Dubai World Cup 2011

Here you go, yearly post.

Horses run.  Some girl named Jessy J sang. Who dat??? 

Ladies wore hats.

But, apparently, not all of them wore PANTS!

So, here is what i learned from this year's Dubai World Cup - hats are mandatory, but you don't have to worry about the rest of your wadrobe. 

NO PANTS, NO SKIRTS - NO PROBLEM!

Pix via ahlanlive.com

Hind Abdulrazak/Candella

Hind Abdulrazak is young, lovely and very creative second-generation Dubaiian. 

She used to work in construction - boooooring - but eventually swapped her briefcase for scissors and thimble. 

Hind is the managing partner of Candella boutique on fancy and posh Jumeirah strip. 

Here she sells some other people's clothes, but also her own wonderful, skillfully draped dresses.

She was nice enough to explain to me her creative process:

"For the most part I design by organically draping fabrics and pinning them to a form until I am happy with the shape!"

I think her dresses are delicious and have this gorgeous feminine feel.  To me it looks like Hind takes inspiration in that glamorous, bygone era of 1950s, which is so on right now - think Mad Man, Dita Von Tease, Burlesque. 

 Most prices fall in the AED 500 - 1500 range but some of the evening gowns are AED 2500- 3500.

Dita would look lovely in any of these:

Images of dresses courtesy Hind Abdulrazak

Basil Soda

Basil Soda is a Lebanese designer, not a refreshing soft drink.  He studied architecture and hat making back in his native Beirut, where he eventually opened a boutique.  At some point he worked under legendary Elie Saab.

Right now Basil Soda is  trying to make it big in the USA by dressing C-list celebrity crowd - Paula Abdul, Carrie Underwood and some british girls i've never heard of.

Check out his very prettyly detailed clothes below:

Pix via www.basilsoda.com

iloveeclair First Evah Give-Awaaaaaay!

I am extremely excited to announce My First Evah Give-Awaaaaay!

These cute, limited edition clutch AND 100% silk scarf come courtesy of Dubai's generous premier designer, the one and only Mrs. Aiisha Ramadan.

To win:  

You must be iloveeclair's follower to enter (follow by clicking "Follow" in the right-hand side bar here >>>>>>>

You must like  I Love Eclair page on FB.

Leave me a comment on this thread and let me know you've liked my FB page.

That's it! Sooo easy.

One entry per person and US residents may participate too!  I love my US fans!

I will choose one lucky reader from the comments in this thread by random computer drawing on March 26.   The winner then will be contacted via email and give-away will be send to her/him.

If you don't contact me, the winner will be re-drawn 3 days later.

Good luck!

Pix via blog.aiisha.com

Ezra Santos

First things first - I think Ezra Santos is gorgeous. 

I think he should've been in Black Swan, not Nathalie Portman.  Look at how graceful, poised and ballerina-like he is on this picture!

Secondly, I think Lady GaGa should give him a call ASAP.  Dude is talented like that. 

Check out the shoulders on most of the dresses - you can play American football in them.

Besides doing all sorts of crazy dresses with shoulders, trains, crystals, bells, whistles and the whole nine yards of tulle and organza, Ezra Santos also dabbles in menswear.

Here's some twinkle toe models working it in his chitons ? or harem pants with hoodies? 

Perfect club wear, don't you think?  Why don't you go buy one of these for your boy-toy and take him clubbing wearing this gorgeous ensemble.  See what'll happen and report back to me. 
A small social experiment if you will.

Ezra Santos is Manila-born designer who is based in Dubai. 

Empress Farah Pahlavi

Marie Antoinette, Imelda Marcos, Leila Trabelsi - the list goes on and on.  Many a beautiful women have a knack of contributing to a long deserved demise of their mighty men. 

Usually their excesses, coupled with their unattainable beauty and arrogance get on the hungry and piss-poor population's last nerve and said population revolts.

Whatever is happening in the Middle East now - Tunis, Yemen, Egypt, Libya - is nothing new.  Almost 30 years ago impoverished people of Iran ousted their hated last king and his gorgeous wife, Empress Farah Pahlavi in a powerful revolution.

Farah Pahlavi was a beauty.  She recieved european education, had an amazing taste and even more astonishing appetite for luxury.  YSL did her dresses, Andy Warhol did her portraits and Jackie O was her friend.

People of Iran, however, were not amused.

 

Unfortunately, whatever her faults were, Farah Pahlavi paid for them tenfold. 

Countries that initially welcomed exiled imperial couple later asked them to leave, her husband passed away shortly from cancer and her 31 year old daughter died after battling anorexia/depression/bulimia.

At the beginning of this year her youngest son committed suicide.

On this sad note I leave you to marvel at this jewel of Persia and count your own blessings...