And for that, we salute Karl Lagerfeld! Always ahead of the pack, Lagerfeld knows that paring styled sneakers with ‘anything’ is the latest trend (as we so eloquently point out in the summer issue of MSQRD).

This, is Chanel’s Cruise Collection. Make of it what you may, at MSQRD – we love dressing up so have fun with this collection that screams – “If you’re going to make a statement – then MAKE IT!”

We are especially fond of La Vela candles as they are environmentally friendly and include only natural ingredients. Burning paraffin candles are in fact bad for the environment because they release an assortment of pollutants and chemical compounds when they are burned.  Furthermore, if you are a scented candle fanatic, we strongly suggest that you burn only soy or beeswax candles as the smoke produced by many scented candles on the market today are laced with toxins that have since been linked to cancer, asthma, and eczema.

Choose from over twenty combinations including frankincense and myrrh, cocunut lime, and mimosa and mandarin.

Gift an especially sophisticated candle to a friend and have it adorned with Swarovski crystals, or have a message inscribed for special occasions.

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La Vela Candles can be found at O’de Rose, O Concept, Maison Sez in Abu Dhabi and on www.aura-b.com.

PARIS-BOMBAY presents a very singular vision where immense chandeliers and candelabras bathe an opulent banquet table in light. The scent of jasmine floats through the air. Surreal princesses from an idealized empire or authentic Parisian women combine the lavishness of the Maharajas and the timeless codes of the House of CHANEL.

Golden and black charcoal shades to contrast the face’s lights and shadows, nude colored lips and golden cheeks with graphic accent on the eyes, are Peter Philips’ view of the women’s beauty this season.
An exclusive creation of the collection is an evanescent golden powder to dab onto cheekbones and eyelids in scintillating touches, the ROUTE DES INDES DE CHANEL, which recreates an embossed motif of a rare fabric, a piece of bronze brocade from an Indian-influenced collection created by Gabrielle Chanel in the 1960s.

Minimalistic nude make-up appears to be this spring summer major beauty trend, black eyes associated with golden nude make up, is indeed all you need to be glamorous this summer.

This collection will be available in June at the CHANEL Make-up Studio in Harvey Nichols, Dubai.

BOMBAY EXPRESS, 2012:

ROUTE DES INDES DE CHANEL,
ILLUSION D’OMBRE 85 Mirifique,
ROUGE COCO SHINE 437 Empreinte,
LE VERNIS Diwali.

Somehow Chanel always finds a way to turn all our desires into reality, like a magical power that only Lagerfeld knows how to use, and it strikes again!
Brad Pitt will be the first man in the fragrance’s history since its creation to act as a spokesmodel for the scent, which will also be an opportunity for him to get back under the spotlight as THE sex symbol (since he has been excluded from the sexiest men alive list to get into the busiest dad one).
He will also be at the upcoming Cannes’ Festival for the forthcoming movie, Killing Them Softly, in the role of a bad boy that tries to find the responsible for a hold up of an illegal poker game. That is undeniably the way we like Brad!

Word has it that he received a seven-figure sum for the contract, meanwhile we can wonder into which world will this exceptional partnership take us.

On the occasion of the Spring 2012 Costume Institute Gala “Schiaparelli And Prada: Impossible Conversations” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City the most influential players of the fashion industry gathered for a competition of amazing gowns.

We selected our favorite looks, which ones are yours?

This exhibition is an overview of his life’s work and inspirations within 20 years of cult designs; leather laced boots, clouted and feathered stilettos and Bollywood pumps, as well as pieces from his collaborative project with David Lynch, were among the showcased pieces.

Louboutin adoration for burlesque Parisian cabaret isn’t a secret for his aficionadas; his sexy spiced and feminine approach developed a faultless shoe for modern women.

Neon “Entrée” sign suspended over the entrance to the exhibition and at its core, a unique exploration of Louboutin’s design development takes visitors through every stage of the design journey, revealing how a shoe is manufactured, from the initial sketches and first prototype through to production in the factory.

