An Interview with the Beljafla sisters of DAS Collection

One of the most celebrated home-grown fashion lines, DAS Collection, is the brainchild of Hind and Reem Beljfla, we caught up with the sisters to discuss inspirations, career highlights, trends and who to look out for…

Symphony Insider: What’s been the highlight of your career to date?
Reem: Showing at London Fashion Week for the first time. It was a huge moment for us.
Hind: For me it was being the first abaya brand to be stocked in Harrods, as well as taking part in London Fashion Week. LFW and Harrods are very dear to our hearts. Also being featured in the Emirates Airlines television commercial this year; I’m very proud of that.

Symphony Insider: Where do you see DAS in ten years from now?
Reem: I see DAS being a big international brand, showing at the main fashion weeks and stocked in the biggest department stores around the world.
Hind: My vision is the same as Reem’s – I believe in the global potential of DAS and I believe DAS will be a world-renowned designer.

Symphony Insider: Which designers do you admire and why?
Reem: I’ve been so into Marchesa lately, and also Oscar De La Renta. I don’t admire one specific designer; it changes from season to season with every collection.
Hind: Diane Von Furstenburg. She is such a strong and positive woman; I love her ethics and morals, and the way she made such a success out of the wrap dress.

Symphony Insider: Who should we look out for?
Reem: Mary Katrantzou is a great talent and I think we will continue to see big things from her. I love the way her patterns are formed.
Hind: Wild Guanabana – an amazing travel company started by Omar Samra. They tailor-make the trip of your dreams, anything from climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to a relaxing beach break, and they are the first Carbon Zero travel company in the Middle East. I believe their approach is the future for the travel industry.

Symphony Insider: What’s your idea of the perfect Winter?
Reem: My perfect winter is here in Dubai with my family, spending time together in the dunes and cooking local food together.
Hind: I’ve never enjoyed cold winters abroad, but I love winter in Dubai. We get to explore hidden places with family and friends, walk around and spend more time outdoors.

Symphony Insider: What song can’t you stop listening to right now?
Reem: Video Games by Lana Del Ray.
Hind: I Need by Maverick Sabre.

Symphony Insider: What’s your favourite trend for AW12?
Reem: DAS velvet signature dresses with pearls. Bejewelled embellishments will be popular for AW12 so the DAS pearl pieces incorporate this perfectly.
Hind: I love that purple is a big trend for AW12 because it is my favourite colour. I’ll definitely be wearing some purple DAS pieces.

Symphony Insider: What’s on your shopping list for AW12?
Reem: A Marchesa clutch from Symphony.
Hind: Anything from Zac Posen at Symphony.

Symphony Insider: If you were not a designer what would you be doing?
Reem: I trained in Interior Design so perhaps I would be making a business out of that. I would always be doing something creative and entrepreneurial.
Hind: I would be travelling the world and volunteering on charity projects.

Symphony Insider: What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
Reem: Less is more, sophistication is simplicity.
Hind: Always to follow your dreams.

Symphony Insider: What’s your favourite spot in Dubai and why?
Reem: Jumeira, because I spent all my life and childhood growing up there. I love all the local juice makers, groceries and so on. La Petite Maison in DIFC is my favourite place for lunch on Saturdays.
Hind: Definitely Jumeira; it holds so many good memories for me.

Symphony Insider: Who is your ultimate woman to see wearing DAS?
Reem: Any woman who wants to stand out in the crowd and is full of confidence.
Hind: Sheikha Moaza of Qatar.

Symphony Insider: What’s your favourite virtue?
Reem: Persistence and never giving up.
Hind: Positive energy and good friendship.

Symphony Insider: What’s your biggest fault?
Reem: I am a perfectionist, which some people see as a fault but I take it as a positive because it means I do everything to the highest standard.
Hind: I am known amongst my friends as ‘the planner’, I love to plan everything down to the last detail!

DAS Collection Autumn/Winter 2012 is available at Symphony, The Dubai Mall now.

