caftan 2012-caftan 2013

caftan 2012-caftan 2013



Thomas Anderson. Wearing a loose, leopard-print caftan, Rudolph spent the evening bonding with her Saturday Night Live pals.





Known for its rich history, Morocco has thrived on reinforcing its own architectural identity, which can be seen in building designs across Fa, Marrakesh, Tanja and many other Moroccan towns and cities. Morocco’s signature art products, which have travelled the world and are considered inseparable from Europe’s renaissance, are on display at its pavilion and range from mosaic and wood carving to Moroccan costumes, Moroccan tea and the world famous Argan oil.

Many visitors are curious to find out the truth behind Argan oil, which many believe gives eternal youth. Historically, Berbers women are said to have used the oil that contains anti-wrinkle properties. Produced from the kernels of the Argan Tree (Argania Spinosa), which grows only in parts of Morocco, its oil is rare and unique to Morocco.

Sold by several vendors at the Moroccan Pavilion, Argan oil has been a favourite cure for hair loss, dandruff and dry skin. It is also used in Moroccan salad.

Moroccan tourist Hafisa Ilyas said that finding Argan oil and Moroccan tea in the Morocco Pavilion has made her very happy. “I use Argan oil a lot for beauty treatments. It makes my skin healthier, younger and softer.” The pavilion also has a host of mosaic and wood carved furniture with Islamic designs, coloured glass lanterns, wall accessories, tables with small leather cushions and vases.

Some hand-carved wood vases with coral, antique silver and calligraphy works measure as high as two metres. On display are the famous Moroccan costumes such as the Gallba and the Caftan that come in various colours and jacquard-like fabric. Cotton thread weaved with silk fashionably compose what is known as the ‘royal costume’ available in women’s cut as well as men’s. The traditional look is incomplete without the comfy, genuine leather hand-made Moroccan poufs. Visitors to the pavilion can also find aker fasi, a red coloured powder referred to colloquially as ‘deer’s blood’. Mixed with vaseline or henna, the powder extract from Moroccan poppy, gives a natural colour and tone to the hair, lips and cheekbones. It is also used in Moroccan baths and spas.






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20 Things to Do in Marrakech

20 Things to Do in Marrakech

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In the cool shade of Morocco, away from the bustling souks and messy mayhem, enjoy a moment of peace and quiet far from the scorching hot sun and vendors hawking their crafted goods 


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Tourists love buying carpets on their holidays to Marrakesh and are always insistent on transporting back as many as is humanly possible, from floral patterns to geometric motifs or even the brightly coloured carpets in the region of Tazenakht. You can also purchase 'kilim', which are woven carpets, much thinner and easier to transport / © Xoan-Sampaiño 


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It's amazing how many food stalls, spices, handicrafts, carpets, lamps or clothes that can be found in the neverending winding streets of the souk / © Tourism of Morocco 
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The labyrinth souks of Marrakech are filled with stall upon stall packed with Moroccan spices and unique herbs/ © Tourism of Morocco 
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Over the centuries, spices have been integrated into the country's gastronomy, seasoning many Moroccan dishes. Cinnamon, coriander and saffron are fundamental to add a little flavour to local specialties and synonymous with Moroccan cuisine / © Mark Zion
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Exploring the souks is always a highlight in Morocco but when contemplating a purchase, whether it be spices or slippers, be sure to test your best haggling skills as it is always expected and adds to the experience / © Tourism of Turkey 
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In the midst of the many perfume stands hundreds of fragrances, known as henna, as well as jasmine and orange blossom, are lined one by one ready for tourists to purchase. You can also find natural cosmetics such as shampoos known as tfal and the famous khol used for eye liner / © Tourism of Morocco 
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Just like in Morocco, the souks in Egypt are a fundamental aspect of the culture and an everyday occurrence for those living there / Tourism Egypt 
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The hundreds of colourful slippers displayed on every corner in every shade are synonymous with souks. Many have hand sewn patterns on the front and are the perfect souvenir to bring home after a trip to Morocco .

Above Photos and legends previously published by Hello!