Following a private view at the museum, a party was given a day before the opening to celebrate the exhibition, which was May the 1^st, joined by closest friends of the designer such as Dita Von Teese, Anya Hindmarch, Bip Ling and Daphne Guinness.

A book published by Rizzoli as well as a Capsule collection of his most memorable pieces, were released earlier this year for this anniversary.

(Shoehoolic or not, it is necessary step if you are passing by London.)

Christian Louboutin 1^st May- 9^th June

Design Museum, Shad Thames, London Se1 2yd

Opening: 10.00 -17.45 daily. Last admission: 17.15

Admissions: £10.00 Adults, £9.00 Concessions, £6.00 Students, under 12s Free.

Public Information T: 020 7940 8790 W: designmuseum.org

It is a tradition for Ralph Lauren to sponsor and create uniforms for sports tournaments and we could hardly imagine this job assigned to somebody else anyway.

Ralph Lauren, the “American dream” inspired iconic chic-sportswear designer, is the official outfitter of the USA Teams for the London 2012 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic game. He created for the venue uniforms as well as casual village wear, drawing on the sophistication of the Olympic and Paralympic games associated with a refined American style.

With elegance as the key word, the 80’s inspired virginal uniforms with subtle touches of blue and red, will be starring the closing ceremony parade.

“Ralph Lauren takes great pride in understanding our U.S. athletes and creating a sense of patriotism through clothing,” said Peter Zeytoonjian, managing director of consumer products and licensing for the United States Olympic Committee. “The Closing Ceremony garments embody our national sentiment of what it means to be an American.”

Olympic gold medalist, Bryan Clay, swimming champion Rebecca Soni, 2012 Olympic gymnastics hopeful Aly Raisman and three-time Olympic medalist Tony Azevedo (water polo), modeled iconic pieces from the Ralph Lauren village wear collection including the mesh polo, Create Your Own USA polo, Olympic tank and tunic.

The Ralph Lauren 2012 Team USA Olympic Collection for men, women and children is available online at RalphLauren.com. Beginning in May, the collection will be available in select Ralph Lauren retail stores, Team USA shops, select U.S. department stores and TeamUSAShop.com.

When I met designer Ahmed Talfit in Paris, I was immediately touched by his ambition doubled with incommensurable kindness, two attributes that usually don’t go together. He started showing me his designs and I accepted his invitation to Tunis.

I am usually very critical when it comes to fashion, as I always have a feeling Arab designers can do better in terms of execution, craftsmanship, and fabrics. But when I stepped into the Acropolium of Carthage, the official venue of the event, I forgot everything and let myself go with the flow.

I was proud of the effort put into this event, proud also to see international press such as the great web magazine Nowness, Elle France, and the news channel France 24 and fashion heavy weight Tunsian supermodel and friend Hanaa Ben Abdesslem come especially to support the event.

I met talented and courageous people such as Khalti Habiba, the seamstress behind all of the designers. Super cool Moroccan designer Amine BenDriouich, Tunis-based fashion blogger Louis Philippe de Gagoue whose colorful style brightened the event and streetstyle photographer Moez Achour who illustrated this article.

The crowd’s favorites were Ali Karoui, Seyf Dean Laouiti, and Ahmed Talfit, all freshly out of Esmod Tunis.

Ali embodies Middle Eastern esthetics playing with rich fabrics, studs, embellishments and hues of gold and silver. His execution was impeccable and its quality was outstanding. Tunisian high society came to cheer up the lovely and passionate artist who sold his own car to fund his dream, we wish him the best for his career that has already had a great start. No doubt we will be seeing some of his designs on Middle Eastern elegant ladies very soon.

Seyf Dean Laouiti offered us the most exhilarating show, happy models strolled up and down the runway wearing his bold designs. Allow me to speak like a fashion editor to describe his collection, but you need to imagine Lanvin, Nina Ricci, and Yves Saint Laurent having a destroy-rock-and-roll-over-accessorized baby, that would be Seyf’s collection. I was amused to see a pair of Prada sunglasses on the runway and headpieces reminding me of Alexis Mabille’s SS12 Haute Couture collection. Some would argue that I shouldn’t be writing this considering that the means of those emerging designers didn’t allow them to reach their full potential but I strongly support all these amazing artists and I know that they could be big players on the international fashion scene, especially Seyf Dean whose creativity and sense of style is unique.  Ambition and taste are free and my goal is to encourage everyone to be the best they can be.

Another amazing initiative of this fashion week was that they were lucky enough to receive help from the organizers of the event: Ismail Ben Yedder and Anis Montacer, to complete their designs in a fully equipped atelier to buy fabric. I salute them for fighting so hard to establish a strong viable market in Tunisia.

Last but not least, Ahmed Talfit. His collection was the most in touch with the political reality of today’s Tunisia. His amazing idea was to use pieces of broken glass to embellish his super sleek designs giving them a unique shine and strength on the runway. Ahmed as an artist takes his inspiration from the news and wanted to translate what his country has been going through  the past year. His couture drew the story of the revolution starting with rich brocade and pastel colors to bodycon dresses embellished with thousands of pieces of glass. One of his looks might make some of you smile as it was a woman wearing a Dishdash. He questions gender equality and religious boundaries, Talfit doesn’t judge he is just a mirror of society, he only translates the questions into fashion and doesn’t give answers, that’s what I respect about him.

My Tunisian fashion week was exciting, everything has to be developed and reinvented, I am so happy I witnessed the beginning of something that could be really big in the future and proud to have been there with amazing creative people.

Love,

Sofia

One year after the incredible teamwork between Gucci’s creative director and Fiat’s Centro Style gave birth to the “500 by Gucci”, Lapo Elkan and Frida Giannini pushed the collaboration forward accompanied by 5 one of a kind artists and presented a compilation of 5 short films starring the iconic automobile the evening of April the 16^th.

Frida Giannini and Fiat invited influential fashion editors Jefferson Hack (Editor in Chief of Dazed & Confused and AnOther Magazine), Chris Sweeney (Film Director for NOWNESS), Olivier Zahm (Editor in Chief of Purple Fashion magazine), Franca Sozzani (Editor in Chief of Vogue Italy), and Alexi Tan (Film Director) to produce short films with the Fiat 500 by Gucci as inspiration on the occasion of the Salone del Mobile, the annual design week in Milan.

These short movies were screened in an extraordinary 500 by Gucci drive–in at the Independent Ideas headquarters in Milan, in presence of Lapo Elkan Chris Sweeney and Franca Sozzani, where viewers could watch the films while seated in the Fiat 500 by Gucci. For the ones who weren’t lucky enough to be there, films are available online on 500bygucci.com/shortvideos

“I am pleased to collaborate with this group of creative visionaries and to view each of their interpretations of the 500 by Gucci. This project has allowed us to explore the many facets of contemporary travel style.” Said Frida Giannini.

Impeccable finishing and precious materials remind us of Bulgari’s distinctive savoir-faire and heritage. But when the past collections, and especially Isabella Rosselini’s line, satisfied our ladylike-with-a-twist style, this season’s bright colors open the door for a whole new vibrant clientele. We are all dying over this particular collection especially the Serpenti line.

Soft ostrich skin, calf leather and python skin are used for this Spring/Summer 2012 collection with a color palette that features shades from sand and ivory to pop tints like amethyst, emerald and yellow saffron (our favorite).

The collection is composed of three main lines, Serpenti, Monete, and Leoni. Take a look at the pictures and tell us which line you prefer.

The inspiration for these creations comes from nature where wild animals like lions and snakes and landscape colors are associated.