Fly In Style, Stay In Style With Emirates This Summer

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Emirates Airline has teamed up with leading hotels in Dubai – The Armani Hotel, Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, The Address Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel – to offer first class and business class passengers, flying to and via Dubai, complimentary hotel stays and 96-hour transfer visas.

First class passengers receive a complimentary two-night stay, including breakfast, at either The Armani Hotel, located in the Burj Khalifa, or the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, located on the Palm Jumeirah Island. Business class passengers obtain a one-night stay with breakfast at either The Address Dubai Marina or the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel.

With the offer, passengers staying at The Armani Hotel or The Address Dubai Marina also get the chance to experience being on top of the world with priority tickets to the ‘At the Top,’ Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. While passengers who choose the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray or Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel can splash the day away with free entrance to the Wild Wadi Water Park.

“We are always looking for ways to enhance and add value to our offerings for our premium customers. With this offer, not only do our passengers experience Emirates’ award-winning first and business class products, but they also stay in style and comfort,” said Russell Sheldon, Senior Vice President, Network Sales & Development. “What could be more stylish than staying in one of the four of the most iconic hotels today – The Armani Hotel Dubai, the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, The Address Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel? This excellent offer further extends the outstanding service our premium passengers know and expect when they fly with Emirates.”

Eligible passengers must complete their journey entirely in either Emirates First or Emirates Business class, between 1 August and 30 September, 2011 and book before 31 July 2011. The offer cannot be combined with any inclusive tour packages. More information can be found on www.emirates.com/luxurynights.
 

Dubais First Sustainable Living Expo Kicks Off In Style At The Dubai Mall

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Dubai’s first EPIC sustainable living expo kicked off today to a staggering number of eco-wise and savvy consumers who got a firsthand look at environment-friendly products and sustainable initiatives from over 70 local and international companies. The EPIC expo, taking place at The Dubai Mall till June 24, marked the first day of Dubai Summer Surprises 2011.

EPIC Dubai opened on a positive note where a Green Cars Caravan of solar, electric, hybrid and biodiesel powered cars, organized by Dubai Police and S.S. Lootah Group, took off from Burj Al Arab with a pit stop at Dubai Police Academy before it continued its journey to Burj Khalifa boulevard and The Dubai Mall, where the expo is being held.

UAE’s first solar powered car, designed and manufactured at the Lootah Technical Centre and unveiled by UNEP Champion of the Earth, Louis Palmer, during World Environment Day Dubai celebration earlier this month, cruised down Sheikh Zayed Road as part of the Green Cars Caravan.

“The Green Cars Caravan journey comes as part of our commitment to raising sustainability awareness and reducing carbon footprint to support Dubai’s economic and social development, in line with the vision and guidance of UAE leadership,” said Yousif Saeed Lootah, Board Member of S.S. Lootah Group and CEO of Lootah Biofuels. “This initiative further reinforces UAE’s efforts in overcoming environmental challenges by introducing practical and effective solutions.”

He added: “Green Cars Caravan has received tremendous support from Dubai Police where their biodiesel and electric vehicles took part in this initiative. We would also like to extend our sincere gratitude to Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Dubai Police Chief, for his continuous support to our youth and his commitment to direct their energy towards innovation for sustainable development.”

Under the ‘sustainability meets style’ theme, the first day of the expo was packed with variety of showcases, features and inspiring talks to satisfy all tastes and interests.

EPIC Dubai First Day Highlights

EPIC Talks
Colonel Nasser Abdulwahed Al-Awar, Director of Community Relations at Dubai Police, kicked off EPIC Talks highlighting Dubai Police’s efforts in the field of saving energy while Jeremy Byatt, vice president, environment at Bee’ah focused on how to live better by using fewer resources.

