goal is to become a big, big company. And we are doing very well and proud to be in the right place at the right moment. We are going very fast. We now have a new Chinese shareholder with us, so that makes sense, not only for money, but they open for us the China market which we weren’t really in before. They have opened up five stores in six months in Beijing and Shanghai.

Which markets are most important to you currently?

There are two different markets. The first one is still the USA, and then the second is Asia. We are doing very well in the Gulf, we are working very well with Altayer group and plan to do so for years. I don’t intend to open up a store here. I don’t have the money to open a store in Dubai Mall at the moment – the rent is higher than Fifth Avenue! It’s crazy. I’m doing very well in Harvey Nichols. I want to do more but we will get there. The problem with Buccellati is that we have a lot of requests but we can’t satisfy all of them. Out of 10 we can probably only make 6 or7 requests, we just don’t have the time to make all of these pieces by hand.

You mentioned the Chinese investor was it difficult letting someone else be part of the business?

When we signed with them I made it very clear that we would never ever change our production. Everything will be handmade for the next hundred years. It was quite easy because they understood everything. At the beginning I was really scared, but as soon as I met them they understood, and they promised me that we would never do any production in China. The only thing that they might do differently, in ten or twenty years, is make a purse with a Buccellati clasp. That’s an idea I have. Super high end – 100,00 Euros!

So what’s the plan in terms of expanding the team and business so you can meet the demand of customers?

Now we have a school. For all the young guys who want to learn to be goldsmiths, engraving, setting stones etc. We have 85 new guys join who come after work at night to learn. Currently we have 150 people making the jewellery for us and another 80 will join them. They take the course four two years and then they will join the company. We pay them to come because we want them to learn. You need to be really skilled to do this job it’s not easy to do.

Where do you source your materials?

We use a lot of beautiful coloured stones which is part of our DNA. We use diamonds of course as well. They are sourced from all over the world. We have a lot of suppliers. Diamonds, OK only from one place but for the coloured stones we have a lot of different suppliers.

What makes your designs unique?

The inspiration comes from the Italian Rennaissance. But the shape and engraving of the gold you won’t find from anyone else. The engraving means a lot to me. All these little lines it’s so detailed, nobody else does this. Each of these lines are made one by one, so it takes between four and ten days just to do the engraving.

What’s the one piece of jewellery every woman should own in her lifetime?

If I’m being honest with you: diamonds. A big engagement ring with a diamond.

How important is family to you?

It’s so important. I’m working with my family since I was a kid. I hope one day my son or daughter will join the company but I’m not sure yet. They have to deserve it – not just get the job because they are my children. So I want them to study really hard, and then maybe one day one of the two of them or both can join the company. My daughter is showing interest. She is coming to New York with me next week.

What about your watches what can you tell us about them?

Watches is a really tough market to be honest with you. We started ten years ago making men’s and women’s watches. We are doing OK but we’re not making money on watches. We are doing quite well with jewellery watches – they are watches that look like a piece of jewellery, with diamonds and stones. With them we are doing very well. In this country we are doing very well with these. People buy these watches because they are more like a piece of jewellery than a watch. We are starting a new collection of men’s and women’s watches that will come out in two years and it is going to be a little bit different from what we have done in the past.

What other products do well here in the Gulf?

We do very well with cuff bracelets and cocktail rings with big stones. But not necklaces, nobody wants a necklace anymore. The people that can spend the money for necklaces they already have two or three that maybe come from their parents, so they don’t want to buy them.

How do you think the fine jewellery industry is changing and what is the future for Buccellati?

At Buccellati we will try to make a new collection every year. We need to be in line with all the other brands so we must do this. At the moment it is really only a new collection every two years. It is difficult because everything is handmade but we will get there. Next year I have another new collection which is breathtaking.

What do you love most about what you do?

Meeting people. I love to meet people. For me this is something in my DNA and I want people to know what Bucellati is. And you know what? If you buy one piece of Bucellati you’re going to be a customer for the rest of your life. I still get goosebumps when I talk about this jewellery.

What do you like to do on your days off?

Playing golf, and sometimes relaxing and doing nothing.

Our Favourite Ramadan Collections

To celebrate the Holy Month, local and international brands have created limited edition Ramadan capsule collections. We round up some of our favourites that will have you looking feminine and sophisticated at this special time of year.

MICHAEL KORS

Michael Kors has created a 19-piece capsule collection exclusively available in the Middle East during the month of Ramadan. As well as two kaftans, the range includes six new handbag styles. Highlights of the collection include the Mercer Studio bag which comes in three colours and is perfect for going from work to iftar, and the Jade clutch which will make the perfect Eid celebration companion. Available in stores nationwide.

RAMI AL ALI X NADINE KANSO

Rami Al Ali has teamed up with jewellery designer Nadine Kanso to create a range of limited edition kaftans. Nadine, who founded jewellery brand Bil Arabi, has a great love for the Arabic language which she showcases through calligraphy in her designs. While Rami is known for his use of luxurious fabrics and the fusion of East and West styles. The kaftan collection is a compilation of the two. Made from the finest materials, the kaftans are inspired by feminine flowers with elegant floral prints and Arabic embellished calligraphy. Available at themodist.com and Harvey Nichols Riyadh.

DIMA AYAD

Dima’s pastel toned ankle-skimming limited edition kaftans are highlighted with metallic accents, silver pleated panels and abstract mosaic patterns. The floaty fabrics are flattering on the body and are surprisingly light-weight and airy for the summer months. Available exclusively on The Modist, Ounass and Bloomingdale’s Kuwait.

SEM SEM

Bold red kaftans, jacquard floral prints and straight leg trousers are the basis of Sem Sem’s limited edition Ramadan collection. Each look is carefully put together by designer and founder Abeer Al Otaiba who created the collection to reflect her heritage and celebrate the meaning of the Holy month, something that is very close to her heart. A portion of the sale of the collection will be donated to Dubai Cares. Available at Ounass.com.

ENDEMAGE

UAE based designers Labna and Nadia Al Zakwani have created a 22-piece collection for their brand Endemage. Featuring muted tones and pastel colours the range includes flowing silhouettes, signature draping, and embroidered motifs inspired by Indian henna designs. The pieces are subtle and feminine and reflect traditional Indian styles. Available at The Cartel Showroom in d3, Voguish in City Walk and Tryano at YAS Mall.

