Flaunt your personality with Nihal Basha handbags

In these difficult times, customers are shopping more intelligently: There is much greater value put on bags that will stand the test of time and a return to a well-made product. This is the case with Hermes. This iconic high-end brand, known for its timeless bags, is thriving. Demand for its famous Kelly and Birkin is so strong that waiting lists can stretch up to several years and the average annual growth is 14.7 percent.

The downturn has also uncovered a new trend: A dwindling appeal for logos associated with lavish lifestyles. Exclusivity is no longer restricted to expensive brands. There is a growing consensus that less is more and that anonymity is the key to being recognized.

This tendency has triggered women’s interest for small and unknown brands. Nihal Basha is one of them. The brand is the brainchild of Cairo-based Nihal Basha who was a freelance food stylist before she started her handbag business.

“It all began when I decided to design my own bags, which my friends loved. So, I started creating more bags…People enjoyed the style and believed the price was a good value for money. I am still here and I am hoping to maintain a wider fan base not only in the Middle East but worldwide,” said Basha.

She defines her style as simple and authentic. “A bag is a very important accessory for every woman. It simply identifies her. Over and above, we need practical bags to fit our daily life style,” she says.

Basha favors unfussy shapes like the tote, the perfect carryall for these post-luxury recessionary times. A tote bag is large and open with a handle centered atop each side. The standard blueprint includes one large pocket, occasionally with dividers or small inset pockets. Most totes provide some type of closure, typically a zipper, tie or magnet at the top opening.

It is interesting to know that the signature trend of tote bags began in 1944 when LL Beans designed a basic canvas bag for the boater crowd. Women were immediately attracted to the practical side of this bag.

The tote became common in the 1950s, a time when women’s handbags focused more on practicality rather than style. Then, Bonnie Cashin, a popular Coach designer, created the Cashin Carry tote bags in the 1960s. However, it was really the genial Kate Spade who transformed the basic tote into a feminine and stylish bag. The tote has become an indispensable accessory ever since.

Basha has introduced a popular line of practical and stylish totes. This versatile “everything” bag is available in many colors including an eye-catching leopard print leather.

Beside her best-selling items, “El Hayat” and “The Coins,” her iconic bag decorated with 50 piaster coins, Basha also specializes in clutch bags, which unlike tote bags, are not a modern invention. Women used them already at the end of the medieval period. Clutch bags were very popular during the 19th century but died out at the turn of the 20th century. However, as a result of the numerous shortages, including leather during World War II, small bags became fashionable again and the clutch bag was reborn.

There has never been such a great variety of clutches available on the market as at the present day. Basha has designed a collection of low-cost, elegant clutches that are also suitable for evening wear.

More than ever, handbags are made in all kinds of styles, shapes, sizes, materials and purposes. They have become along with jewelry, shoes and belts, an indispensable accessory that flaunts your personality.

And if you are wondering what is the best way to take care of your handbags, you should first stay away from all those sprays, which claim to protect them. Different leathers have different reactions, and the result might not be what you had originally intended for. Wiping your leather bags with a clean cloth is a good way to care for your bags. One should also not forget that leather has memories. You should not store your bags on top of each other because that will alter their shape into an irreversible form.

Basha’s bags are available in Egypt, Dubai and Beirut, but she acknowledges that most of her sales are done on the Internet. “Many women buy online; it’s a matter of convenience!”

Emirati women to take up Antarctica challenge

Abu Dhabi: Five Emirati women going on an expedition to Antarctica next month want to use their trip to change misconceptions and stereotypes about women in the region.

"We would like to show the world that UAE women can do whatever their counterparts in the rest of the world are able to do," Khadijah Al Muttawa, an anti-money laundering officer with the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD), told Gulf News yesterday.
"We would like to break the misconception or stereotype about Arab and Muslim women — that they are not free to work towards achieving their personal ambitions or goals," she said.
Khadijah and four colleagues — Alia Al Khafajy, Anna Ayoub, Oshba Mubarak and Yasmin Al Juwadri — will join the expedition titled 2041 International Antarctica Expedition from February 27 to March 12 this year.

The five women are being sponsored by their employer, NBAD, for the expedition, which will be led by polar explorer and environmentalist Robert Swan.

The 2041 International Antarctica Expedition aims to highlight the effects of global warming and ensure the continued protection of Antarctica from mining and exploitation beyond 2041, when current international agreements over the continent end.
Ehab Anis Hassan, NBAD's group chief human resources officer, said the bank is pleased to participate in the expedition with its five-member team.

NBAD's objective is to empower and encourage Emirati women who are eager to participate in global civic activities as the nation's ambassadors, he said, adding that the five explorers were selected through a competitive application process.

Throughout the expedition, participants will see and learn about Antarctic wildlife, live a sustainable lifestyle and learn about the importance of preserving natural resources and the role of renewable energy in balancing the ecosystem. In addition, the expedition is designed to develop participants' inter-personal and leadership skills.
The five UAE women will first travel to Ushuaia in Terra Del Fuego, southern Argentina, along with 65 fellow explorers, where they will be trained for their expedition. Preparations will include activities such as trekking and hiking.
"It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Alia, an associate banker. Anna, a branch manager, said the expedition would help her "break away from material life, hear my hear beat [and] reconnect with nature".
The women have all been found fit for the trip after medical tests and have received training in presentation skills, media, sustainability and team building.

Carolina Herrera: The Middle East is an inspiration

From my observations, Saudi women are a lot like Latin Americans; they love makeup and colors,” said the Venezuelan fashion designer, Carolina Herrera, after her visit to Jeddah to support breast cancer awareness with Zahra Breast Cancer Association.
Herrera and her daughter Carolina Adriana held a press conference in Jeddah last October to announce that a charity dinner event would be held at the Park Hyatt Jeddah under the patronage of Princess Haifa Bint Faisal Bin Abdul Aziz, chairman of Zahra Breast Cancer Association. Guests were invited to contribute to the cause and entered into a draw to win an item from the Carolina Herrera New York boutique.
“We are extremely pleased to be widening our appeal to raise money for breast cancer awareness. We are now raising funds across Latin America, the US, Spain and the Middle East. Our efforts will hopefully enable us to support breast cancer patients and their families around the world,” she said at the press conference.
Carolina Herrera's eponymous fashion label has been in demand ever since her first line was released in 1981. She has designed everything from casual to evening, formal dresses and bridal gowns and has found success in every approach thanks to her elegance, style and simplicity that knows no boundaries.
During her visit, she met with a number of Saudi women at a gala dinner where she said abayas and kaftans have been around for a while and many international designers and brands were inspired by them.
“I believe Saudi women are very elegant. Their abayas are very beautiful and they have flawless skin, beautiful eyes and incredible hair. I saw Princess Haifa Al-Faisal and her sister Princess Ola and they were stunning and they looked very elegant and chic,” she said. “In every summer collection, you get to see beautiful, colorful kaftans that women wear at the beach, from Yves Saint Laurent and other designers, and I believe it’s an easy wear and elegant. This would definitely be an inspirational source especially after my visit to Jeddah and Dubai,” she added.

According to Herrera, fashion is a mystery that has to be fun, elegant and a part of your everyday life. Growing up, the designer wasn't dressing dolls or playing with fabrics. Instead, she used to ride her horse every day, take care of her dogs and play tennis — activities that had very little to do with fashion. However, at the age of 16, fashion became her passion.
“Fashion is made for the eyes and not for the intellect; fashion changes with time and you always have to be updated and educated with what’s in and what’s out. The only thing I know is that I love fashion,” said Herrera.
Herrera does not follow international trends out of fear that her designs will end up looking like uniforms. She likes to come up with her style and says it's important in fashion to be original, unique and different.
"I have my own view and my aim in fashion is that I want to see women look elegant, sophisticated and feminine,” she said.
Herrera’s biggest fear when designing is that she has to come up with a new concept for every collection. “The biggest question in the fashion world is ‘What’s new?’ and you always have the right answer that satisfies me and everyone around you,” she said. “I’m blessed with a team that has my eyes, so whenever I run out of ideas, they help me. It’s like a collaboration and we all help each other.”
When asked who she would choose to play her role in a movie, Hererra said she would choose French actress Catherine Deneuve. “I have always admired Catherine Deneuve and I think she is a fantastic actress. She is beautiful, elegant and sharp and this is why I see her playing me in a movie."
Hererra has dressed everyone from Renee Zellweger, Blake Lively to Christina Hendricks and Oprah Winfrey. But in her three-decade career, Herrera’s most devoted client was Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis who wore her designs in the last 12 years of her life.
“All my clients are women who look for elegant, simple yet chic clothing. I would so much love to dress the Qatari prince’s wife, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al-Missned. I admire her and I love the way she looks. I believe that she is very elegant and a fashion icon. She is very beautiful and sophisticated and this is what attracted me to her style,” she said.
There are six Carolina Herrera flagship boutiques in the world. They are in New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, Bal Harbor, Las Vegas and Caracas. Herrera also established a diffusion line under the name CH that is currently sold all over the world.

“I opened CH Carolina Herrera, my lifestyle line, to introduce people to my designs. I want them to know my name and my designs before I open another flagship. I’m studying the Middle East market to see their approach to my clothing stores in CH and once I’m sure that the people are familiar with the brand, I will open a Carolina Herrera for evening dresses and bridal boutique,” she said.

Herrera has been involved in many social responsibility and volunteering projects around the world, including God's Love We Deliver, a charity that provides around 4,000 meals a day to people who are too sick to shop or cook for themselves. Starting next year, Herrera will develop a perfume for charity.

“Carolina, my daughter, is in charge of designing and creating a new perfume for 2012 and all the income from this specific perfume will be donated to support charity organizations. The perfume is going to be called Carolina Herrera l'eau which means water and it will be sold all over the world,” she said.

Carolina Herrera just opened her new store in Abu Dhabi and released a limited edition elegant golden handbag for Abu Dhabi shoppers to celebrate the opening. The handbag has the word “Abu Dhabi” printed on it and a small palm tree decorated with Swarovski crystals as a symbol of the UAE.