EPIC Talks continued throughout the day with an informative presentation from Daniel Atkins of Murdoch University on what people can do to help the environment; Organic Foods & Café CEO, Nils El Accad, underlined the benefits of organic food; Dr. Bassem Daghestani, head of conservation at Juma Al Majid, explained how historic books and documents are conserved organically for future generations. EPIC Talks concluded with Mr. Ibrahim Al-Zu’bi, Head of Sustainable Development and CSR for the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, Dubai Government, the Official Ambassador for the Honourable Al Gore Climate Project Initiative. 

EPIC Features
Local fashion house, DAS Collection, modeled their latest summer line at the EPIC Fashion catwalk while Brooklyn Melodies, TMI Musical and DSS Traditional Emirati Musical groups entertained the crowd with superb performances throughout the day.

EPIC Live Cooking
Top Emaar Hospitality Group’s hotel chefs prepared some of the finest organic dishes, live at the Waterfront Promenade, where health and quality-conscious consumers watched and learned from their favourite chefs, including; Daniel Edward, Specialty Sous Chef at The Address Downtown Dubai; Norberto A. Valdez Palacios, Asado Head Chef at The Palace – The Old Town; Francesco Bonato, Sous Chef at the Armani Hotel Dubai.

EPIC Workshops
As part of a DEWA workshop at EPIC, comedians Splashy and Sparky entertained and educated visitors on water and energy conservation while Dr. Bassem Daghestani hosted a workshop on the organic conservation of historic documents.

EPIC Kids
EPIC is designed to get the whole family involved, featuring eco-arts and crafts, sustainable toys, interactive games and educational ’learn-and do’ activities to help engage and entertain the next generation about sustainable living. That’s why, Hamleys, the world’s most famous toy retailer, organized an all-day eco-play area during the three days of the expo while Bee’ah and Dubai Garden Center held special workshops for the kids on recycling and planting. 

“Today was a true celebration of earth-friendly living and sustainability in the UAE,” commented Tracy Fast, EPIC Dubai Show Manager. “After checking out what our exhibitors and partners had to offer, visitors expressed genuine interest in changing their lifestyles to become more sustainable and eco-friendly. This is what being EPIC is all about; making informed choices and buying products and services to support responsible businesses that are making an effort. We would like to thank our exhibitors and partners for being EPIC, for inspiring our visitors and for making the first day of the expo a tremendous success.”
 

Mall Of The Emirates Style And Beauty Ambassadors Share Whats Hot And Whats Not This Summer!

Summer’s finally here, and that means it’s out with the old and in with the new! And, just in time for the new season, Mall of the Emirates’ Style and Beauty Ambassadors – Fashion blogger and socialite; Tala Samman (www.myfashdiary.com) and beauty expert; Huda Kattan (www.hudabeauty.com) – are on hand to provide Dubai’s fashion savvy with the latest summer fashion trends and beauty tips to keep you looking cool!

“Summer is all about colour, colour and more colour – contrasting great shades against your skin, as well as being comfortable yet chic. This summer I’ll be colour-blocking, wearing little white dresses and adding lace accents for night. I love mixing up my outfits – my signature look includes high-end pieces mixed with the high street!” said fashion’s it-girl, Tala Samman.

For the fashionistas looking to follow in Tala’s Jimmy Choo heels, Harvey Nichols, located within Mall of the Emirates, offers numerous exclusive, high-end key pieces as well as some great brands including Kimberley Ovit and Diane Von Furstenberg for amazing summer prints, and Helmut Lang for on-trend jackets to pair with summer dresses!

Moreover, no summer wardrobe is complete without pair of statement sunglasses and a fabulous handbag, and savvy shoppers needn’t look any further than Mall of the Emirates’ Boutique 1, presenting brands such as Victoria Beckham, Linda Farrow, Alexander Wang and Proenza Schouler.

For the best high street finds, the mall’s H&M has recently launched their eco-friendly collections which offer some of the greatest white pieces. Likewise, popular high street stores such as Reiss and River Island also offer the best in this season’s flared jeans, Maxi dresses and summer turbans.