LELLOUE

Lelloue’s Ramadan evening wear collection features luxurious metallic materials, feather details, sequin fabrics and bold colours making them perfect for iftar or sohoor. The statement making gowns and trousers make up a nine-piece collection that is for the most glamorous of women.

TOMMY HILFIGER

Tommy Hilfiger’s limited edition Ramadan collection features looks for women, girls and new-borns. The range, which is only available in the GCC, includes two floor length navy gowns for women with elevated silk chiffon fabrics and floral details. There are also six dresses for girls that embrace a playful spirit and new-born styles for boys and girls including two rompers with bow ties and two floral print dresses with bow details.

A&E Gets To Know Alberta Ferretti

The first word that comes to mind when describing Alberta Ferretti is elegance. And ironically it is elegance that is the epitome of her designs. Created for the elegant woman who perhaps in many ways resembles herself, Alberta’s creations are exquisite and feminine. When it comes to the fashion industry, Alberta Ferretti know it’s better than anyone. Having worked as a designer for almost fifty years on her own name brand, the welcoming Italian is still so in love with her work, and is constantly pushing boundaries. Her Fall 2019 collection saw a progression and switch in her designs to cater for the modern woman, who is working during the day, but still wanting to look beautiful at night.

Aside from this progression in her designs, she recently opened her first store in The Middle East, within Dubai Mall’s new Fashion Avenue expansion, and the imminent launch of her children’s wear line is another step into a new market for the designer. As well as all this she has big plans to launch “something unexpected” later this month. Alberta and her team are tight lipped on the details but they assure us it going to be “very exciting.” Despite being a very busy woman, the designer still goes to her studio every day and shares her passion with her expertly skilled team, who are based at her studio in Italy. Here, she talks us through her fall collection, the opening of her new store in Dubai Mall and her plans for the future.

Tell us about your fall 2019 collection

It is a very important collection for me as it translates my thoughts at this time and the way I see women. I look around and I see women walking in the street and the story behind it is one of a strong, assertive woman, but at the same time there is always a feminine and sensual side to her. The woman I have created this collection for is all of these things together. There is also a concept of day wear that turns into evening wear. I wasn’t that used to day wear before but I think it is something that women are looking for today.

The collection was very different from what we have previously seen from you; why the change?

I’m very focused and concentrated on the role of women at this time. They are very busy, very on the go and they have different needs from previously. So the collection is a transition from the day to the evening which is something women are looking for, and that’s why I decided to shift and change a little bit with my designs.

The collection was very eighties inspired – is that an era that you look to for your inspiration?

At the beginning when I started designing the collection I didn’t really mean to get inspiration from the eighties, but it turned out to be like this! There are lots of highlighted waistlines and statement shoulders, so it does recall the eighties but it wasn’t intentional.

Who is the Alberta Ferretti woman and do you think that woman has changed?

No, the woman is always the same and I know that because she mirrors myself. It’s the pace of life that has changed, so I want to show respect to women and try to understand the different pace of life they have today and try to match their needs.

Why did you choose to open your store in Dubai Mall?

I think here [the UAE] there is a great sensitivity towards fashion and I like being here. I have to have my shop here because you have so many different flows of women. Different kinds of women and cultures, but they all have a sense of care for themselves and that’s why I like it. It’s a great hub for women from many different walks of life.

What are you expecting from opening your first store in the Middle East?

I like the idea of having direct feedback from the local clientele because it is an audience that still appreciates the elegance, the highest quality and the femininity. So I think it’s a very good point to have direct feedback from my customers.

What’s the one item every woman should have in her wardrobe?

A nice slip dress. A really feminine item.

It was recently announced that you are launching children’s wear – can you tell us about that?

I think it’s very interesting. I was asked to do it before by now I decided it is the right time. We are launching this June. When I came here, and I walked through the mall I realised that it’s a really good point to work on because I see many mums and babies.

What can we expect to see from the first collection?

It is a complete collection. It’s focusing on the rainbow.

Will we get it here in the UAE?

Of course. This is the perfect market for it.

The materials you use for your collections are quite unique – can you tell us about the process they go through?

Yes, we are very lucky in Italy because we have access to amazing artists and craftsman so they are used to working with these lovely fabrics and materials but quickly. They are very skilled and understand quickly what you would like to do. We are very lucky because of this. One great thing is that although it’s not that difficult to copy designs in general but when you have these unique and skilled designs it’s really difficult for others to replicate.

Do you make everything in Italy?

We do all of our embroideries in India because they are the best at it. But we have everything else in Italy. It is a really nice collaboration.

What do you think about the new generation of models like Gigi Hadid and Kaia Gerber who both featured in your last show?

I picked both of these models firstly because they are famous and well known, but also because they have a feeling and synergy that is in line with my collection. They respond to what I’m looking for. They are beautiful, but at the same time feminine, kind and gentle. When Gigi came over the first thing she told me was that her very first fashion show was for me in LA!

How are you embracing using social media to market your brand?

Well we work with them [social media platforms] every day and they are very useful, very helpful, because they can broadcast to the mass. So it is a mass communication. And of course when you have a show or certain commitments it means it can be spread worldwide immediately. But at the same time I do believe that you still must refer to the printed press and keep a different way of sharing things like Haute Couture. You have to be very careful with different types of communication. I think a balance is very important.

What can we expect to see from you SS19 collection?

A beautiful woman. You will see. We have lots of new projects and surprises coming up.

What is a typical day in your life?

I wake up very early in the morning and have breakfast. Around 7.30/8am I go to my company. It is important for me to arrive before all the other people so I can gather my thoughts. I never work late in the evening. At night I love walking by the beach and having an appetitive with my friends.

What do you hate in life?

Boredom and being false.

And how would you want to be remembered?

As a well-mannered and correct person.

A&E Interviews CEO of Salvatore Ferragamo Parfums

In a market saturated with so many new fragrances, being a unique and memorable scent is not easy.

While others invest in advertising and communication, Salvatore Ferragamo Parfums are staying true to their brand and investing in a quality product. Luckily for them it seems to work. They’re taking raw ingredients from the home country of Italy, as well as keeping all production, manufacturing and product testing in Italy as well.