Eid Mubarak from all at Symphony

Eid Mubarak to you and your loved ones from all at Symphony Style LLC

xxx

Eid Treats at Symphony

Eid-al-Fitr is almost here, with this in mind, we turned Instagram’s lens towards our picks for Eid; whether they are gifts for your loved ones or treats for yourself, Symphony has lots on offer this Eid! Take a look at our selections now…

Ayesha Depala Neon Lace Kaftan

Badgley Mischka Autumn/Winter 2012

Barbara Casasola Autumn/Winter 2012

The Couture Wall this week at Symphony

New DAS Collection pieces for AW12

DAS Collection AW12 Ruffle Lace Abayas up-close

The DAS Collection Ruffle Lace Abaya for AW12

The DAS Collection Ruffle Lace Abayas in detail

Kara Ross exotic skin bangle for AW12

Kara Ross Lizard Skin Clutch

Kara Ross Autumn/Winter 2012 Earrings

Kara Ross Tassle Necklace AW12

Kara Ross exotic skin AW12 ring

Kara Ross AW12 Clutches

Reiko Kaneko Fine Bone China Teapot with Gold Drip

All prices can be found on our Facebook Page here.

Symphony | Ground Floor, Fashion Avenue | The Dubai Mall | T: 04 330 8050

We test run the new Caviar Manicure

The way we decorate our nails has probably changed more in the last two years, than the last decade. French manicure schmench manicure. With long-lasting options such as gellish and shellac, fun 24hour designs such as the gold Minx favoured by Rihanna and Beyonce as well as incredible nail art, hand-painted to perfection to reflect the season’s latest trends (as anyone that has visited the incredible WAH nails in London can vouch). The latest craze? The Caviar Manicure by Ciate. When we discovered that Dubai’s nail pioneer – Sister’s Beauty Lounge – were going to be offering the 3D mani at the end of July we created a special ‘Dream Fingers Countdown Calendar’ and tapped our fingers in anticipation. The day finally arrived last week, we visited Sister’s splendid new salon at the Mall of the Emirates, read on to find out what happened….

The Symphony Insider Gets ‘Caviar-ed’ at Sister’s Beauty Lounge

Sister’s Beauty Lounge, Mall of the Emirates, is tucked away outside of the mall, right next to the VIP valet at the entrance of the new restaurant section of the mall (where PF Changs et al are housed). The salon itself is small, but in a nice, cosy way. We enjoyed a private cubicle, complete with comfy chair, and, for the first time ever in a salon – a blackberry charger! You know the story, you’ve been at the office all day, blackberry flashing and then the thing dies. That really scored brownie points for us #crackberry. Another nice element was that the foot bath was actually warm for a change (most salons seem to overlook this crucial element).

We opted for the Caviar Manicure, a normal manicure procedure was followed by two coats of our selected Ciate colour (black), upon application of the second coat, the technician “shakes” over the caviar beads, collecting excess in a tray beneath your hand.

Once the technician has covered your nail with the tiny beads, she gently pats them down to form an even surface using her fingers and an orange stick.

Once the beads are all applied, the technician uses a top coat to seal the rim of your nail as the finishing touch (she doesn’t coat the whole nail with this as it would dull the effect of the beads)

The result is an incredible 3D effect fit for the red carpet. We literally could not stop starring at our fingernails! NB: We made a huge mistake with this manicure first time round (1) We did not sit under the hand dryer for 15-20 minutes (2) We went clothes shopping, trying on dresses and the like and simultaneously destroying our lovely new caviar fingertips. Lucikly, the lovely folks at Sister’s Beauty Lounge let us return and this time we made certain to sit under the dryer for 15 minutes and no clothes trying took place!

