Two of the capital’s trendiest teenagers Annabel Amin and Jasmin Croome-Styles share their style secrets with Abu Dhabi Week
Elbows at the ready!
You scrimped on your Christmas presents, balanced extra jobs and have eaten nothing but baked beans for the past month, just so that you could pull together every last dirham. This is it; this is what you’ve been waiting for. I’m talking about the January sales of course.
However, year on year, we can’t help but feel as if all of this preparation has gone to waste when we come home from our shopping sprees with only a few items that we’ll ever wear, as well as that the sales returns policies that don’t work in our favour.
The key to being able to shop successfully during the sales period is planning; it is imperative that you know about next season’s fashions, and therefore which of your purchases you will and will not be able to get a fair amount of wear from in the months after you buy them. Of course I’m not expecting you to do all of this alone, which is why I’ve hit the sales on the lookout for some of the best buys this January – it was hard, but somebody had to do it!
What to buy
White will be the hottest trend this spring, after appearing in countless runway shows including those of Calvin Klein, Stella McCartney and DKNY. Stick to good quality materials, which will be able to take you into the summer months without looking worn or stained!
Always a difficult trend to pull off, snakeskin will be making a return this spring, thanks to Proenza Schouler, Erdem and Valentino. Lucky for you guys Blanco is currently stocking incredibly versatile bags, purses and clutches featuring snake print accents to which you will easily be able to mix and match with all of your favourite outfits. Blanco have a gorgeous snake print clutch bag that was AED 120 and is now reduced to AED 49.
1960s inspired cuts and colours were all over the spring 2013 catwalks thanks to Louis Vuitton, Moschino and Marni. Find yourself a mod inspired number, currently there’s up to 50 percent off in stores such as Promod and Stradivarius, which will take you into next season nicely and put the leftovers aside for your summer holiday fund!
What not to wear
Burgundy was everywhere this season but will look too sombre if taken into spring. Instead look for something brighter; almost every look in Prada’s spring show featured a bold red accent.
Shapeless military style jackets are out. Keep an eye out for something more fitted and tailored with minimal detailing. Also try to avoid studs when shopping for next season. If you’re looking to add metal accents into your outfit, stick to sequined or metallic fabrics, which will definitely be sold in abundance following the holiday season!
Annabel Amin
(Student at the British School Al Khubairat)
Fashion talk
As we all know fashion can be difficult to follow. In an industry where one colour, fabric or pattern can dominate the spreads of Italian Vogue one season, yet is totally out the next season, there’s no doubt that keeping up is no easy task. It’s surprising how fast fashion can be altered, with high fashion stores changing stock every time you go back. In a flick through a catalogue, 80s leg warmers can have finished their moment in the limelight and models on Fashion Week catwalks are draped with fur coats and sky-high heels.
Interestingly, the trends for January in the UAE have highly reflected the styles seen in Milan and Paris, two dominant cities in the world of fashion. One of the biggest trends to have startled the fashion industry are two notable icons, owls and moustaches. Everyone’s seen them; every shop sells a variety of printed items for a range of prices, owls are commonly seen printed all over merchandise, with their bulging eyes and triangle beaks. These designs have been adapted onto the likes of jewellery. Teens and young adults can be seen sporting necklaces and earrings in these designs and it’s clear these trends are nowhere near the end of their fashion streak.
Jasmin Croome-Styles
(Student at the British International School Abu Dhabi)