This summer, make-up is equally as colourful – super colourful lips are everywhere! Beauty expert Huda Kattan states, “This year, the trends on and off the runaway have been bold and daring, with a hint of classic appeal. Think of outrageously bright pinks, reds and oranges .Adding colour to a classic look, like lips that are bright and in unexpected colours over a nude face is a great place to start. But be careful not to over-do it”.

Huda goes on to confirm that runway-inspired pinks from Fendi and Diane Von Furstenburg are also everywhere this summer and when colour-blocking women need to keep the eyes simple which helps the look stay classic and bang on-trend.

For a full list of stores to get your own hot summer look, log onto www.malloftheemirates.com .
 

British Embassy marks the Royal Wedding in traditional style with a memorable family event

As two billion people around the globe watched the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in Westminster Abbey today, a special gathering of around 1,300 guests enjoyed the memorable ceremony on the lawns of the British Embassy in Dubai.

The event was organised in conjunction with the Loyal Society made up of the Dubai Caledonian Society, Dubai St. George’s Society and the Dubai Welsh Society, and with main sponsor, Emirates Airlines.

In traditional fashion for British royal weddings, families enjoyed a traditional ’street party’ with all the trimmings. Special entertainment was put on for children including face painting, a bouncy castle and stilt performances.

The Embassy was delighted to host Sultan Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy who wished the newly weds a wonderful future as he cut a special wedding cake in their honour.

Guy Warrington Consul General at the Embassy said: "Since the engagement was announced last November the large British community in the UAE, and those from all nationalities in this country have been getting more and more excited about the big day and so it has been truly wonderful to celebrate it with such a special event. The ceremony was beautiful and we all wish Prince William and Catherine a long and very happy future together".

His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, was amongst the foreign dignitaries that attended the wedding in London. Just five months after the visit to the UAE by Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed at the ceremony underlines the strong links between the UK and UAE and the excellent ties between the royal families of the two countries.

Fashion Turns Five  Harvey Nichols – Dubai Celebrates In Style -

Fashion never looked so chic. Dubai’s premier fashion store glamorously completes its fifth year on 1 March 2011, with a series of fun and fabulous activities continuing until May 2011.

The anniversary campaign ‘Fashion Turns Five’, signifies a milestone in the Harvey Nichols – Dubai story with the same excitement and flair as the launch campaign in 2006, ‘Forget London, now in Dubai’. A powerhouse of luxury fashion with its own unique identity, the brand continues to evolve in distinctive style.

To commemorate this special occasion, more than eighty brands across Fashion, Beauty, Jewellery and Home have created a special piece of fashion history. This includes a couture dress by Alexander McQueen, and special edition pieces by designers including Stella McCartney, Diane Von Furstenberg, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Moschino, Matthew Williamson, Zagliani, Dolce & Gabbana, Jimmy Choo, Fendi Casa, Stephen Webster and Giuseppe Zanotti. Only five units are available of each design worldwide with some selections being available as a one-off piece, all featuring an element of the distinctive blue colour selected for the anniversary.

The designer pieces will be featured in a special fifth anniversary pop-up shop until 1 April 2011, located at the Womenswear Department on Level 2, where customers can discover the limited edition merchandise.
Activities and events on 1 March 2011, include performances by renowned electric string trio, Ice, with their fusion of classical music with such diverse sounds as Arabic, tango, jazz and contemporary riffs; international, award-winning illusionist Gaston Quieto, who is a consultant for some of the biggest stars of magic including David Copperfield and Criss Angel; and an acro-balance act which will be performing their amazing routine throughout the store. There will also be a special fifth anniversary photo booth where customers can get a fashionable snap shot of themselves, courtesy of Harvey Nichols – Dubai.

A celebratory evening cocktail party will also take place on 1 March. The chic party hosted at Oasi in Armani Hotel in the iconic Burj Khalifa, will cater to a crowd of Dubai’s most fashionable and savvy people.

