In conjuction with iPay88, the organizer of Online Mega Sales from July till August 2009, FabricCuts Online is offering a Storewide 25% discount on all items displayed on store.
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And I invite you to view the models individually hereby clicking the thumbnails below:- |
My name is Rushdina, I’m 27 years old and from Malaysia. I am an architect, but also do some modelling part time.
My Style
As an architect, I’m under a lot of time constraints. So I need to wear something simple, yet elegant! I will always go with trousers, even if I am wearing a short dress. This kind of outfit will always allow me to move quickly and easily at work.
Out of office hours and during weekends, I usually choose to wear a white shirt and jeans, which I’ll match with my sport shoes or wedges. I would love to wear high heels, and I have no choice in wearing 5″ high heels during runway shows. But believe me, heels will sometimes kill you and are terrible for your body posture. So, wedges are the best for me!
As for accessories…this is the best part! (Do handbags count?) I love to match my handbag to my outfit, and I love to wear necklaces and bangles too.
For my career as an architect, black will always be elegant. But I’d rather choose warmer colours for myself because they suit my skin tone. Remember - do not be afraid of wearing colour, but learn to choose the right color for your skin tone.
Top Tips
As for me, there are two things:
1- Don’t be afraid to mix and match
2- Don’t be afraid of colour, but learn how to manipulate it
Style yourself and prove yourself; even Muslimahs dare to be styled!
In the recently concluded Islamic Fashion Festival 2009 in Jakarta from 25-26 May, as many as 18 fashion designers participated to showcase their designs to the world. However, the most proud happening in the event is; these fashion designers are from Malaysia and Indonesia. Unbelievable but true!
My comments, it is definitely a world class show befitting the international showcase.
Feast your sight on what I term as absolutely my favorite for the year, sequenced by respective designers’ name:
Tom Abang Saufi:
Rudy Chandra:
Ghea Panggabean:
Defrico Audi:
Arifan Mas:
Images courtesy of: Reuters and Getty Images
To the fashion designers, Syabas! To the models, gracias!
-Unknown
God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle’s flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
And then there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it - Dad.
Having searched and found a rather old article (imagine in 2004) from The Age, Australia, I am rather impressed that the Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week actually featured this catwalk event. I am impressed that even back then, the Islamic fashion glamour has set standards beyond my imagination. The combination of fabrics with cultural and traditional fashion designing techniques and the use of creative pattern cuttings reflected a truly Malay religio-custom manifestation. Of course, the credit goes to Designer Iva Lativah. Her skills are expressed explicitly within the limited allowance of what a Muslim outfit is deemed appropriated. That is truly art and religion blending in harmony.
Within the stodgy silhouette of Muslim dress, there appears little room for innovation. No necklines to plunge, slots to add, no hemlines to hike or waistlines to kink. That hasn’t discouraged increasing numbers of fashion designers from tackling the ultimate challenge, however.
The straight-up-and-down featurelessness of the typical Muslim gown is in fact, the ideal canvas for a play of colours, textures, and patterns.
Designer Iva Lativah showed this heavenly foursome during Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week, and defied the oxymoron, Islamic glamour.
Silk satin was quilted and cut into a boxy jacket that fell wide over a slimmer, but still generous skirt. Sheer black gauze was used as an overlay on brilliantly coloured and patterned kimono coats, and the graphic weave and prints on fine silks were used as headscarves, in block panels for tabard frocks, or as light stoles hooked through the models elbows.
Lovely stuff.
Arzu Kuafor is an exceptional fashion designer of the hijab/tudung from Turkey. His fashion boutique offers elegant to outlandish hijab designs for female Muslims who want hijab wears with a difference.
Arzu Kuafor is a true niche marketer, daring to go beyond the normal to attract and also keep his existing clientele who desire and appreciate creative styling. Looking at his work, one wonders what great works of art he has created with fabrics and how he manages to manifest culture and religious practice, customs and traditions into acceptable great art pieces.
If you care to observe his creations in detail, you will learn to appreciate how he so cleverly embeds pearl necklaces and emphasizing add-on mini organza scarfs into his work of beauty. This is where he scores all the “firsts” into making the hijab an attractive fashion piece and headgear to complement the wear and the lady. On up for Turkey!
See what I mean by refreshing and never dull from here;
Yippee! school hols are here again …. beginning 30 May 2009.
Time to plan for trips, outings and events with friends. Maybe a picnic to the beach with friends to cool off from the hot day too with the winds on your face and hair. Ya, it time to do something different and fill the day with fun and friendship. Good to renew relationship with relatives we don’t see so often as we do our school friends. This must be running in the minds of all teenage boys and girls during this time.
If you are a Muslim girl and is looking to do something unusual this coming school holidays, here is an idea worth your consideration. And it is fun, what more it makes you much prettier too to the admiration of your male relatives when you visit them. Give it a go.
This is also a season of heat wave, so it will be ideal to think of a maxi cool hot weather dress to stay comfortable and relaxed. For that I will pick a cotton maxi spaghetti stripe dress. The rich berry shades make it perfect for anything from lounging on the beach to strolling around sightseeing, and of course visiting friends or relatives. Add a purple bolero to cover up the arms and a graduated purple hijab to complement the color scheme. Simple accessories like gladiator sandals, wooden bangles and a canvas bag finish off a comfortable yet stylish holiday outfit as illustrated below. Presto, you are now at the world’s attention and still maintain your female modesty:
Pictures courtesy of http://hijabstyle.blogspot.com
Have a happy holiday experimenting, but please remember to finish your homework too.
The Malay culture and traditions are mostly colorful, elaborate and custom biased. And when I claim, Malays are an artistic lot, I joke not. Especially, if you observe the culture and traditions from the fabric fashion point of view. If you care to look deeply the details put into the designs of the wedding gown, the fringes of the lace and frill of the fringes plus fold of the scarf (tudung), I am truly amazed!
Traditionally, weddings are so tied to kain songket like it is a norm. Fashion follows social trends and as much as Malay cultures and traditions are difficult to change, there is now a growing trend to modernize fabric use and bring traditional pattern designs to a more modern outlook, yet maintaining and blending with the traditional Malay customs of dressing.
Here, wedding gowns and dresses of modern Malaysian see such a refreshing change in style and cutting designs. My comment is such that some of the most beautiful outfits came as a result of such modernistic adaptions. Of course, moving away from traditional fabric of songket and using other alternative source of available fabric, the Malay wedding is seeing such wonderful transformation unfolding right here in Malaysia.
So if you’re looking for something modest yet glamorous and a little different from the standard gowns, these should provide some ideas.
Displayed below are just a selection of gorgeous photos of Malay brides on their special day. I wonder who the “King of the Day” is? Can you pick a favourite?
Click on the images to browse more:
Tomorrow is 9th May, 2009 and also the Wesak Day, a solemn, yet joyous day for Buddhists commemorating three momentous events in Buddha’s life - his birth, his enlightenment and ultimate achievement of Nirvana. Buddhists on this day celebrate by having a day of meditative comtemplation over the teachings of Buddha contained in the eight precepts.
At this opportunity, I like to wish my Buddhist friends a Happy Wesak Day. And in sharing something purposeful on this special day, I like to record, with permission, two messages that hopefully will capture the spirit of the celebration.
May these two blessings come to be.
1) To receive the powerful uplifting blessings that inspire us to greater effort to make spiritual progress;
2) To receive encouragement and strength for the needed service to mankind and humanity.
Embrace calm and peace always; like the purity of the lotus flower above, amidst the murky waters below.
Namaste