1. Circle the Koutoubia Mosque

The minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque, Marrakech’s most famous symbol – built in a traditional Almohad style and topped with four copper globes – is visible from near and far.

It is not really that high (77 metres), but thanks to local topography and a local ordinance that forbids any other building in the Medina to be higher than a palm tree, it towers majestically over its surroundings.

Still an active place of worship, non-Muslims may not enter. But it’s possible to get a good view of the exterior by walking around either side.

2. Spend your dihrams at the souks

There are few more pleasurable ways to waste time in Marrakech than wandering around the seemingly endless maze of markets.

The area of the Medina north of the Jemaa El Fna is commercial – at least in its more central areas – with a fibrous network of souks. Beginning on the north edge, the souks comprise alleyway upon alleyway of tiny retail cubicles. The further in you venture the more interesting they become.

The two main routes into their heart are rue Semarine (aka Souk Semarine) and rue Mouassine; the former offers the more full-on blast of bazaar, the latter is a more sedate path leading to choice boutiques.

Every section has its own speciality: carpets and textiles; woollen hats and cooked snails; spices and magic supplies; cotton, clothing, kaftans and blankets – and most importantly raffia bags and baskets, which you'll need to carry all your purchases in.

3. Learn about Islamic scripture and law

The Ben Youssef Medersa, a Quranic school, dedicated to the teaching of Islamic scripture and law, was founded in the 14th century, then enlarged in the 16th. It was given a further polishing up in the 1990s courtesy of the Ministry of Culture.

Entrance is via a long, cool passageway leading to the great courtyard, a serene place centred on a water-filled basin. The surrounding façades are decorated with zelije tiling, stucco and carved cedar, all executed with restraint. At the far side is the domed prayer hall with the richest of decoration, notably around the mihrab, the arched niche that indicates the direction of Mecca.

Back in the entrance vestibule, passageways and two flights of stairs lead to more than 100 tiny windowless students’ chambers, clustered about small internal lightwells. Medieval as it seems, the medersa was still in use until as recently as 1962.

Ben Youssef Medersa, Place Ben Youssef (no phone). Open 9am-6.30pm daily.

4. Don some new threads

Akbar Delights (Souks 45 place Bab Fteuh) is an upmarket French-owned boutique specialising in luxury clothing and textiles from Kashmir, with some items made to their own designs. The tiny space is crammed with embroidered tops and dresses, cotton robes, silk shawls and scarves, plus shimmery, golden shoulder bags. The only made-in-Morocco items are some extraordinary brocaded babouches.

Atelier Moro (Souks 114 place de Mouassine, Mouassine, +212 5 24 39 10 78) contains a cool, eclectic selection of homeware, clothes, accessories and carpets chosen by Viviana Gonzalez of Riad El Fenn. Some of the clothes are designed by Viviana herself, but most of the stock is Moroccan, often the work of nameless artisans that would otherwise be lost in the souks.

5. Descend into Moorish history

Set in its own fenced enclosure and sunk several metres below the current street level, is the Koubba El-Badiyin. It looks unprepossessing but it’s the only surviving structure from the era of the Almoravids, the founders of Marrakech, and as such it represents a wormhole back to the origins of Moorish building history. It dates to the reign of Ali ben Youssef (1107-43) and was probably part of the ablutions complex of the original Ben Youssef Mosque. It’s worth paying the slight admission fee to descend the brickwork steps and view the underside of the dome, which is a kaleidoscopic arrangement of a floral motif within an octagon within an eight-pointed star.

Place Ben Youssef (no phone). Open Apr-Sept 9am-7pm daily. Oct-Mar 9am-6pm daily.

6. Get arts & crafty, Moroccan style

On display in Maison Tiskiwin, a private house owned by veteran Dutch anthropologist Bert Flint, is his fascinating collection of crafts and decorative arts from southern Morocco and the Sahara. The exhibition is designed to show Morocco’s connection to sub-Saharan Africa and is geographically laid out to take you on a virtual journey across the Sahara to Timbuktu. Exhibits include masks from as far afield as Mali and an entire Berber tent made of camel hair.