The new fragrance Amo Ferragamo is targeted at a younger more technology savvy audience than their other products, which means applying a very different marketing strategy to what they are used to. Luciano Bertinelli, CEO of Ferragamo Parfums is at the forefront of developing new products. Having worked in the fragrance world for over twenty years, (plus another twenty before that working in luxury fashion) he knows the market better than anyone. What is fascinating is his excitement and eagerness to embrace change. He recognizes that we are in an evolving world, and sees his task as embracing those changes while keeping the heritage and values of an iconic brand.

How does Amo Ferragamo differ from other fragrances the brand has created?

Not so much the fragrance is different but the concept. When we developed the concept we were looking for first of all a new target market. With our previous fragrances we were able to appeal to an age group of 35 and above, but with this project we tried to reach a younger target – let’s say millennials. So what we tried to develop, especially from a communication point of view, is a lot of material to be used on social, online, to target this audience. In terms of the fragrance it is part of the oriental floral family, it gives you a kind of addiction due to the bitter accord. We always use an Italian accord. We love to use products and material from Italy. It’s not always easy but when it’s possible we do it. The different market is responding very well everywhere. The response has been very enthusiastic and we are about to launch the product around the rest of the region. Then we have to wait to see what the results are!

You mentioned that you’re going to be marketing this fragrance in different ways to previous launches, is this a reflection of the target audience?

Yes. Of course we have a traditional campaign that you can see with Suki Waterhouse. But this is maybe a single page, a very simple piece. What we have this time is a lot of digital material. To be honest this is the first time that we have done that. We have a lot of some 10-second peels as we call them, we have imagery for Instagram. We are ready to invest on Spotify, in key people, socialites etc. This is absolutely fundamental to the campaign.

There are a lot of key ingredients in this scent can you tell us your reasoning behind them?

To create a fragrance you cannot put just one accord this doesn’t work. You cannot put only rose for example because it’s not really a fragrance. So you need to put different accords. In our case we decided to play with raw material from Italy. We used jasmine. A classic flower that is very sensual. Then we have vanilla, that gives you the sweetness in order to give all the addiction that we want to transmit.

Why did you choose Suki Waterhouse in particular to be the face of the fragrance?

First of all, she is nice looking! That’s a good start! She’s also an actress, she can sing, and she is very active on social media. She has 1.3 million followers. Also she’s quite young which matches the audience that we are targeting. So all of these reasons made us come to decide that she is the right person. Suki goes in the direction of what we are trying to promote for the campaign.

When should a woman wear this fragrance?

When we develop and start to think about a fragrance we never say ‘use in the morning or in the summer or only at night when you go to the theatre’. This is a daily fragrance that can be worn any time. Of course when it’s very, very hot maybe it’s not the best as it’s not a fresh scent, but this is normal. Daily you can use it quite easily.

What’s the story behind the bottle design?

The bottle is an interesting story. Every time we develop a fragrance bottle we try to link our products with the core basis of the brand which is fashion. We have a long history, and we have a lot of symbols that we use in our fashion products which we try to bring through to our fragrances. On the top of the bottle is the zig zag that we use in the fashion side of the brand in shoes and bags. So we try to take this and apply it to the bottle. We try to tell a story. The zig zag is actually engraved in the glass so it is really incredible work and something that is not easy to do. This is the reason why it is made in Italy because in Italy we can do it well. It requires a high level of technology.

Amo means ‘I love’ in Italian why did you choose this?

It is a joke that we like it because Amo is the end of Ferragamo. But this fragrance is not a love story. In fact it is the story of a lady who is a real lady that lives the life. So Amo is just to start as it represents more the idea of loving life than being in love.

Did you always want to be involved in the luxury fragrance industry?

I am of course the CEO of the company and 100 per cent involved in every step of the products. I started many years ago in the luxury industry and the I decided to move to the fragrance business. So it is something I have always done. I want to tell you, the industry now is full of change. More and more now it is really difficult to develop something that is unique in its characteristics. That is my challenge and why I do what I do.

For you what makes the perfect scent?

There is no perfect fragrance but you need to be able to live with a scent. For me something can be perfect, but for someone else completely different. It depends on the skin, your PH value, the weather outside even your mood. There is no one fragrance for life it changes all the time.

With so many fashion brands creating fragrance how do you stay unique?

Every year there are around 600 new products, that’s two a day, can you imagine?! So you need to invest money in communication or in products. We more and more strategically invest our money in the best quality products.

What do you think Salvatore Ferragamo offers that other brands don’t?

We work on quality. We work on the fact that everything is made in Italy. We put attention on details. We really invest money in the raw material. Everything we use is the highest level. This really makes the difference between us and the other brands as they are ready to invest in communication but we invest in the product.

What do you think makes a fragrance ‘iconic’?

As I mentioned there are 600 fragrance launches per year. So if you survive after three or four years you start to become a ‘classic’. Maybe the first time you buy the product it’s because of the brand, but the second time because of the scent. So if you buy it a second time it means you are starting to become loyal. We have some classics already in our portfolio and I guess that Amo can be a great success in the future.

What’s the process you go through to find the perfect scent?

I am involved in the concept of the fragrance but we work with technicians to create the scent. What I can tell you is that it’s a long process. To develop this fragrance it took nine months. There is a constant back and forth between us (the brand) and the fragrance house during those months. Every time we smell it there is something different that we try to adjust. We sometimes test the initial fragrance in some markets before we take it elsewhere.

Which markets are currently particularly important to your growth?

I have to tell you the truth: China. China is an amazing market. There are in China 150 million millennials and there are 650 million people using a telephone. So do I need to say any more? Of course there are many markets that are important but China, you must be there!

How do you feel about the fragrance market in the Middle East?

The Middle East is unique. It’s not a huge market, it represents about 6 or 7 per cent, which is a good number. It’s not a huge market but it’s an important market. It’s fundamental. The Middle East likes two things. Very spicy and strong fragrances, and secondly very precious fragrances. We actually have a new collection that we are going to launch this summer called Tuscan Creation. I don’t want to say it is specially made for you but it is very Middle East orientated.

Would you ever consider creating a fragrance that is exclusive to the Middle East?

