Mixing Styles

Sorry about my absence I was up in London feeling very guilty about not posting!  I spent yesterday looking through some stunning prints for MAYSAA, so maybe that’s why I’m on a bit of a mixed up prints kick at the moment.  If you ignore the semi-nudeness of the model you can see a beautiful mix of colour and pattern.  I love how it’s been put together, the shot, the loose styling, so beautiful.

This second shot is sans colour, but that helps bring out the textures.  I love that depth and subtle repetition of stripes.  Reminds me that next time I’m in Morocco I should stock up on scarves!

(images: Vogue Paris Feb 2010)

Beautiful Boho

I can’t quite express how much I love this look, that belt, that jacket, that dressss.  The whole collection was a fusion of Japanese and Islamic prints, there were even some headscarves on show.  But I’ll try and do a full report when I get some more time.  For now let’s just fall in love with this.

(image: style.com)

Fall 2009

Knitwear featured big this season from chunky to barely there they were piled on to create wonderful layered looks. Great for hijab the headscarves and snoods were elegant and edgy. So wrap up this winter, and layer yourself in this seasons hottest (excuse the pun) trend.

(images: style.com)

Up close

Bringing the Drama

Dior’s intimate venue was where the modesty ended, beautiful sculpted corsets, satin underwear and elaborate skirts were unashamedly hot. More modest, but just as dramatic was Givenchy’s collection. With heavy Middle Eastern influence and striking cuts a slick canvas was created for the gold trims and jeweled adornments. For a closer look see my previous feature on Givenchy’s couture collection

So Fresh and so Clean

With the same richness of fabric and attention to detail but without the fuss, Elie Saab and Armani Prive had beautiful looks and sleek cuts. Armani Prive has that classic chic down to a fine art and this collection was no exception. The textures were magnificent, as they were at Elie Saab. Infact at Elie Saab the textures and silhouettes were what counted as the line was completely devoid of colour. But this icy white collection was not short on impact.

Full Volume- Maxi skirts had more oomph at designers like Dior and Valentino.

Bonnets- Lacroix and Jean Paul Gaultier both hit a trend with hijab friendly bonnets.

Velvet- Sumptuous fabrics were key, velvet made a sophisticated come back from Armani Prive to Givenchy

Bold Embellishments- Florals at Elie Saab, Embroidery at Lacroix and Chanel, and oversized jewel studs at Givenchy the bigger the better!

Drape- Delicate headscarves and sheer veils rocked runways, and for exaggerated folds see Dior’s maxi skirts.

Rich Colours- Blue and black together are dramatic but modest, choose from royal, navy and electric blues. Or try black and white for a crisper look, Armani Prive put monochrome to test with a smart and beautiful collection. And with Elie Saab’s snowy line you can indulge in a white winter.

(images:style.com)

Wrap It Up

There were a fair few designers using head cover ups this Autumn, from wool hats to headscarves and hoods. Of course most of them would need some hijabi modification, tuck in a few strands of hair here and there. But there are some lovely bases to work with. Who does it best? It’s up to you…

(images: style.com)

Hijab Fashion: Get in the Mix

With chunky knits, beautiful embellishment and lots of lovely texture Chanel’s pre-Fall collection gives a whole new look to layering. This Russian luxe inspired collection is a rich mix of different styles. What’s more a whole lot of these looks are almost totally Muslimah friendly. With heavily bejewelled headdresses acting as headscarves and long skirts and maxi dresses layered under signature suits there was a lot of hijab on the runway.

Lush Layers

I wasn’t that sure about layering skirts over… well, longer skirts but it’s growing on me. I think before I did that I would go for a short dress over a maxi skirt and see how that looked. I’ll let you know what it looks like and get your advice! The thing I love most (and that is most exciting for hijab style) is how experimental it all is, it goes against the grain but has real charm. Time to get discover some new Muslim styles!

Head for Cover

And just take a look at these elaborate headscarves/ headdresses. I kind of love them but they are definitely not modest.