8 derb El-Bahia, off Riad Zitoun El-Jedid (+212 5 24 38 91 92). Open 9am-12.30pm, 3-6pm daily.

7. Be grave at the ancient Saadian Tombs

Flanking the south side of the Kasbah Mosque, the site of what is possibly Marrakech’s most visited monument is an ancient walled garden, the use of which far predates the Saadian era. Dotted around the shrubbery are early mosaic graves; the identity of those interred is long lost. Attention instead focuses on the three pavilions built during the reign of Saadian sultan Ahmed El-Mansour.

First on the left is the Prayer Hall, which holds numerous graves, mainly of Alaouite princes from the 18th century. Next to it is the Hall of Twelve Columns, a more ornate affair with three central tombs surrounded by a dozen marble pillars. The tomb in the middle is that of Ahmed El-Mansour, flanked by those of his son and grandson. A third, stand-alone pavilion has ornate Andalucian-style entrance portals.

Rue de Kasbah, Bab Agnaou (no phone). Open 8.30-11.45am, 2.30-5.45pm daily.

8. Explore Morocco through its museums

The Dar Si Said Museum (Riad Zitoun El-Jedid, +212 5 24 38 95 64), former home of the brother of Ba Ahmed, builder of the Bahia, now houses a large collection of crafts and woodwork. Among all the kitchen implements, weapons and musical instruments are beautiful examples of carved cedar, rescued from the city’s lost dwellings.

Inaugurated in 1997, the Musée de Marrakech (Place Ben Youssef, +212 5 24 44 18 93, www.museedemarrakech.ma) is housed in a converted early 20th-century house. The museum exhibits rotate, but the star attraction is the building itself, particularly the tartishly tiled great central court, roofed over and hung with an enormous chandelier that looks like the mothership from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The former hammam is lovely and makes a fine exhibition space.

9. Breath in Marrakech's pungent tanneries

To experience Marrakech at its most medieval – and most pungent – visit the tannery district. The tanners have been here since the city was founded and their work remains a pre-industrial process, using hundreds of vats full of foul liquids to cure animal hides. The eventual products can be seen and purchased at the leather shops near the gate, but you may prefer to get the hell out of the quarter and purge yourself in the nearest hammam.

10. Step into a Sultan's palace

Constructed by Sultan Ahmed El-Mansour (1578-1607), the Badii Palace is one of the two principal monuments of the Saadian era (the other is the Saadian Tombs). Today it survives only as a denuded ruin, but once it was a model of triumphal ostentation. Walls and ceilings were encrusted with gold from Timbuktu, while the inner court had a massive central pool with an island, flanked by four sunken gardens. At the centre of each of the four massive walls were four pavilions, also flanked by arrangements of pools and fountains. It took some 25 years to complete the palace and barely were the inaugural celebrations over before the ageing ruler passed away. His palace remained intact for less than a century before the Merenid sultan, Moulay Ismail, had it stripped bare and the riches carted north for his new capital at Meknès.

Place des Ferblantiers (no phone). Open 8.30-11.45am, 2.30-5.45pm daily.

11. Shop in a handicrafts department store

Don’t let the humble entrance fool you – Centre Artisanal is the closest thing to a department store in Marrakech, albeit a department store selling nothing but handicrafts. It’s the ultimate souvenir store, with everything from trad clothing (babouches, jellabas, kaftans) to jewellery, and home furnishings to carpets. Prices are fixed at slightly above what you would pay in the souk, but this at least does away with tiresome haggling.

Kasbah 7 Derb Baissi Kasbah (+212 5 24 38 18 53). Open 8.30am-7pm daily.

12. Eat in fabulous surroundings

There are plenty of picturesque places to eat in Marrakech, but two are stand out. The setting for the Pavillion (North Medina Derb Zaouia, Bab Doukkala) – the courtyard of a splendid old house where tables cluster under the spreading boughs of a massive tree – is superlative, while Narwama (Jemaa El Fna & Koutoubia Mosque 30 rue Koutoubia, +212 5 24 44 08 44, www.narwama.com, open 9am-7pm daily), the city’s first proper Thai restaurant, is housed in the central courtyard of a palatial 19th-century residence. It’s an enormous space that, with its potted palms, pastel hues and global lounge music, feels like a Buddha Bar night in some orientalist conservatory.