Some of the interesting promotions marking the fifth anniversary of the store include, ‘The golden key’ offer, from 8 – 30 March 2011, which entitles customers spending over AED 2,500 to receive a key (only five hundred of which unlock the treasure chest in-store) and the lucky recipient of a golden key will unlock the treasure chest to receive one of many exclusive prizes. The Quali5 promotion, which will run from 1 – 30 April 2011, offers customers purchasing five items or more (in a single transaction) the chance to enter a draw to win a grand prize of shopping vouchers worth AED 50,000 or five runners-up prizes of vouchers worth AED 5,000. In May, Harvey Nichols – Dubai customers can avail the chance to go into a draw to win a luxury five night stay at The Edge, Bali for two people plus two business class return flights.

The festivities continue with a trunk show by J Mendel (in April), a signature anniversary mocktail at Almaz by Momo, a calendar of promotions exclusive to Facebook fans and other fabulous activities.

The anniversary starts on 1 March with a distinctive window scheme unveil, incorporating the unique blue anniversary colour and a variety of visual elements.

Always at the forefront of the best edited selection of fashion, this anniversary, Harvey Nichols – Dubai invites you to celebrate its evolution in style.
 

Hundreds Gather To Preview The Best Collections At Style Arabia

The fourth annual Style Arabia took place last night at The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina. The event, attended by more than eight hundred people, saw exclusive catwalk shows from leading designers including Walid Atallah, Dar Sara and Ezra Santos.

Established as the region’s leading Arabic fashion and beauty event, Style Arabia 2010 was the ultimate evening out where over 800 fashion enthusiasts enjoyed the latest Arabic style and trends from both established & upcoming designers.

Amongst other attractions, guests at the event enjoyed catwalk shows from leading Top designers Walid Atallah, Ezra Santos, Dar Sara along with Soiree, Arabbella, JYK, Carrera and Zeena Zaki. Hair stylists from Philips performed a hair demonstration with useful styling tips, make-up was supplied by Rimmel and shoes by Aldo. Other Exhibitors included Thai Privilege Spa, Carrera Sunglasses and Fay Bijou . Every guest received a beautiful gift bag as they left.

Style Arabia is supported by Ahlan Middle East, the region’s leading celebrity and lifestyle magazine.

“Style Arabia was another great success, it really has become the Arabic social and fashion event of the season” said Nadine El Chaer, editor of Ahlan Middle East.

The Style Arabia book featuring all the Style Arabia designers is out now free with Ahlan Middle East magazine.
 

Luxury In Grand Style: The New Audi A8 L Launched In The UAE

Audi is introducing its new flagship model. The A8 L quattro with a long wheelbase sets new standards of luxury, dynamism and efficiency in the top automobile manufacturing league. The Audi A8 L will be launched as a 372 hp 4.2 liter V8 with eight-speed tiptronic and quattro four-wheel drive, but will be available with further engines in 2011. “The Audi A8 L is the most important model for Audi in the Middle East for the next five or six years. It will be one of our top sellers. We are aiming to gain significant market share in the German premium D-segment and expecting four digit annual sales figures for the Middle East region” says Audi Middle East MD, Jeff Mannering.

Customers for the top model value comfort, style and prestige, which is why Audi designed the A8 long-wheelbase version for both those with chauffeurs and those who drive themselves. Every bit of the additional 13 centimeters benefits the rear seat passengers. The seats can be ventilated and adjusted in a variety of ways and the optional reclining seat behind the front passenger’s seat offers first-class luxury as in an airplane, featuring a footrest that folds out from the front passenger seat, an adjustable backrest and massage function. Among the optional features that promote relaxed travel or alternatively concentrated work in this mobile lounge are a folding table, a refrigerator, and a Rear Seat Entertainment system with access to its own DVD drive, hard drive jukebox, SD memory card readers, as well as a separate Audi music interface. The two 10.2-inch screens are the largest screens available within the immediate field of competitors. First class quality of workmanship is applied to every detail – from the ambient lighting through the accurately fitted switches with their precise click action. Audi exclusive customization options from quattro GmbH make the already highly luxurious Audi A8 L even more distinctive by tailoring both interior and exterior to the taste of the owner’s preferences.