To be honest I don’t like to develop something that is specific for each country or region. We are the brand and we have our strategy and approach. Ok sometimes we try to follow the market, but we need to be true to what we do. We are present in 120 countries with our fragrance so can you imagine to diversify it would be impossible. Sometimes we do give a small touch but all in all we like to perform globally.

You’ve worked in this industry for a long time – what would you say is your highlight?

I started many years ago in the luxury business. The thing for me is that now that world is really changing so fast. Five years ago, not even twenty years ago just five, the world was really different. After 20 years in the fragrance business, for the first time with Amo we are developing a lot of digital material. So every year there is a lot of newness and change and this is what I find most interesting. Trying to follow the changing market and also anticipating what is going to happen next.

What do you anticipate happening in the next few years in the industry?

It is really not too easy to plan honestly. But more and more in terms of fragrance, people are looking for quality. Quality materials. We are also going into an environmentally friendly world so we need to care about that. This is I guess one trend that I think will affect the fragrance industry. As well as digital, it will become more and more.

And for Amo, what is the future?

We need to wait a few weeks to see what happens as the fragrance launches in all markets. So far it has been very interesting and more than my expectations so I am optimistic.

What for you is luxury?

For me luxury is free time! I would love to have more free time. And I think that is the case for a lot of people now.

What do you do with your time off?

I really like to relax. I go to the countryside or seaside in Italy. It is a magical place. I switch off my telephone and I try to enjoy it as much as possible and relax.

Eid Escapes Close To Dubai

KEMPINSKI HOTEL, AQABA, JORDAN

Located on the Red Sea, this relatively new property is modern and elegant. If you’re looking for a beach break, Kempinski Hotel Aqaba has a huge stretch of private beach with pure white sand. The hotel’s spa is rated number one in the country, so be sure to book in for a treatment during your stay. Choose from five restaurants and bars covering cuisines from all around the world. If you have time to explore, the surrounding area is stunning. Bathe in the dead sea, take a hot air balloon ride or embark on a trip to Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

ALILA JABAL AKHDAR, OMAN

Situated 2,000 metres above sea level, this picturesque resort is located in the Al Hajar Mountains of Oman. Just 200km from Dubai the serene peaceful hotel is a welcomed escape from city life. Each room comes with a panoramic view of the mountains, making you feel a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of city life. If you are looking for complete relaxation you can unwind in the mountain top spa which comes with spectacular views, or if you’re more of an adventurer there’s plenty to see and explore. The temperature is much cooler and is consequently a welcome escape from the desert heat.

ZAYA NURAI ISLAND, UAE

Off the coast of Abu Dhabi you’ll find Zaya Nurai Island. After arriving at the uber-stylish and modern resort by boat you will feel more like you’ve flown to the Indian Ocean than the coast of the UAE. Surrounded by water, the island features standalone villas with floor to ceiling windows, private infinity pools and luxurious, modern décor. Dine at one of the resorts restaurants or if you wish make use of one of the private dining experiences including a private BBQ or beach picnic. Experience the outdoor cinema, sunrise yoga or try your hand at some water sports. If you are looking for some serious me-time, the resort spa can create tailor-made wellbeing programmes to meet your individual needs.

SIX SENSES, ZIGHY BAY, OMAN

Peaceful, picturesque and private are the three words that come to mind when describing Zighy Bay. Each of the luxury traditional Omani style villas comes complete with its own private pool and secluded terrace. So private in fact that you won’t see another sole during your stay if you wish. Behind the resort is mountains and in front of you; serene sea. After relaxing during the day time take a sunset dhow cruise on-board a traditional Omani boat and experience culinary delights in the resorts hilltop restaurant.

CONSTANCE PRINCE, MAURITIUS

If you want to travel slightly further afield, Constance Prince in Mauritius is the ultimate in luxury and is only around a six-hour flight from the UAE. The hotel is everything you want from a quiet vacation; secluded, intimate and an attention to detail. Peaceful and picturesque this resort comprises of 64 junior suites 12 family suites and 12 ‘floating’ villas, all inspired by Feng Shui, to create eth perfect sense of harmony. The in-house spa U Spa by Constance overlooks the Indian ocean and will take you away from it all. In the evening dine in Archipel – the on-site restaurant.

NIKKI BEACH RESORT & SPA, DUBAI UAE

For a stylish break that isn’t too far to home visit the Nikki Beach Resort and Spa. While the beach club is known for its parties, the hotel at the resort is calm, quiet and soothing. With 117 and 63 villas the hotel is spread over a large area in the secluded corner of Pearl Jumeirah. The sea here is great for swimming, and you’ll even spot some surfers a little further along the beach. The interiors of the hotel are incredibly stylish and the rooms offer unique features including MyBar, mood light system and oversized bathrooms. Some will even benefit from private pools and decks. The spa is contemporary and stylish and includes various outdoor and indoor relaxation areas. If you’re hungry the recently opened Key West restaurant offers laid back beachside dining.

ZANZIBAR WHITE SAND LUXURY VILLAS, TANZANIA

Just a six-hour flight from the UAE and you will be in the natural beauty of Zanzibar. The White Sand Luxury Villas resort is a boutique destination located on Paje Beach, on the east coast of the island. In the day time try out water sports or a boat trip, and at night relax at the beach side bar. Each of the spacious luxury villas has it own pool, while the main hotel area features a rooftop lounge, beach bar and spa. The hotel is designed to embrace the beautiful natural surrounding with an open plane, beach front design. Feel as though you are wandering around a traditional village as you take in the lush green vegetation and pristine white beaches.

HERITANCE KANDALAMA, SRI LANKA

If you’re looking for a break from beach holidays head to northern Sri Lanka. Situated amongst dense green forests you’ll find Heritance Kandalama. This stunning and completely unique resort is at the heart of nature so expect to find birds singing outside your window and monkeys hanging from the ceiling. The Panoramic rooms have breathtaking views across the hills of Dambulla and the exclusive dining options are like nothing else. The hotel can arrange private candle lit dinners inside caves, picnics amongst paddy fields – you name it they can do it. When you’re done exploring relax in the spa which comes complete with a view to die for.

THE RITZ-CARLTON AL HAMRA BEACH, RAS AL KHAIMAH, UAE

The recently opened Ritz-Carlton Al Hamra beach offers escapism from the city in only an hour’s drive. The resort blends natural beauty and timeless luxury to create and intimate experience. With just 32 tented villas, the resort is small and private. Each villa features its own pool and direct beach access. The Al Naseem Villas feature local design elements inspired by traditional Bedouin architecture, and offers an elevated level of seclusion. While the Al Bahar Villas include open views and private beachfront access. Guests can visit the spa which offers holistic treatments, inspired by the local oceans and prepared with flowers and native spices. The Shore House restaurant showcases luxury dining with fresh catches from the sea and local produce.

SAADIYAT ROTANA RESORTS AND VILLAS, ABU DHABI, UAE

Abu Dhabi’s newest hotel Saadiyat Rotana is set on a 9km stretch of white beach on Saadiyat Island. The hotel features modern Arabic architecture with 327 rooms and suites and 13 beach villas. The villas have their own plunge pool and terrace directly facing the sea. The hotel features seven dining options to choose from so you will never get bored. If you want to relax visit Zen The Spa which offers specialised treatments including Turkish and Moroccan Hammam and Himalayan treatments.

The Story Of Louis Vuitton’s Ombre Nomade

OMBRE NOMADE IS AN ORIENTAL WOODY FRAGRANCE FOR MEN AND WOMEN, INSPIRED BY THE MIDDLE EAST.

Master perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud wished to pay homage to those who, like him, are infatuated with exquisite new raw materials. He did so with a new fragrance for men and women; Ombre Nomade. In The Middle East the culture of high perfumery is passed on from generation to generation. Fragrance is used as a way in which to honour guest’s presence and attracts just as much attention as jewellery. It is considered a spiritual complement and Ombre Nomade highlights just this.

Oud has become one of the most popular fragrance ingredients but to make it special you must find the most exclusive ingredients in the world. Cavallier Belltrud wanted to source the best most highly recognisable ingredients that would get the approval of even the most particular fragrance connoisseurs. Locating the best oud Assam plantation in Bangladesh took months. The family run business has a rare variety of agar wood that has been cultivated for hundreds of years, taking as much time as is needed to respect its natural putrefaction process. More expensive than solid gold, oud must be mastered perfectly and that takes time.

The oud Assam used in Ombre Nomade harbours strong leathery, spicy and woody accents, while a hint of raspberry calms the odour. A tinge of rose and roast geranium add to the fragrance with benzoin creating an intense spirituality.

The bottle is designed in the image of the scent. The dark tone reflects the colour of the night with sandy gold reflections, representing the desert. The perfume’s name has been hot-stamped in subtle gold-finished metal.

Ombre Nomade is available in refillable, customizable bottles. The fragrance can also be purchased in a sleek leather case, crafted Louis Vuitton’s workshops and marked with a choice of initials. The bottles come in 100ml and 200ml.

Available from August 3rd.

Cruise 19: Valentino

Pierpaili Piccioli showcased his Resort 19 collection for Valentino in New York yesterday. The location reflected the collection which combined New York street style with classic Italian design and lifestyle.

Inspired by Jackie O with an Italian twist, the collection featured denim, outerwear, romantic gowns, shirtdresses and even tracksuits in bold prints and colours. Accessories came in the form of headscarves, oversized sunglasses, sandals and even trainers. There was a definite sixties feel with graphic prints, long sleeved mini dresses, bohemian pieces and bold logos.

The collection was presented in the James B. Duke mansion on East 78^th street in New York but was inspired by the brand home country. “Rome is layers and layers,” Piccioli told WWD. “I wanted to capture the life of the street but in a very personal way. Rome isn’t only a postcard, it’s the harmony of many layers together — Baroque, paganism, angels, industrial, the churches, all of it. When you think street, you think New York. But Rome also has a contemporary street life.”

This collection is one for the young, trendy audience with street and sportswear even featuring heavily. While the clothes are more relaxed, the designs stay true to the fashion house. Luxurious fabrics were used at all times, delicate embroidery and attention to detail make for pieces for the style savvy feminine woman.

READ MORE

Cruise 19: Dior

Gucci Take a Break from Milan Fashion Week Schedule

The Royal Wedding 2018: Meghan Markle Marries Prince Harry In Givenchy Couture

Meghan Markle wears a Givenchy Couture gown

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry married at a beautiful ceremony at St. Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle, in England today. Meghan, now The Duchess of Sussex, wore a classically regal white gown by Givenchy Couture.

The former Hollywood actress, who is now the newest member of the royal family, looked stunning in a Givenchy gown created by British designer Clare Waight Keller for her wedding to Prince Harry. The dress was simple and understated with an off-the-shoulder neckline, 15-foot veil embroidered with flowers of the commonwealth, long sleeves and a huge nine-foot train. Meghan paired the dress with an Order of Splendour tiara, on loan from the Queen and once owned by Queen Mary.

She also wore diamond earrings by Cartier to complete the look. The dress was the first high profile Bridal gown created by Clare Waight Keller since she joined the couture house earlier this year. The wedding shoes are based on the Givenchy refined pointed SS18 Haute Couture design made of a silk duchess satin. Waight Keller said:

“It is truly an honour to have been given the opportunity to closely collaborate with Meghan Markle on such a remarkable occasion. We wanted to create a timeless piece that would emphasize the iconic codes of Givenchy throughout its history, as well as convey modernity through sleek lines and sharp cuts. In contrast, the delicate floral beauty of the veil was a vision Meghan and I shared, a special gesture embracing the commonwealth flora, ascending the circumference of the silk tulle.

As a British designer at a Parisian Haute Couture house, and on behalf of all us at Givenchy who have been able to experience such an extraordinary process of creativity, I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished and grateful to Meghan Markle, Prince Harry and Kensington Palace for allowing us to be part of this historical chapter. It has been an immensely rewarding experience to get to know Meghan on a personal level, one I will forever carry with me. The House of Givenchy joins me in wishing her and Prince Harry every wish of happiness in their future”

As well as designing the brides dress, Waight Keller also created the looks for Meghan’s six young bridesmaids. Each dress was made from ivory silk Radzimir with puff sleeves and a double silk ribbon tied at the back. The dresses were finished with pockets and paired with shoes by Aquazurra. The page boys were wearing miniature versions of the looks worn by Prince Harry and his best man William. The outfits were made from blue Doeskin by Dege & Skinner in Savile Row. All of the bridesmaids and page boys had their outfit embroidered with their initials.