13. Get leathered

Chez Said specialises in fashionable leather bags, decorated with coins or beads, or just a simple metal disc on the front. Designs come in both modern and vintage styles. The leather is either au natural or dyed; when the latter, colouring is properly fixed and doesn’t come off on your clothes. Said speaks English, and also sells his bags in bulk to certain well-known stores in the UK.

Souks 155 Souk Chkairia (+212 5 24 39 09 31). Open 9.30am-7.30pm daily.

14. Appreciate modern art

Marrakech is bereft of theatres and music venues, and the few cinemas aren’t going to be showing much you’ll understand, but there’s a growing commercial gallery scene.

Housed in a gorgeous townhouse is the Medina’s premier exhibition space, Dar Cherifa (Souks 8 Derb Charfa Lakbir, Mouassine, +212 5 24 42 64 63). Parts of the building date back to the 16th century and it has been lovingly restored by owner Abdelatif ben Abdellah. Regular exhibitions lean towards resident foreign artists, but there have also been shows by Moroccan artists Hassan Hajjaj and Milaudi Nouiga.

When Galerie 127 (Guéliz 127 avenue Mohammed V, 2nd floor, +212 5 24 43 26 67, galerie127mohammedV@hotmail.fr) opened in 2006 it became the first photo gallery in the Maghreb and only the third in Africa. It got off to a good start with an opening show by Tony Catany. The king bought 30 of the photographs.

Galerie Rê (Guéliz Résidence Al-Andalus III, angle rue de la Mosquée and Ibn Touert No.3, +212 5 24 43 22 58) is a serious and lavishly designed contemporary gallery for changing exhibitions by mostly ‘Moroccan and Mediterranean’ artists. Upstairs is a selection from established Moroccan artists such as Abdelkarim Ouazzani, Tibari Kantour and Mohammed Lagzouli.

The Light Gallery (Kasbah 2 derb Chtouka, light.marrakech@gmail.com) kicked off in 2007 with photographs of neon and fluorescent lights by Gilles Coulon, then moved on to drawings by Swiss painter Mathias Schauwecker. It’s a big, bright, modern space where they also sell a few clothes, books, and have some small photos for sale from the likes of Robert Mapplethorpe, Helmut Newton and Martin Parr.

The Matisse Art Gallery (Guéliz 61 rue Yougoslavie, No.43 passage Ghandouri, +212 5 24 44 83 26, matisseartgallery@gmail.com) is a decent space devoted to solo shows by young Moroccan artists such as calligraphy painters Nouredine Chater and Nouredine Daifellah, and figurative painter Driss Jebrane. More established names are also exhibited, such as Farid Belkahia and Hassan El-Glaoui (the late son of the former ‘Lord of the Atlas’ was devoted to painting horses).

15. Have a belly (dance) full

Marrakchi socialites will tell you that Comptoir is sooo over, but on the right night it’s still the best party in town. From the outside it’s a well-behaved little villa on a quiet residential street, but inside the place buzzes with dressed-up diners on the ground floor, while upstairs is a sizeable lounge filled each weekend night to within a whisper of health and safety violations. The crowd is a mix of good-looking locals, sharper expats and wide-eyed tourists delighted to have stumbled on the Marrakech they’d always heard about. Drinks are pricey but the nightly belly-dancers are hilarious.

Hivernage Avenue Echouhada (+212 5 24 43 77 02,www.comptoirdarna.com). Open 7pm-1am daily. Admission free.