The new A8 is a concentrated high-tech package that confirms the Audi claim to technical leadership – “Vorsprung durch Technik”. The touch-sensitive control panel known as MMI touch allows the driver to input navigation destination or a telephone number simply by writing on the pad with a finger. The high-end navigation system operates with high resolution 3D graphics and can be paired with adaptive cruise control system, the Audi side assist system, which helps the driver to change lanes, Audi lane assist, which detects any departure from the chosen lane, or the optional night vision assistant. The new Audi pre sense safety system is closely linked to the assistance systems. It is available in several stages: the full version brakes the car automatically in order to minimize the consequences of a nose-to-tail collision. Standard features include the Audi drive select system, adaptive air suspension, as well as the Audi sound system, which can be upgraded to the top-of-the-range Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System with more than 1,400 Watts and 19 speakers. The high-end full LED headlights are available as an option. Two sunroof options allow plenty of light in the interior: the electric solar sunroof or optional panoramic sun roof, which has the further advantage of a second, tilting rear section including with a separate sunblind, which can be operated from the front and rear of the car.

The Audi A8’s 4.2 FSI V8 engine draws 372 hp of power from 4,163 cc displacement and 445 Nm of torque at 3,500 rpm and accelerates the large sedan from zero to 100 km/h in 5.8 seconds. In the EU cycle it consumes just 9.7 liters/100 km and emits 224 grams of CO2/km, a reduction of 1.2 liters or eleven percent over the predecessor while power increased by 26 hp. Efficiency is a built in feature of the Audi A8 L, which employs among many other features an energy recuperation system and achieves a weight advantage of about 40 percent over a comparable steel body thanks to the aluminium Audi Space Frame (ASF) principle.

The new Audi A8 L is available as of now starting from AED 358,000.

 

Mall Of The Emirates Raises Style Stakes With The New Fashion Dome

Mall of the Emirates, UAE’s favourite shopping destination, will give yet another reason to its visitors to step out in style with the opening of its much anticipated luxury wing, the Fashion Dome on September 1st 2010.

Adding an impressive list of 42 high profile brands to the mall’s existing 477 retailers, the landmark lifestyle destination will further enhance its exceptional experience and provide a wider choice in luxury fashion to its customers.

Fuad Mansoor Sharaf, Vice President, Mall of the Emirates, said: “Our mall offers its customers the ultimate shopping experience and has emerged as a well-established destination of choice. With the addition of these hand picked fashion retailers to our portfolio, we have broadened our appeal and promise to offer a truly VIP experience.”

Spread over a gross leasable area of 10,500 square metres, Mall of the Emirates’ Fashion Dome will be a one stop destination for the fashionistas of the region offering high fashion names such as Christian Louboutin, Cartier, Canali, Galliano, Versace, Bottega Veneta, Mulberry, Diane von Furstenberg and the largest D&G boutique in the region.

Some of the existing premium retailers such as Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Gucci who are already present at the mall, will expand to bigger premises within the new Fashion Dome.

The Fashion Dome which is located in the south area of the mall enjoys the same architectural characteristics as the existing mall and is home to the mall’s second magnificent glass dome.

The ground floor of the new Fashion Dome is dedicated to food and beverage, with seven cafes and restaurants including the renowned More Café, French cuisine restaurant Fauchon, PF Chang’s and Tribes, a South African restaurant, which will be opening its first outlet in the UAE. Other restaurant destinations inside the new Fashion Dome will also include Asha’s, famous for its Indian curries and biryanis, and Middle East-specialty restaurant Al Halabi. Popular Italian restaurant Biella, meanwhile, is relocating to the new Fashion Dome from its original Mall of the Emirates position.

The first and second floors of the Fashion Dome offer a mix of luxury brands and high end fashion. The central area of the Fashion Dome features a three tier, hand carved marble fountain with four half-horse/half-fish figures positioned around the centre of the pool.

There is a direct access to the new Fashion Dome with drop-off points at all levels and a valet parking facility on the ground and first level.