The ceremony took place this afternoon with over 2,000 guests including friends and family of both sides including The Queen, Prince William and Harry’s father Prince Charles. The wedding is the biggest royal wedding in Britain since Prince William Married Kate Middleton in 2011 and will be the last major wedding within the Royal family for decades. Harry chose to wear traditional military uniform for the event.

The queen wore a bright green jacket and floral printed green and purple dress with a matching Stuart Parvin hat by Angela Kelly. Meghan’s mum Doria Ragland chose a pale green dress and jacket by Oscar de la Renta, with matching hat, while Kate Middleton opted for a cream jacket and dress by Alexander McQueen. Also in attendance was George and Amal Clooney who wore a yellow dress by Stella McCartney. Serena Williams, a close friend of Meghan’s who wore a blush pink dress by Versace. Victoria Beckham wore one of her own designs and husband David chose a suit by Dior Homme.

The two will continue their celebrations this evening with a wedding reception which will see entertainment from Elton John.

A-Z Of Planning Your Wedding

The ultimate checklist of everything you need to remember for putting together a stress-free big day.

Attendees

Every wedding plan starts with a guest list. Whether you’re inviting 20 or 200 of your friends and family to your big day start by trying to decide on a rough number of guests. Once you know how many people you are planning to invite, draft two lists; yours and your groom-to-be’s list. From there, create guest categories. Typical guest categories can include:

• Immediate family members

• Extended family members

• Mutual friends

• Close friends

• Work friends or colleagues

• Parents of close friends

Once you have your initial list you can start searching for venues and destinations that will hold your desired number of guests as well as sending out ‘Save the Dates’ to attendees.

Roland Mouret

Bridesmaid dresses

Once you have decided on who your bridesmaids are you can start thinking about what they will be wearing. One thing to remember is that one style does not fit all. When shopping for bridesmaid dresses consider looking for different cuts or styles for each woman or even complimentary coloured gowns for your bridal party. Beading, florals, ruffles and sequins are all huge bridesmaid trends for fall 2018 so don’t be afraid to move away from the tradition of having one colour for all.

Cake

Wedding cakes are often underestimated. They are an integral part of any wedding day. As weddings have modernised, so have cake designs with many become works of art in themselves. So think outside the box when it comes to choosing your cake. And don’t forget an elegant knife for the cutting ceremony.

Viktor Rolf

Dress

For many women the most stressful and important part of their wedding day is your choosing a wedding gown. For 2018 wedding styles are bohemian and ethereal (see our wedding trends feature for more on this). Take inspiration from Viktor and Rolf and Reem Acra who both captured this year’s style beautifully with whimsical gowns featuring layering and with lace floral accents.

Entertainment

DJ, band, singer, magician, whatever your planning to entertain your guests with during and after your wedding ceremony it’s important to book early. The average time for planning a wedding is between 13 and 18 months so make sure you leave enough time to get the entertainment of your choice. Don’t forget entertainment for children if you decide to have little ones present on your big day.

Maison de Fleurs

Flowers

Whether you’re getting married in the Middle East or elsewhere, flowers are a crucial part of any wedding. As much as we are influenced by fashion trends, flower trends change season-on-season as well. Aside from the traditional bouquet and table settings, flowers have recently taken on new accents as chair dressings, walls, framings and dancefloor decorations, so try to be creative when it comes to your floral arrangements.

Gifts

Don’t forget your gift list. There are hundreds of websites these days to help make compiling your wedding registry that bit easier. Or if you already have everything you need to set up home, many modern weddings ask their guests for money which is often used towards paying for a honeymoon.

Chanel Cruise

Hair & make-up

Aside from your dress your hair and make-up is the second most important part to looking and feeling gorgeous on your big day. Choosing the right person or persons for you glam team is never going to be easy so it’s often best to go on the recommendation of others. Make sure you book in at least one hair and make-up trial before your wedding day so that your artist can experiment and perfect your look.

Invitations

Invitations are a sample of what guests can expect to experience on the big day. This means deciding on your theme and wedding concept before sending out your invitations. Your invites should incorporate your wedding colour palette and give the invitees a taster of the overall wedding theme. Don’t forget to send out Save the Dates ahead of your official invitations.

Tiffany & Co.

Jewellery

No wedding day ensemble is complete without exquisite jewels. Choose your bridal jewellery very carefully once you know the neckline and style and shape of your dress. Remember a lot of jewellery can be too much with a bold gown so simple yet elegant pieces are often much more flattering.

Oscar de la Renta

Kids

Many couples choose to have children from close family as part of their bridal party. Whether it’s a niece as a flower girl or a young boy as a ring bearer. Their outfits are almost as important yours! If you’re looking for flower girl outfits Oscar de la Renta showed some gorgeous girls looks with layers of tulle, applique flowers and tutu style skirts.

La Perla

Lingerie

On your big night with your new husband you will want to look your best. So invest some gorgeous lingerie to wear on wedding night. La Perla and Agent Provocateur both have elegant bridal lingerie collections.

M Minimoon Six Senses Zighy Bay

Minimoon

Planning a long, luxurious honeymoon can be as time consuming as the wedding itself, so many couples are opting for a short minimoon straight after their wedding and then will have a longer honeymoon later in the year. This gives you the best of both worlds – a short relaxing break with your new hubby, and the holiday of your dreams to look forward to. Opt for somewhere that’s a maximum of 2-3 hours away so you’re not tiring yourselves out with the traveling so soon after the wedding.

Nails

Try to get a manicure and pedicure the day before your wedding so it has time to fully dry and settle. Traditionally women have often chosen to go for a French manicure but the latest trend is to choose a nude or blush pink tone for your nails. This is slightly more modern than the classic French style, but will still be very subtle against your dress.

Organisation

Organising your wedding day will probably be one of the most difficult and stressful things you have to do in your life so it’s important to stay completely organised. Buy yourself and organiser or diary after your engagement so you can keep track of everything. Remember, no wedding is ever perfect.

