In love with Lanvin
"Small and fat" is how Alber Elbaz describes his new book for Lanvin, explaining that it was made in his image. In celebration of the creative director's 10-year anniversary at one of the world's oldest and most revered fashion houses, Elbaz has dedicated the book to its backstage workings. Founded by Jeanne Lanvin in 1889, the brand in the last decade under the creative vision of Elbaz has produced modern and traffic-stopping designs. Alber Elbaz, Lanvin documents the creative process of the Autumn/Winter 2011-2012 Collection from its conception (blank page) to its visual climax on the runway. Heavily picture-based, the handmade hardcover book, bound in silk grosgrain cloth with hand-gilded edging and engraved typography, provides nearly 700 pages of raw fashion experience. The book, priced at Dh1,500 and published by Steidl, will be available in Lanvin boutiques and authorised bookstores in April.
Dancing divas
Dubai's latest ladies' night has been launched at the Grosvenor House hotel. Empress, at Embassy, a three-storey expansion of the central London supper club, is a favourite among the celeb crowd, and adds some glamorous competition to the already plentiful Tuesday evening offerings around town. The Dubai Marina nightspot has a dedicated party floor, a lounge floor and at the top, its exclusive dining area. Dress to impress.
Embassy's Empress night is every Tuesday from 6pm-10:30pm, Grosvenor House hotel, 04 317 6000
Surfing beauty
Salon4D is the latest beauty portal on the web, offering a platform for daily and weekly beauty deals, an informative directory of salons plus a discussion forum. Active across the Emirates, it has plenty of "saver" deals to choose from with manicures, massages, hair and body treatments all up for grabs from five-star hotels to independent salons. Plus, once you've had your treatment, you can rate your experience online. Signing up is easy and so is retrieving your voucher; either pay online with a credit card or for an extra Dh13 (Dh16 for Ras Al Khaimah) you can opt for the cash-on-delivery option and your voucher will be delivered to your door. Deal vouchers are valid for three months after purchase, even if the deal is no longer on the site. What are you waiting for?
www.salon4d.com
New opening: STONE
Jumeirah's Village Mall isn't one of our regular pit stops for shopping in Dubai, but the opening of Stone boutique sparked our curiousity. This is the second branch from the original Stone boutique in Jordan and stocks a range of brands such as Andre Marcha (best for chunky, colourful pieces with strong hints of underwater inspiration) and the renowned Nada Le Cavalier as well as designs by the shop's owners, Joumana Jallad Shanshal and Ghadeer Taher. This season we're after heavy jewelled earrings with oversized stones in pastel hues.
Stone boutique, Village Mall, 04 342 7050
Blazin' trail
The "Bow" designers Amanda Gedeon and Alanoud Badr of Lady Fozaza have collaborated for a series of sweet but edgy blazers. Gedeon's flirty aesthetic mixed with Badr's more underground style produced a feminine cutout longline blazer with a heart detail on the back, cutout sleeves and a studded collar. This piece combines three of our top Spring/Summer 2012 looks: punk, pastel and girly. Pair with a plain tube skirt, combat boots and a top knot to show off the blazer at its best.
Dh1,680, S*uce, Marina Mall, 02 681 8650; Village Mall, 04 344 7270; Dubai Mall, 04 339 9696
Artistic flair
A date for your cultural diary next week is the Changing Landscapes exhibition at Jumeirah Etihad Towers. The exhibition showcases a collection of artwork by Sheikha bint Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahayan and other emerging UAE artists such as Sharifa Horaiz, who has been commissioned to do a series of works for the Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort & Spa, and the local artist Maha Amiri, who specialises in pop art portraits. Produced by an exciting mix of talent, the wide variety of artwork aims to interpret changing social, cultural and geographical landscapes. Some of the proceeds of the exhibition go to the Future Centre for Special Needs.
Changing Landscapes is open daily from 2pm-9pm from February 20-28. Jumeirah Etihad Towers, 02 811 5888
