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When the abaya becomes a style statement
When the abaya becomes a style statement Dhanusha Gokulan / 17 February 2014 Emirati designer’s bold take on the dress gets international recognition . The ‘abaya’ or a cloak is a simple, loose over-garment, essentially a robe-like dress worn by women in parts of the Muslim world. At least that is how the Internet defines the abaya. But for Lamya Abedein who specialises in creating chic, wearable, and fashionable abayas, the dress means much more. “Perhaps I would have to write a book on what the abaya means to me. I cannot explain it in a few words,” laughs the Emirati and owner of designer label Queen of Spades. Khaleej Times caught up with this extraordinary self-taught designer and multi-tasker who juggles between being a successful businesswoman, a supportive wife, and a doting mother of three children. Lamya is someone who has customised, or changed the way the Arab world perceives an abaya. She has steered clear of the ‘all black, and sequins at the hem’ kind of designs. Her designs have seen reflections of a unique form of traditional wear like the Indian saree, the Japanese kimono, and sometimes pantaloons, too. She is one among the first Emirati woman and designer to have been recognised by international designers and have her abayas exhibited in international stores like Galeries Lafayette and Harvey Nichols. Perhaps it is her bold take on her designs that caught international attention. Who would’ve dreamt of fur or a brightly coloured belt on an abaya? Take her Betty Boop collection launched in 2010 for example. She adorned it with polka dots, heart-shaped leather frills, detachable aprons, and long red sleeves. “My designs suit the tastes of the cosmopolitan woman. It is for everyone and it is so because, the abaya is a very cool thing to wear,” said Lamya. “It is not just for the women in the Arab world. You can add shawls, belts, colourful pockets and accessories on an abaya. I got a lot of flak for adding a belt on the abaya, because it brings out the shape of a woman. But you push the limits, every single day,” said Lamya. Small beginnings Lamya’s love for fashion began at a very young age and she took a lot of inspiration from her grandmother. “I would sometimes change my school uniform to make it look more fashionable. I used to wear below the knee length skirts, sometimes turn them around my school pants to look like three-quarters, and sometimes try on cowboy pants, as well. I was a very shy child in school,” she said. After graduating with a bachelors degree in Business Administration from Higher Colleges of Technology, Lamya travelled and lived in several countries across the globe with her husband. “When in college, I worked as an HR consultant for special needs children. I had worked with special needs schools across the UAE and I had placed several children across various companies in Dubai. Of all the things I’ve done, this is something I will be most proud of,” said Lamya. “But the real jolt to create a fashion line and make a business out of clothing began when I was staying in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,” she said. Abaya fabrics from KSA hold something of a fascination for most women across the GCC. “The fabric has a very dark shade of black and it looks very distinguished,” said Lamya. “I began designing abayas for myself and people would love seeing it on me. Slowly I began custom-making them for people I knew and eventually I decided to turn it into a business,” she added. Queen of Spades “I decided to name the company Queen of Spades, because I refer to women wearing by abayas as Queens. They are special, and one of a kind,” said Lamya. A lot of her designs have vintage-inspired elements, including pop colours and antique embellishments. “I love recreating dresses from the 50s and 60s. I love playing with fabrics, as well. I’ve used fleece, jacards, brocades, dyed fabrics, cotton mix, and, brocades,” she added. For the 40th National day celebrations of the UAE, Lamya created a 40-metre-long abaya which was showcased atop the helipad of Burj Al Arab. Lamya said: “My experiences in travelling has helped me a lot in what I am doing right now. Dubai has a very cosmopolitan environment and I am really happy that I can serve my country.” Operational since 2009, Queen of Spades is something like Lamya’s fourth baby. “I spend a lot of time with my children. I have two sons and a daughter, and I can proudly say that I don’t send them to tutors. I teach and sit down for homework with them myself,” said Lamya. When asked if she was ever worried about running out of ideas, Lamya asked: “How can anyone, who is constantly learning, and educating themselves run out of ideas?” dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Dubai Food Festival designed with all tastes in mind
Dubai Food Festival designed with all tastes in mind Staff Reporter / 16 February 2014 Taste of Peru and the Grand Kerala Festival added to the line up of events. With just a few days until the start of the inaugural Dubai Food Festival (DFF), Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), announced a full and appetising line-up for the city-wide celebration of food-related events, tastings and activaties. Two of the new events added to the line-up — Taste of Peru and the Grand Kerala Festival — further demonstrate the range of flavours inherent in Dubai’s culinary offer, which is inspired by both Arabic traditions and those of the 200+ nationalities who live in the Emirate, and is one of the key themes of the festival. Helal Saeed Almarri, Director-General, DTCM, said: “The quality and range of our culinary offering is something that will increasingly be used as a tourism driver and through the Dubai Food Festival we will demonstrate the variety of offer that exists across the Emirate, including world-class international brands, homegrown restaurants, and high quality street-food.” Laila Mohammed Suhail, Chief Executive Officer, DFRE said: “We are pleased with the response that we had from various stakeholders of Dubai’s food industry and gastronomy sector.” “The programme has been designed with all tastes in mind. From family-friendly consumer events to more industry focused forums and conferences, both residents and visitors can look forward to a festival that is as