Photographer

While your wedding will last one day, the photos will last a lifetime, so a great wedding photographer is essential. Think very carefully when choosing, often the best way to choose a photographer is on recommendation so consult with married friends and family before making a decision. Don’t forget to be very clear on the photos you want from your day and even have a dedicated friend or family member to be in control of reminding your photographer if there’s something they think he is missing throughout your wedding.

Questions

Invest in a notebook or diary where you can write down all your questions, because you’re going to have a lot of them! Questions for the venue, the florist, the tailor. This is the first (and hopefully only) time you’ll be doing this in your life and it will all be new to you, so don’t be afraid to ask no matter how trivial your questions may seem. Thousands of women before you would have had the same or similar questions.

Regime (beauty and fitness)

Every woman wants to look and feel good on their big day. So in the lead up to your wedding you’ll probably want to adopt a strict beauty and fitness regime. Clearly plan out your goals and give yourself plenty of time to reach your targets, whether it’s losing weight, gaining muscle or clearing up your skin.

Naeem Khan

Seamstress

If it’s purchased ready-made, no dress will ever be the perfect fit of the hanger. So that’s why you will need to ensure you have someone on hand for adjustments and last minute changes to your wedding gown. Most boutiques will have an in-house tailor or seamstress but you can also look at hiring an independent one on the recommendation of others. Don’t worry if your dress doesn’t fit perfectly weeks before your wedding – that’s what your seamstress is there for and they can work miracles!

Dior Homme Menswear Fall 2018

The Groom’s Ensemble

Chances are your groom may need some guidance with his wedding day attire. Once you have a colour theme for your wedding day this will help with the choice of suit or tuxedo for your groom and his party. Black tie weddings are having a real moment this year, as seen on the runway at Dior Homme. Or alternatively, especially for destination weddings, opt for something lighter in beige or cream much like Tom Ford’s latest fall collection. Royal blue is also set to be a huge trend for summer and autumn weddings as it’s a flattering colour that goes perfectly with white.

Tom Ford Fall 2018

Ushers

Second to the groom comes the ushers who must all be suited and boots for the big event. The usher’s suits will be closely tied into what your groom is wearing but it’s essential much like the bridesmaids, that each outfit is perfectly tailored to fit and suit each individual. Don’t forget to arrange gifts for the ushers. Popular trending gifts include engraved tie pins or cuff links.

Venue

No big day is complete without an incredible wedding venue. This is by far the hardest decision you’ll have to make when planning your nuptials. Some couples will already have an idea of the sort of venue they are looking for, whereas others may not even know the destination of their wedding to begin with. When it comes to choosing a venue start by listing everything you do and don’t want from it and then start to search for locations that fit as much of this criteria as possible. Don’t worry when you find the right place, you’ll just know.

Wedding planner

Some brides prefer to do everything themselves, whereas others choose to hire a planner. There are a number of different types of planner, from someone who organises everything from start to finish, to an on-event planner that will focus on making sure your day runs smoothly so you can focus on getting married. Whatever you prefer there will be an option that’s right for you, but remember; planners are experts in dealing the stress and worry that comes with a wedding so a little bit of help will take some of the pressure off of you.

X-Kisses

Make sure your lips are totally kissable for your big day with a long-lasting lipstick. Ask your make-up artist to recommend a product that you can use and keep on you all day for essential touch ups. A moisturising matte colour would be perfect to last all day without making your lips dry, try Charlotte Tilbury’s Matte Revolution range or Chanel’s Rouge Allure Velvet Lip Colour.

You Time

Wedding days can be very overwhelming, so it’s really important to take a step back and enjoy it. Make sure you plan to take a step out with your new husband to just be to together even if it’s just for five minutes during the day – you’ll need it!

ZZzzz

You can use every beauty product under the sun but there is nothing better for your wellbeing than sleep. So make sure you get plenty of it in the lead up to your wedding day. The night before your wedding be sure to get at least eight hours sleep so you feel fresh and revitalised in the morning. And once the wedding is over, you’ll need all the sleep you can get!

A&E Interviews: Monica Vinader Talks Business And Diamonds

British jewellery designer Monica Vinader started her namesake brand from her home in rural England ten years ago.

After graduating from art school Monica ‘accidentally’ found herself working as a jeweller and started to get inspiration from around her for her own collection. A decade later and you’ll find her stores all around the world and she has just opened her flagship store (the third in Dubai) in Dubai Mall’s Fashion Avenue extension.

Monica’s jewellery is elegant and understated, it’s unique quality comes from its individuality and the ability to stack and layer various pieces to create your own personal style, as well as being able to engrave all of your jewellery in store as you wait. Ranging from friendship bracelets and rings to luxurious diamond encrusted show pieces the brand is accessible to everyone yet still feels exclusive and unique.

Who is the Monica Vinader woman you have in mind when creating your designs?

It’s difficult to define her as one specific woman as our customer and demographic is quite diverse. So we don’t really design for one specific demographic, although I think our strongest is 35-45 year olds. But I guess originally when I first started designing jewellery I designed things that I wanted. That has evolved because there are so many pieces now, but there is still an element that myself and the team absolutely have to love and want everything that’s in the collection.

How would you define the signature style of your brand?

I think that there are a few key pillars in our collections that define our style. Our everyday diamonds have really become synonymous with the brand, while our gemstones are defining to use – the pop of colour the stackibility of our rings – that has become really popular. The personalisation is also a big thing for us, both in terms of the way you can stack and style the jewellery and also with being able to personalise your pieces. I think in this region the bracelets are really successful so if I had to pick a bracelet that defines the brand it would be the Fiji chain bracelet.

Your jewellery is very personal and individual, do you think this sets you apart from others?

I think a lot more brands do personalisation now, but we were one of the first that did it. Our engraving is available in the store, it’s complimentary and it can be done right away, which is something I don’t think many brands do. I think it’s a really important part of our customer service offering and I think we do it better than most. It is a huge part of our DNA and I think this is why a lot of customers come to us. The way you can layer our jewellery I do think is unique to us and it is what makes us the brand we are and why customers continue to come back to us.

Your brand seems to have grown very quickly, how did it begin?

I think at the beginning I really focused on selling to my home market. I really wanted to perfect that. As the team was growing we felt it was a good place to start opening our international stores. We now have stores in Asia, the Middle East and the United States so we are really growing a presence worldwide. I think the next part of the journey is to focus on how we can do things better in those countries.