The second time round (+ hand dryer and sans clothes shopping) our manicure lasted perfectly for 48 hours and we kept it on for a further 48 hours (although it was pretty chipped by this stage). This treatment should really be reserved for a special occasion such as an event or wedding, as it is not built to last. However, it definitely has to be one of our favourite nail adornments to date and our friends all “oohh-ed and ahh-ed” over our 3D talons. You can buy an at-home kit and try this treatment yourself at home (although we’re not sure it will turn out as beautifully). Currently, Sister’s salons have the white, black, pink and multi coloured caviar. A little birdy tells us they will be receiving a lot more colours over the next few weeks, as well as introducing a new manicure to get excited about… the Velvet Mani! We can hardly wait!

Ciate Caviar Manicure 135dhs / At Home Ciate Caviar Manicure Kit 145dhs / Per Nail 10dhs /  Ciate Caviar Polish Change 60dhs

all at Sister’s Beauty Lounge.

An Interview with Lama Taher of Lum

We sat down with Saudi designer Lama Taher of Lum – a stunning regional collection which we recently incorpated into the Symphony family…

Symphony: When did you know that you wanted to be a fashion designer?

Lama: After moving back from London and obtaining a Masters Degree in Psychology, almost two years ago, I realized I wanted to give my academic mind a break and nourish my creative side so I decided to develop my intrinsic interest in fashion and design.

Symphony: What inspires your designers?

Lama: Old movies. Nothing beats watching how Audrey Hepburn defined effortless elegance.

Symphony: Who would you most like to see wearing Lum?

Lama: I would like to see every lady who appreciates elegance and refined simplicity and chooses to express femininity and grace.

Symphony: Which designers do you look up to?

Lama: Jason Wu and Valentino. These two designers are such an inspiration. Their pieces reflect true elegance!

Symphony: Where do you see yourself in ten years time?

Lama: Opening my own boutique and having a well-established brand that sells worldwide.

Symphony: What’s your favourite part of your job?

Lama: My favorite part is creative part in designing. I love mixing and matching colors and fabrics till I get the right combination. To me, designing is like playing a puzzle. There is a right color for every design and a right cut for every fabric. My second favorite part is interacting with my customers. Their satisfaction drives me forward.

Symphony: What’s your least favourite part of your job?

Lama: My least favourite part is managerial, it is hard to find and retain the qualified proficient employees.

Symphony: What advice would you give to aspiring designers?

Lama: As much as this sounds cliché, go for it! The idea emerged when my sister suggests designing cotton t-shirts while sipping tea with me in May 2010. It took creativity, persistence and passion to reach where I am now.

Lum Ramadan 2012 is available at Symphony, The Dubai Mall now, see here for images and prices.

Dubai Cares celebrate an amazing five year anniversary

All at Symphony extend our heartiest congratulations to the founders, volunteers, and supporters of Dubai Cares on the auspicious occasion of their 5^th anniversary…

Dubai Cares was launched in September 2007 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum in belief and desire to give children – regardless of their nationality, creed or religion – the opportunity to become positive contributors to society by educating them to break the cycle of poverty. Dubai Cares is widely recognized for its high primary education programs integrate four key components:  School Infrastructure; School Health & Nutrition; Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) in Schools; and Quality of Education.

Today Dubai Cares has made a huge difference in the lives of 7 million children and their communities in 28 developing countries. Building and renovating over 1,500 schools, providing more than 1,000 water wells and constructing over 3,000 latrines in schools to provide children with clean water.

On daily basis Dubai Cares provides nutritious food to more than 490,000 children in schools. Dubai Cares also provides healthcare support keeping more than 1.5 million children healthy. The charity distributed over 2 million books to schools and trained over 23,000 teachers, besides establishing over 6,600 Parent Teacher Associations in the 28 developing countries since it first established.

You can also become a supporter and donate as an individual for this great cause. Join Dubai Cares today and celebrate their 5 years anniversary at the Star Atrium in The Dubai Mall and make your mark on the Tree of Light.

We certainly wish the management and the UAE community who contributed with effort and love to Dubai Cares for changing the lives of millions of children, the best on this occasion and for the future! Mashallah.

Thank you for your achievements and support,

Symphony and everyone at Symphony Style LLC