exciting and inclusive as it is delicious,” she said. Joining the line-up of events already announced including the Dubai Food Carnival, Gulfood, The Big Grill, and Taste of Dubai, will be the Grand Kerala Festival, The Taste of Peru, and the Global Restaurant Investment Forum. The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2014, Gulf Photo Plus 2014 and the Dubai International Boat Show will join the celebrations through specific culinary related activities and initiatives. Adding star power to the festival’s programme will be over 26 celebrity chefs. Representing restaurants and cuisines from around the world, these culinary stars include well-known names such as French Chef, Jean Christophe Novelli; Australian power pair, Greg and Lucy Malouf; Queen of the Arabic Kitchen, Egyptian Chef, Manal Al Alem; Lebanon’s Chef of the Year 2013, Maroun Chedid; and Indian TV personality, Sanjeev Kapoor. Home to more than 200 nationalities, Dubai’s diversity is reflected in its restaurant offer, a fact represented by two of the new confirmations to the programme. The Grand Kerala Festival (February 20-22) will showcase the rich flavours and vibrant colours of India’s southern state, with Dubai’s Wonderland transformed into a bustling Kerala village, complete with a lively array of exciting events and entertainment and authentic Malayalee cuisine. From South India to South America, the Taste of Peru (February 26 to March 1) will see Madinat Jumeirah Souk Madinat transformed into a four-day celebration of Peruvian gastronomy. The event will include appearances from celebrity Peruvian chefs and live Peruvian music, and feature award-winning cuisine inspired by a nearly 500-year melting pot of cultures and cuisines. The festival is set to take place between February 21 and March 15 at locations across Dubai. news@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Lebanon forms government after 10-month deadlock
Lebanon forms government after 10-month deadlock (Reuters) / 16 February 2014 Prime Minister Tammam Salam hopes the new government would allow Lebanon to hold presidential elections before May. Lebanon announced a new government on Saturday, breaking a 10-month political deadlock during which spillover violence from neighbouring Syria worsened internal instability. A caretaker government has run the country since former Prime Minister Najib Mikati resigned in March as parties aligned with the Hezbollah movement and a Sunni-led rival bloc pursued a power struggle exacerbated by their support for opposing sides in Syria’s almost three-year-old civil war. “A government in the national interest was formed in a spirit of inclusivity,” new Prime Minister Tammam Salam declared on live television. He said he hoped the new government would allow Lebanon to hold presidential elections before President Michel Suleiman’s mandate expires in May and finally conduct parliamentary polls that were postponed last year due to the political impasse. “I extend my hand to all the leaders and I am relying on their wisdom to reach these goals and I call on all of them together to make concessions in the interest of our national project,” he said. Parliament designated the Sunni lawmaker as prime minister in April 2013, but he had been unable to form a cabinet for months due to rivalries between the Hezbollah-dominated March 8 bloc and the March 14 alliance, led by the Sunni Future Party. Former Energy Minister Gebran Bassil, from the March 8 bloc, becomes foreign minister. Former Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, also from March 8, takes the finance portfolio. Nouhad Machnouk, a March 14 legislator, was named interior minister. Salam said his “national interest government” had a mandate to fight mounting security problems, which he linked to Syria. “We must also deal with our complicated economic and social issues, the most important of which is the growing number of refugees from our Syrian brothers and the burdens this has placed on Lebanon,” he said. Sectarian violence has erupted sporadically in the past year, particularly in the north, and car bombings targeting both security and political targets have increased dramatically, with Hezbollah-dominated areas being the most frequent target. “We want this new government to open the doors for a complete settlement and to get the country back on the train to stability,” Finance Minister Khalil told Reuters by telephone. Salam had tried again to form a government last month, but was thwarted by a row over who would hold the energy portfolio, a ministry given extra weight by the discovery of potential gas and oil reserves off Lebanon’s Mediterranean coast. The Christian Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), a Hezbollah ally, had insisted former Energy Minister Bassil keep his post. The dispute was finally resolved with the appointment of Arthur Nazarian, from the FPM-aligned Tashnag, a small Armenian party. “The top priority of this government will be stability and security, and also to improve people’s daily life, and I think one of the essential things that is important to all Lebanese is the petroleum issue,” Bassil told a news conference. Salam had earlier made a deal with political parties that requires all cabinet roles to be rotated among different religious groups in each new government, so that no sect can indefinitely dominate a particular ministry. Lebanon, still struggling to recover from its own 1975-1990 civil war, has found its internal rifts aggravated by the conflict in Syria, whose sectarian divisions mirror its own. The Future party supports the anti-Assad uprising led largely by the Syria’s Sunni majority. Syria’s war has stoked a region-wide struggle for influence involving Saudi Arabia and other Sunni-ruled states against Iran and its Shia allies in Lebanon and Iraq. The Lebanese cabinet deal could signal that those powers want to stem the sectarian violence convulsing Syria and rippling across Lebanon, Iraq and other countries. In a televised speech on Friday, Future party head Saad Hariri, a former prime minister who threw his weight behind a unity government with March 8 last month, vowed to tackle sectarian radicalism within his own Sunni sect. He also called on Hezbollah to pull its forces out Syria to prevent a “sectarian holocaust” in Lebanon. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading