fashion n trends

From Chanel and Chopard to Prada and Piaget, Dubai, which is right after to London in its number of global retail store brand names, is brimming with designer labels. And as you may expect from this notable shopping destination, this emirate offers the best retail festivals in the world, great discounts and jaw dropping in-store campaigns. By far the biggest one is the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF). Operating for 32 days from January 20th to February 20th, the 16th special event of DSF offers one of the best opportunities to get deluxe items. Visit the Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, BurJuman, Mercato, Dubai Marina Mall, Deira City Centre or any other big shopping centre while in the city and discover shops packed with sales. But in the ever-changing world of high-end fashion, what cuts, patterns, fabrics and colours can we expect to find in-store this DSF? And how should we wear them? Based on Ivana Mazic, a Dubai-based personal shopper and fashion stylist, autumn/winter 2010 series are about tailoring, using stylish lines and classic hues. "Ladies could consider wearing high-waist jeans, pencil skirts and dresses that fit completely," she suggests, "while cobalt blue, a runaway favorite; which is the 'it' metallic and purple are the hot colours. You'll find plenty of classic camel too, which in addition to thin dark, emerald green and brilliant reds, is perfect for ladylike elegance. Basic gray, white and black can also be favorite during this winter season."

Remodeling

Animal prints, a key feature of spring/summer 2010, continue to reign supreme, with leopard and zebra particularly popular. Tartan, checks and floral patterns are also on trend and will be gracing many a shelf throughout DSF. "Shake up your wardrobe with a fun leopard-print bag from Dolce&Gabbana, toughen your feminine skirt or dress with this season's lace-up boots, or for something much more casual, add a set of Chanel pearls to jeans and a T-shirt," suggests Mazic. This winter, jeans are as popular as ever and dark, solid shades of blue will be in-store. As well as denim, black lace, tweed and velvet are key elements. "So too is suede, particularly on bags and skirts," says Mazic. Dipesh Depala, a luxury consultant at high-end image consultancy Image Nation, agrees. "This season's fashion is about luxurious textures and leather is huge at the moment," he says. "A leather top is a must and fitted shearling is hot too. Identify the key looks of autumn/winter 2010 and then focus on picking up those pieces. This will save time and you will end up with a carefully edited wardrobe. Make sure the looks are versatile and can be paired with various items and worn in different ways. For example, a shearling jacket can be worn with jeans and a T-shirt and then slung over a cocktail dress for an edgy modern look," Depala adds. Mazic also recommends buying a pair of tapered trousers from Ralph Lauren or a leather skirt from Alaia, the Tunisian-born couturier and shoe designer who is stocked in Boutique 1 on The Walk and in the Fashion Dome in Mall of the Emirates. Alternatively, for instant glamour, buy a lace dress from Dolce&Gabbana and a chic leopard-print cardigan or tube leopard print dress. These pieces are expected to be on sale throughout DSF and will instantly update any wardrobe.

Men's clothes

While ladies may be able to get great bargains with animal prints, lace and synthetic leather products, how about gentlemen? What masculine trends will be in store this DSF? "Leather jackets plus trim, flat-fronted jeans are hot this season," says Depala. "Warm auburn shades and tones along with grays are popular as well as lux materials such as fur and cashmere." Male fashion trends have returned to the 1960s with subtle, upside-down funnel-shaped silhouettes and pastels vibrantly amplified. Look out for double collars on overcoats, slim slacks, short-waist cardigans and gilets with warm designs and shades. Louis Vuitton has long been a purveyor of the classic gentleman: metropolitan, sophisticated and bang on trend. The AW10 men's clothing collection features dark colors, standard resources most likely embellished by incorporating simple touches- such as knitted lapel on a sport coat and leather jacket. Mazic recommends a visit to Ralph Lauren to grab key men's clothing of this year, the aviator jacket. "Alternatively, a camel suede jacket from Gucci with its incredible material and tailoring is worth examining. The short-waist, cashmere cardigan by Prada and the gray, slim tweed trousers by Louis Vuitton will also be also must-have items," she suggests. "To save men time, I suggest narrowing the selection of stores to visit. The Dubai Mall is the ideal place - just visit Bloomingdale's for all you need."

Time is precious

From known Swiss masterpieces to the best style statement, you're sure to see a watch in the course of DSF that makes you tick. Many of the greatest brand names have their own boutiques and can be also found in distributor outlets for instance Rivoli, Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons and Istana. Rivoli stocks high-end timepieces, as well as IWC, Blancpain, Carl F. Bucherer, Glashutte, Girard-Perregaux and Jaeger Le Coultre and has Rivoli Prestige shops in Deira City Centre, Dubai Festival City and Mall of the Emirates, along with the Burj Al Arab (one of the most popular five-star hotels in Dubai). Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons also has an amazing profile with brand names for example a Lange & Sohne, Audemars Piguet, Chopard, Franck Muller, Harry Winston, Hublot, IWC, MBF, Patek Philippe, Piaget in addition to Rolex. Stores can be found in the Dubai shopping centres as well as in numerous five-star hotels. Istana, in the mean time, distributes watches by Bovet, Icelink, Meccaniche Veloci and also Vogard and it has outlets in BurJuman, Dubai Festival City and The Dubai Mall. Over in Lamcy Plaza located in Oud Metha is Juma Al Majid. Running for 25 years, this specific regional distributor symbolizes manufacturers like Brocot and the world's biggest watch manufacturer Citizen, which has introduced a limited-edition concept watch, the Eco- Drive Dome.