(images: style.com)

No. 1 Fan

I asked my hubby if he knew who my favourite designer was, it took him about 0.6 seconds to answer “Alexander McQueen” It took me about the same amount of time to fall in love the first time I saw his designs. He takes edgy to new heights but with that Savile Row tailoring expertise that makes your heart pound on seeing such detailed perfection. His Fall 2008 goes down as my favourite show of all time, and his Pre-Fall 2009 collection shows his unique take on tailoring. I’ll shut up now and let you take in the talent.

Muslimah Friendly

The snoods and head covering along with the layering mean that these outfits are so easily transferred into hijab. It’s almost as if they were made just for us! And those maxi dresses are just stunning, I don’t think I would mind spending a fortune on it… maybe I could call it a business expense.

Hard to Miss

Givenchy have carried on from where they left off this Fall with sheer chiffon headscarves, but this time the middle eastern influence was much more present. The gold was veering towards being garish and if it had been done by any other designer I think it would look tacky. What I liked more were the different textures and the tattoo like gem embellishment. They pushed the designs to a more creative level, and against the sleek silhouettes Riccardo Tisci does so well they looked stunning.

The Make-Up

Before I forget, I owe this post entirely to a sister, Fae, who commented on a previous post. She has an awesome blog Breathe Hijab on which I spied the Givenchy collection. You can see the whole post here. I hope you don’t mind sis, I am just an admirer of your work!

(images: style.com)

Oversized or delicately designed hoods, there is so much to love.

A Hijab History

A look in to his past seasons show that his love of understated luxury and exquisite design has always been a big part of his aesthetic. His style is investment pieces rather than changing with the tide of trends, and I think if your going to spend that kind of money then it should be just that.

The hoods are so close to being headscarves it’s hard not to see the comparison with Islamic fashion. I would love to wear one of these stunning hoods, they look so elegant.

Sheer and metallic fabrics with all the fine drape Ackermann does best

Still So Fresh

These past seasons still look fresh and have those long lasting trends that never go out of style. I love his colour combinations which are so refined and grown up, but the dramatic cuts and shapes mean they are as far from dowdy as they can be.

I love the blue maxi dress, it's stunning and perfectly hijab fiendly.

Get the Look

Super Size Try oversized tops and jackets, wrap them and tie with a belt but fold the fabric over the belt to hide body shape.

Tone Down Keep colours to a minimum, take one colour and play around with shades close to it.

Texture Because you’re keeping colours straightforward you can go wild with texture. Sheers, satin and metalics make great accents.

Layer The key is Layering, get a basic look and then add on sheer layers or interesting drape. (Top Tip: take a lightweight jacket/cardigan or wrap dress and wear it upside down, you’ll get a really interesting shape.)

Tilda Swinton looks stunning in this Ackermann outfit proving that you really can wear the looks right off the runway

Celebrity Following

Tilda Swinton is a huge fan of Ackermann, she has often worn his creations at award ceremonies and it goes to show that his style is timeless and ageless. I think she looks gorgeous!

Tilda Swinton is a huge Ackermann fan, and we can see why!

Images nymag and style.com

Stripes, and Ruffles, and Frills, oh my!

Islamic Inspiration in Layers

Paris Designer Sonia Rykiel pulled out all the stops for her 40th anniversaire show. It was a bold mix of fun and feathers comfortable along side chic clean tailoring, all with a ‘joie de vivre‘ that befitted the celebration. There were a range of techniques on show that would benefit Muslimah’s. From frills and loose layers to relaxed tailoring that concealed body shape, not particularly simple but definitely beautiful. Adjustments would definitely have to be made to make them hijab friendly but I love the concepts.

Body cover ups: use structured tailoring or frilly layers to disguise body shape

Encore

As a little extra the audience (and a surprised Sonia Rykiel) were treated to 30 looks designed by some of the biggest names in fashion. That sounds like the kind of surprise I could get on board with!

Pre-Fall selection: Headscarves and all there are some beautiful shapes

Pre-Fall Collection

The Pre-Fall collection was more toned down and wearable than the previous season but they still retain a sense of fun. With the colour palette much simpler they really packed a punch with the tomato red. A perfect morning after to the party of the Spring Summer collection.