16. Find your Moroccan groove

Pacha (Zone hôtelière de l’Agdal Boulevard Mohammed VI, +212 5 24 38 84 00, www.pachamarrakech.com) is an enormous complex which, apart from the club itself, also includes two restaurants – Jana and Crystal – as well as a chill-out lounge and swimming pool. The dancefloor and bars can accommodate up to 3,000 smiley souls, and guest DJs are flown in most weekends. The names include many of those you’ll find elsewhere on the international Pacha circuit. The club is some 7km south of town, so getting there and back can be pricey.

Almost too big for its own good, Palais Jad Mahal (Hivernage 10 rue Haroun Errachid, www.jad-mahal.com), just outside Bab Jdid, has a nice restaurant and bar with (usually) a boring live band playing vintage rock covers on the ground floor, and a voluminous club down below (separate entrance along the street, admission 100dh) that today houses a nightly ‘oriental cabaret’ frequented mostly by Moroccans.

Thêatro (Hivernage Hotel Es Saadi, avenue El-Qadissia, +212 5 24 44 88 11, www.theatromarrakech.com) is where you’ll find the hippest, best-informed locals. The venue was once a theatre; now, the stalls are filled with sofas, while the balcony is tiered with throw cushions. A series of semi-private, gauze-veiled crash crèches fill the stage, while the former orchestra pit houses a long curved bar, well stocked with chilled champagne and Red Bull. The sound system is thunderous, and psychedelic cinema projections entertain the eye – it’s just a pity no one thought to leave space for a dancefloor. Look out for nights by Sound of Marrakech, as well as occasional international names. Open daily from 11.30pm.

17. Grab a cocktail on a roof terrace

A café by day and restaurant by night, Kechmara also functions well as a lively and convivial bar. There’s a long bar counter to the right as you enter with a tap for bière pression, back shelves lined with spirits and bar stools for perching. The menu lists long drinks and cocktails, which are also served on a spacious roof terrace.

Guéliz 3 rue de la Liberté (+212 5 24 42 25 32). Open 7am-midnight Mon-Sat. Admission free.

18. And relax... at a hammam

House in a big old house near the Royal Palace, Dar Karma (Kasbah 51 derb El-Mennabha, +212 5 24 38 58 78, www.dar-karma.com) was once the home of Mohammed V’s French translator. An elegant maison d’hôte since 2003, it retains something of a homely air, despite such mod cons as a small swimming pool and a water-mist cooling system on the roof terrace. The hammam is very grand indeed.

One of the longer established guesthouses in the Palmeraie, Les Deux Tours (Palmeraie Douar Abiad, +212 5 24 32 95 27, www.les-deuxtours.com) is the sublime work of premier Marrakchi architect Charles Boccara. Guests share the most attractive of outdoor pools, keyhole shaped and fringed by perfectly maintained lawns, as well as a stunning subterranean hammam.

Les Jardins de la Medina (Kasbah 21 derb Chtouka, +212 5 24 38 18 51,www.lesjardinsdelamedina.com), the former royal residence has been a luxurious 36-room hotel since 2001. A big international restaurant, a splendid hammam, a decent gym and a beauty salon round off the services.

19. Join the party

Four key events for the diary: January sees the Marrakech Marathon (www.marathon-marrakech.com); February, the Dakka Marrakchia Festival (www.morocco.com/blog/dakka-marrakchia-festival-a-musical-celebration), an annual festival of traditional Marrakechi music; July the National Festival of Popular Arts (www.marrakechfestival.com), a five-day celebration of Morocco’s arts; and December the Marrakech International Film Festival (www.festivalmarrakech.info).

20. Sleep in Moorish luxury

The creation of designer Meryanne Loum-Martin and her ethnobotanist husband Dr Gary Martin, Jnane Tamsna (Palmeraie Douar Abiad, +212 5 24 32 84 84, www.jnane.com) is a ‘Moorish hacienda’ with seven opulent suites and 17 gorgeous rooms, set in five buildings scattered around some beautiful gardens, each with its own pool. The architecture is vernacular chic, coloured in the palest tones of primrose, peppermint and clay and enhanced by Loum-Martin’s own inspired furniture. Surrounding fruit orchards, herb and vegetable gardens provide organic produce for the kitchen.

Char-Bagh (Palmeraie, +212 5 24 32 92 44, www.ksarcharbagh.com) takes the Moroccan fantasy trip to extremes. A charming French couple have re-created an Alhambran palace court on a kasbah-sized scale. A moated gatehouse with six-metre-high beaten metal doors fronts an arcaded central court with pool. The extensive grounds contain herb and flower gardens, an orchard, an open-air spa and the deepest of swimming pools. Indoor amenities include a cigar salon, a house sommelier, and a chef trained under Alain Ducasse and Joël Robuchon.

Set in a hectare of lush gardens filled with roses and hibiscus, bougainvillea and palm trees, Dar Zemora (Palmeraie 72 rue El-Aandalib, Ennakhil, +212 5 24 32 82 00, www.darzemora.com) is Marrakech’s answer to the English country-house hotel – perhaps it achieves this status because it’s owned by an English couple, who have remodelled this former private abode beyond all recognition.


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Moroccan Kaftans





Moroccan Kaftans


Here at Moroccan Kaftans we have a passion to improve the choice available for modest evening, Bridal and special occasion wear.


Not many garments can guarantee to make you feel like a princess wherever you’re headed. Mirriam Kaissi’s designs have been handmade to perfection using local tradesmen and women in the city of Tangiers, Morocco.




Whether donning an abaya, kaftan, cocktail dress or ball gown, one thing is certain: Arab women have style. And thanks to Muscat Fashion Week 2013, held on January 15-17 at Riyam Park, and organised by Malik Al Hinai, fashionistas got to see the latest collection of 12 of the region's best designers. This year's lineup featured collections from Dibaj Oman, Nawal Al Hooti and Endemage from Oman, Kanzi, Das Collection, C'est Moi and Mauzan from the UAE, Qatar's Toujouri, Razan Alazzouni from Saudi Arabia, Jordan's Tatyana Aceeva, Ahmed Talfit from Tunisia and Morocco's Zhor Rais. The clothes highlighted their abilities to blend their own cultures with the world around them.

"It's a fusion. Old and new. West meets East. The silhouettes are very modern, maybe more European, and then there are touches of our culture in the detailing," said Afaf Al Farsi, one of the sisters behind the fashion house Dibaj Oman. Dibaj Oman's collection was filled with rich velvets, lace, sweeping skirts, and as always, Omani-style stripes and embroidery bringing them back to their roots. It's this combination of high fashion and heritage that has made them a favourite at Muscat Fashion Week, and even got them a nod from legendary fashion journalist Hilary Alexander, who was most impressed with their collection.


"I'm a complete pushover for tribal jewellery and ethnic costumes, so that was a draw for me. But I was really impressed with the way some of the designers are able to keep an inherent heritage of where they come from, but make it look very cosmopolitan. I thought particularly Zhor Rais of Morocco, and Dibaj of Oman, were my two favourites on that score," said Hilary, sporting an Omani necklace from Mutrah Souk.

Oman's Nawal Al Hooti, who recently opened her second boutique in the Opera Gallerias, also captured the spirit of mixing European and Omani designs in her collection. With colourful, flowing kaftans paired with Omani belts, and mini denim skirts edged with traditional motifs and patterns, Nawal reminded the audience why she's one of the Sultanate's top designers.

Also gaining a strong following in Oman and the UAE, thanks to their talent for designing for all occasions, is Endemage, the label founded by sisters Lubna and Nadia Al Zakwani. They started out making abayas but have branched out to include pants, shorts and dresses. They use Islamic detailing in the embroidery, but aren't afraid of cuts that are edgier and more international. "It's more of a modern touch with strong Arab influences. We design for a woman who is confident with what she wears. She's not afraid to be different. She has a fashion eye, and she's very elegant," explained Lubna and Zakia, standing on the runway after the show.

Endemage seems to have the contemporary Arab woman pegged, and most of the designers at Muscat Fashion Week shared the idea that these days women in Arab World are comfortable wearing both traditional and modern styles. "Arab women are really fashionable. They're either fashionable in a modern, Western sense, or they're fashionable in a very traditional Arab sense. But they're all fashionable in their own way. The majority of young Arab women tend to have a perfect blend. They manage to be traditional and add some flair to it," explained Iraqi-Jordanian designer Tatyana Aceeva, who has also shown at fashion weeks in Dubai and Amman.