Can you explain the sourcing and production process of your jewellery?

For me the key and the most important part of our DNA is our stones. I have set up a workshop in Jaipur that cuts the stones to our bespoke design. The journey from the rough stone to the cut stone, to the sample, to the final pieces is quite an interesting and emotional journey. The stones are touched by so many people and I think it’s really important to think about the journey that piece of jewellery has gone through. We consolidate all of our cutting in India, the design happens in the UK and the manufacturing happens in Thailand and in India. We have some amazing craftsman that have been working with us for a very long time. In the UK we also now do a lot of 3D printing which has really streamlined the process.

And can you tell us how all your stones are sourced ethically?

The key with the ethical stone sourcing for us, and particularly the diamonds, is to work with reputable companies. We are part of the Responsible Jewellery Council who have really helped us become better. When we first joined we had to go through quite a gruelling audit, which really taught us about what we needed to do to be better and what we needed to look for and ask from our partners. From then on we have really made sure all of our partners and workshops are living up to these expectations. It’s particularly important with our diamonds. We are constantly auditing our partner companies.

Does this ever throw up any challenges with getting the finished product you want?

There are limitations. There are things that I wouldn’t do and wouldn’t touch because I know it isn’t ethical. But there’s still a lot I can do aside from that. It’s not just about the stones it’s also about what you do with it and how you cut it and we do that very well.

Can you tell us about your new collections?

We have quite a few new collections. We launch units every six weeks to keep the newness coming and keep the customer excited.

This year we have the new Fiji collection. This is an extension of our Fiji bracelet which has been in previous collections. We’ve taken the key elements of that and we’ve used them in different ways to create this range. It’s really beautiful and strong and it builds on a classic silhouette.

We’ve also just launched the new siren collection. This is our hero gemstone collection. This time we have gone really small with the stones, repeating small stones but still keeping lots of colour.

We also have the Riva collection. This is our diamonds collection. The waterfall earrings and necklace are really beautiful, they really give the impression of diamonds dripping down.

We also have a large bracelet launching to celebrate our ten-year anniversary which happens in June. You can even engrave the whole bracelet. All of the proceeds of this bracelet until December 2018 are going to a charity that is very dear to me, Women for Women International. I’ve just been named as one of their ambassadors and we aim to build five schools for women with the proceeds of the bracelet.

What about men, would you consider doing anything for them?

We do actually have a small collection for men and actually we are getting more and more male customers. As we are growing and getting more of a presence more men are shopping for women and shopping for themselves too.

The price points of your pieces are quite varied, how do you manage having such a wide range of customers?

The price points actually work across everything. So we have entry price diamonds and luxury diamonds, and then we have entry price gemstones and luxury gemstones, so each collection covers all price points. The original idea is that you can have affordable and luxury elements for everything. We have been getting a much bigger demand for more special pieces which is what we have been addressing. Each range will have one hero piece that is a real luxury.

What makes the perfect bridal jewellery?

I think rose gold is really fantastic for brides because it’s flattering and it goes really well with white. I would choose rose gold combined with our riva diamonds and some rose quartz stones. The combination of the pale blush with the diamonds is divine. As a bride you don’t want the jewellery to overtake you so you want something that is quite subtle. That pale pink colour is really flattering and diamonds with rose gold jewellery and a white dress looks incredible.

You have just opened your third store in the UAE, do you have plans to expand further in the region?

This is a really important region for us. Dubai is very international, so we are reaching local customers, international customers, and a lot of our customers from Saudi Arabia are shopping here. I don’t know what my next step is but I’m always looking for opportunities and I’m doing a tour tomorrow to see what’s around but there is quite a lot that we’re looking at doing.

As a business owner what’s the most rewarding part?

Being able to have an idea that you really believe in, pursuing it, and it going decently well. I think I’ve done that and it’s very rewarding. I’ve done lots of things in my life that I’ve not done so well, and I think that’s fine too, but when you have a really strong idea and you convince yourself of it and you can make it work, that’s kind of amazing.

And what would be your advice to aspiring female entrepreneurs?

My advice for an entrepreneur is generally around two things. The first is focus. If you have an idea as an entrepreneur (and generally entrepreneurs have lots of ideas), try and fix what it is that’s the best idea, and then once you’ve got that idea try and think what is the most narrow way you can do that idea so you don’t over reach, and then focus on that one thing and do it really well. I think focus is really underestimated. The second bit of advice which goes hand in hand is perseverance. So once you have your idea and your focusing; persevere. A lot of people give up quite quickly so you have to stick to your idea and keep your focus. This was your idea so don’t be scared by your own ambition. But remember it’s going to take some perseverance!

How are you expanding your business digitally, is it something you embrace?

Well we deliver to pretty much every country in the world and in the UAE we have same day delivery through Boutique 1. It is something we are always looking at and are improving our website and online presence as that is the way the world is going of course.

If you weren’t a jewellery designer what would you be?

Well before I accidentally got a job as a jeweler when I left art school I was already headed for the art world. My ambition at the time was to be an art curator or work in a museum so I think I would probably be doing that.

What’s the go-to jewellery that you wear every day?

There are some things that I always wear. I keep my earrings on all the time and I even sleep in them. I always wear rings and I always wear some sort of a bracelet. I have my standard necklaces that I wear and then I have statement pieces that I will layer on for occasions. I tend to wear jewellery all the time, to bed, on holiday, when I’m swimming. It allows me to test it out for the customer. Everyone in my team tests the jewellery actually as I think it’s really important to get feedback on how the products really work.

What do you love most about what you do?

Being able to work in the industry that I love. I think it is a rare privilege in life and that to me is still amazing. I’m also being challenged to grow and learn as the company grows and I love learning.

What is the future for Monica Vinader?

Well we celebrate ten years this summer and I think the next ten years is going to be focusing on doing what we do a little bit better. Improving our presence in the countries we are in. Trying to grow our website a little bit more because the digital world is so important. We will be opening more stores in all of our main regions and fine tuning the customer experience. From the design point of view, we have some really exciting things in the pipeline that are new and fresh but still very us. Ultimately we want to reach more customers with our beautiful things.