Thursday 28 July 2016

FROM LEBANON WITH LOVE-FAYSSAL

Lebanese haute couture is a glamorous with the perfect marriage of Gowns drape seductively; splits are thigh-high; fabrics are sheer and sparkling with embellishments probably best known for conflict than high fashion. Lebanon is considered the jewel of the Middle East and has been dominated by the great human civilizations precious planet like the Roman, Persian, Greek, Arabic, Ottoman and more recently France. Currently, the people of Lebanon are very modern and can dare to be called the most fashionable in the Arab world. Contrary to the modest dresses associated with the country, Lebanese designers have poured out a sea of sultry and elegant couture.The tiny cosmopolitan nation of Lebanon has produced a dazzling breed of designers making a significant mark in the international fashion industry. Notable among them are Zuhair MuradReem Acra and Elie Saab, each of whom have had their dresses fit to celebrities over the years. Zuhair Murad acknowledges his country's unexpected presence on the global fashion scene, which he attributes in part to its position on the map."I think the geographic location of Lebanon on the Mediterranean Sea helps the Lebanese designer to travel abroad and present their collections all over the world," 



True to the star beaming on the fashion terrain of Lebanon, Elio Abou Fayssal creates a distinction for himself among the pace setters of modern fashion.Discovered at a very young age, Elio Abou Fayssal’s infatuation budded after his graduation from ESMOD with excellent grades. Grounded on mesmerizing qualities and discipline, Elio Abou Fayssal’s talent in mastering the blend of classical luxury dresses completed with a modern touch soon became clear. All designs created are based on excellence in quality of fabrics to achieve the privilege of fashion extravagance. The dresses elude femininity with dresses sculpted to the body aiming to express the peaks of femininity. It is thus no wonder that each unique piece lingers in an infinite and never ending state of originality, inventiveness, and fashion sophistication.
 Elio Abou Fayssal’s Spring Summer Collection 2015 features interesting, delicate and power themed pieces. The colours,fringe, mesh, applique, lace, satin are all married in perfect matrimony. My personal favourite is the purple appliqued dress. The delicacy and placements of the butterflies not only provides audacious comfort but also a whimsical feel. 



According to Zeina Karam, The gowns (by Lebanese designers) are cut low in the front, slashing down to the navel, or low in the back, swooping below the waist, inset with delicate see-through fabric. They couldn't be further from the modest dress generally worn by women in the Muslim Arab world.
Abou Fayssal works around these qualities with a craftful measure of uniqueness producing a finale  true to the unrestrained, indubitable and yet overpowering and deliberate femininity attributed to Lebanese designers.

"Lebanon's name has always been synonymous with war, but when it comes to fashion, these designers really make us proud. I guess it comes from the society itself, the way Lebanese women dress. They're very courageous, even more than Europeans."- Laura Seikaly

LOVE THIS....


“The human body is the best work of art.” 
― Jess C. Scott




“Adornment, what a science! Beauty, what a weapon! Modesty, what elegance!” 
― Coco Chanel



  

“All is fair in fashion and war.” 
― Thisuri Wanniarachchi

 

“Fashion is only different skins for different flavours of you.” 
― Lauren BeukesZoo City

 

SOURCES:http://vogue-is-art.tumblr.com/

                    http://fashioan.blogspot.com.ng/
                    http://articles.latimes.com/

Monday 4 July 2016

DEAR BANTU...

Dear Bantu, welcome to the renaissance of  fashion-In Africa, a marriage of the prefect blend...

“Spongy”, “woolly", "kinky", "nappy", or "spiralled" all very fascinating adjectives used to describe the hair type peculiar with mostly Africans-  natural afro-textured hair. It is no distant knowledge that some African perm their hair to make it more tameable or in lack of a better word, bearable. The natural hair trend has rocked the hair scene for a while now with more than one trend emerging for the clan from twists to the fro (a reinvention of the 90’s and total timeless) to crochets, simple corn rows and to the most tribal, Bantu Knots. (Can I just say that Bantu Knots remind me of cinnamon rose? How I would love to chew on that now…lol). Easy and flexible to wear, Bantu knots can be worn by anyone but of course have an African origin and according to Amanda Moore-Karim on her piece of the hair style wore by models in Valentino's pre-fall 16 look book affirms that "bantu knots, a hairstyle that can be traced back to West Africa, carry substantial meaning in black culture and are representative of black pride”

 
Rose Palhares an Angolan designer incorporates the easy hair do in her Spring/Summer 2016 look-book titled New African Aesthetic.”  The collection features pieces made with a beautiful mix of African fabrics. While the collection plays around colour palettes varying from blue, green and pink tones, along with others to crown edgy and modern silhouette, Bantu knots gives the collection a vibe of African-ness in the age of fashion evolution in the continent-THE NEW AFRICAN AESTHETIC.  The Fashion Princess as she is so called in her home country, has bagged multiple awards including “Fashion Designer Of The Year 2013”,as well as chosen to represent Angolan culture at Milan’s Expo 2015.Her Spring/Summer 2016 collection New African Aesthetic was a prefect protection of the evolutionary usage of the African fabric. The African print has taken a front roll in the fashion industry as designers both local and international (Stella Jean) craft out new ways to express it beauty, vibrancy and diversity.
Indeed there is something very tribal, elegant, fearless, intrepid,daring, unflinching and deliberate about this hair trend.
Tried it? Dare to trend (or join the revolution)

 

“I love my hair because it’s a reflection of my soul. It’s dense, it’s kinky, it’s soft, it’s textured, it’s difficult, it’s easy and it’s fun. That’s why I love my hair.”
-Tracee Ellis Ross

 
“Relaxing your hair is like being in prison. You're caged in. Your hair rules you. You didn't go running with Curt today because you don't want to sweat out this straightness. You're always battling to make your hair do what it wasn't meant to do.” ― Chimamanda Ngozi AdichieAmericanah
"People act like Black girls are born with a little tube of relaxer & a note that says, ‘My bad.’- God.” -Jermaine B

"I have a dream that beautiful black women and pretty black girls would stop messing with lyes and embrace their curls."-Unknown
“The beauty of a girl can’t be mimicked, fabricated, or created by human means. It only occurs naturally.” -Unknown
"Is it my smile that annoys you? My confidence? Or the fact that I rock my own hair better than you’re rocking someone else’s?"-Unknown

                                                                                                                       
                                                                       Bantu, taking Africa to hall of fame....
SOURCES:http://sweetnoisenaija.com/
                    http://www.styleota.com/
                    https://i-d.vice.com
                    http://www.kissmycurls.com/