Good enough to eat
Kenzo’s Antonio Marras is bringing Paris’s most memorable dessert into our wardrobes. Available in a variety of vibrant colours, these limited-edition “macaroon” bags can be worn with a long strap during the day and carried as a clutch in the evening.
Priced from Dh1,000 each, Kenzo, Dubai Mall, 04 434 0473
Charming accessories
Keira Knightley, Paris Hilton, Jennifer Aniston, Posh and Becks, Oprah Winfrey – they’ve all been photographed wearing charm bracelets, a piece of jewellery that never goes out of style. The handbag designers Prada, Louis Vuitton and Juicy Couture are getting in on the action and adorning their latest creations with charms. Whether they are worn as a good luck symbol or as a fashion statement, charms are personal and unique. The international jewellery brand Pandora is all about celebrating the special moments in a woman’s life, and its new Spring/Summer Moments collection boasts soft pastel colours, with precious metals and a variety of beautiful gemstones.
Pandora, Mirdif City Centre, 04 238 9611; Mercato, 04 349 1967
GIVEAWAY
In celebration of spring, you too can be wearing the latest collection of Pandora jewellery. The brand is giving away a pretty charm – a silver flower with tourmaline stone worth Dh445 – to one lucky reader of M magazine. To win this prize, e-mail your name and mobile number with the word "Pandora" in the subject line to mgiveaway@thenational.ae.
Pretty pastels
Whether you want to transform a living space or create an atmosphere – or perhaps both – choosing the right cushions for your sofa has become a real art form with endless possibilities. Leather, silk, linen, cashmere, velvet, cotton or eco-friendly fabrics: who thought choosing a cushion cover could be so complex? Mind-boggling decisions aside, we at M adore this “Modernity” cushion by the UK-based company Bluebellgray. Printed onto linen/cotton mix cloth, each of the prints is taken from an original watercolour painting designed exclusively in the Bluebellgray studio in Scotland. Each cushion is limited edition and is discreetly signed and numbered by the designer. A unique and special piece of design art for your office or home.
Modernity cushion, Dh479, available online at www.bluebellgray.co.uk
Fairy-tale fashion
The rules of fashion have always been paper thin, but none more so than inside the enchanted world of Isabelle de Borchgrave. Since 1994, the Belgian artist has been re-creating beautiful historical dresses made completely out of paper. Some of her most famous pieces – such as replicas of Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress and gowns worn by Marie Antoinette and Empress Elizabeth Petrovna of Russia – can be seen in museums around the world. Now you too can step into the fashion splendour of a bygone era at a free lecture on Monday at the Abu Dhabi Festival given by de Borchgrave about her famous paper dresses. Get your A4 sheets of paper and scissors at the ready!
"Paper Fashion" brought to you by Mubadala (partner of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation in support of the Abu Dhabi Festival), Monday, 6pm, in the Al Mamoura Auditorium. For more details contact anas.a@admaf.org or call
02 651 0334
Words to live by
After recently spotting a poster in a well-known cafe with the slogan "'stressed' is the word 'desserts' spelt backwards", we couldn’t help but giggle over this notebook. This cute blank journal can be bought at the bakery Maison Sucre in Khalidiyah. Surrounded by the soft, calming pink and silver walls with the homey smells of freshly baked goodies, you can relax, have your cake and chronicle your day, too.
“Keep calm and have a cupcake” notebook, Dh85, by Peter Pauper Press, available from Maison Sucre, Al Manara Jewellery Building, Zayed the First Street, 02 639 6622
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
www.mumcierge.ae is a new online concierge club for busy mums living in the UAE. Described as a "one-stop shop" for all mother and baby services, the site is packed full of information on children's activities, parenting and health advice, nursery and school options plus info on the latest children's products. Joining is easy with a triple-tiered membership, enabling families to select the service that best suits their budget and needs.
Song and dance
It's that time of year – rally your friends, dust off your picnic blanket and head outside for an afternoon of music, food and fun. Picnic On The Park is back on Friday at Dubai Media Amphitheatre and its Bond to Bollywood show is just the ticket for film-lovers. Featuring a 40-piece orchestra and a West End cast, this is a magical journey through five decades of movie music, with hits from Saturday Night Fever, Moulin Rouge and Slumdog Millionaire. Plus, if you don't have time to make sandwiches and canapés yourself, you can pre-order your picnic basket online. See you there! www.picniconthepark.ae
GIVEAWAY
We have two pairs of tickets for Bond to Bollywood to give away to two lucky M readers. To win this fantastic prize, e-mail your name and mobile number with the word "Picnic" in the subject line to mgiveaway@thenational.ae.