She said the woman she has in mind when she's designing is fashionable and modern, but also traditional. Her designs are sexy but tasteful, and comfortable to wear. Tatyana's collection of gowns and cocktail dresses tend to have European cuts, but adding a bit of "bling," as she calls the sparkling embellishments, is in her Arab blood. Casablanca-based Zhor Rais, who designs kaftans and dresses for the Moroccan royal family, said it's crucial for Arab designers to stay true to their roots while at the same time modernising and trying new things. She focuses on traditional, conservative shapes but the material, embroidery, and decorations she uses for her exquisitely handcrafted pieces are often the best available in Europe.


"Each has her ethnicity. I like it a lot when designers work within their own culture. I'm Moroccan so I don't copy French, Italian or Algerian designs. I come with my culture," Zhor said.
The UAE label Kanzi, making a third appearance at Muscat Fashion Week, started out designing more traditional clothes, but over the years has become more adventurous, fusing Eastern and Western styles. They stayed away from short skirts, but brought flattering, comfortable and elegant kaftans and dresses to the runway, as well as some fabulous abayas. Designer Sheikha Amal Al Maktoum described the collection as easy to wear, but with a luxurious touch. There were a lot of geometrical embellishments involved in the pieces, pointed shoulders, and straight pencil skirts. "It's more trendy and fashionable. There's more colour and more embellishment. It's more evening dresses, and not limited to people from the Middle East. It can be worn by any person around the world," said Amal.

Kanzi's designs do indeed attract an international following, as they are sold in Harrod's in London, among other places. They are in good company there alongside Qatari designer Lama El-Moatassem, whose line Toujouri (Arabic for "treasure box") is also sold at Harrod's. For Toujouri, Muscat Fashion Week 2013 marked a regional debut, as it was the first time Lama participated in a fashion event in the Middle East. Though she has a flagship store in Doha and sells her line at boutiques in Riyadh, Dubai, Kuwait and Tokyo, she reveals her collections in the Paris fashion weeks. Despite her international success, Lama was delighted to present her designs to a local audience.

"It was quite exciting for us to be part of something of a high standard in the Middle East with a variety of really great talent and up-and-coming designers. It's great to be able to interact with the women in the Middle East. The collection really caters to that Middle Eastern woman who holds onto her background, culture and traditions, but is also modern in her lifestyle," Lama explained at the Opera Gallerias the day after her show, as women browsed through her colourful, printed kaftans, cocktail dresses, resort clothes and evening wear.

Lama said there is a growing interest in the Middle East, and Arab women are now considered among the most fashionable. Thanks to being more educated, well-travelled, and exposed to international trends, women in the Middle East have become more adept at blending the best of both worlds. "In the past maybe there was a bit of mystery about what goes under that black abaya, but everyone travels a lot more and shops more, so they have a taste for more exclusive designs as well. It's changing for the better," said Lama, who studied fashion in London.

Tunisian designer Ahmed Talfit, the lone male design at Muscat Fashion Week, said fashion goes beyond borders now. He stole the show with his fierce, gothic styles, inspired by concepts he calls the "New Oriental Woman" and "Apocalypse." With spikes shoulders, huge collars and puffed sleeves, combinations of leather and lace, and models instructed to really stomp down the catwalk and pose like beautiful, ferocious creatures, Ahmed's collection embodied just how far from an abaya Arab fashion can go.

After three nights of fabulous fashion at Muscat Fashion Week, there is no doubt Arab women have got style, and the fashion industry is growing in the Middle East, drawing on international trends and shapes, and reflecting age-old traditions and heritage. The designs on the runway have appeal for women everywhere, Arab and foreign.

When it comes to fashion in the Arab world, perhaps Ahmed Talfit says it best: "There isn't one style for Arab women and one for Western women. For me, style is international."



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