Friday, October 29, 2010

Behind the Scenes at Dubai Fashion Week: Furne One's Amato show - Makeup



www.alimohajer.com

Fresh off from London Fashion Week, it was finally time to attend the eagerly anticipated show by Furne One at Dubai Fashion Week yesterday.
Furne is one of the most anticipated upcoming fashion designers on the global fashion stage. Having showcased 10 of his designs at this year's London Fashion Week (LFW) resulted in highest international media recognition and the expressive wish for him to return with his full collection at future LFW. Having truly captivated the fashion world's leading names with his imaginative and dazzling creations, we are left in eager anticipation of what is yet to come.


This year's Dubai Fashion Week collection consisted of creations inspired by the Elizabethan era, queens and war.
Furne, an all-round artist and talent of many sorts, designed not only the dresses but also the head ornaments and shoes, as well as choreographed the show. A show so powerful, through and through theatrical one could not but be in awe of Furne's powerful concept, vision and craftsmanship; and admire the "strong, fierce and intelligent Amato woman" representing this current collection.
The 33 outfit collection ranged from short hard-bodied dresses to wedding dresses with feathery trains and crystal embellished veils. Made of soft tulle, French lace and linen, the haute couture outfits were a strategic mixture of fabrics, in a bid to achieve a look that was both dreamy and glamorous. The bold and powerful cuts demanded immediate attention, while exuding qualities of fierce independence.

Militza @ Bareface
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One of Dubai's finest Catwalk models Jessica C opened the show with a dramatic first entrance to the sound of music infused church bells. Her fellow models continued in her footsteps with breathtaking catwalk performances. You can just tell when a model is proud to be walking for a designer and all of the Amato girls portrayed exactly this, which added to the already so fantastic show and was noticed throughout the media pit and by Furne himself.

First Face Jessica Chudasma
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Dangling chains, metallic cups and wooden forks were some of the innovative items used to create the head accessories to complement each outfit. The elaborate headpieces inspired by "horses and royalty" as Furne explained during the press conference were nothing short of "absolutely amazing" and finished off the gowns beautifully. Made of philippine palochina wood, the models donned incredible platform shoes which had been handcrafted over a period of 3 months. Accessories in the form of neck-braces, band-aids, and support braces, in a bid to re-enact war injuries.





INGLOT - Makeup Partner of Dubai Fashion Week
Having been invited to cover the show's Makeup backstage I was thrilled to see what a wonderful job this year's Makeup Sponsor Inglot Cosmetics did.

Key Makeup Artist Gerhard and his team of 13 Inglot makeup artists managed a total of 42 models with 6 shows per day.

Inglot Cosmetics - Backstage at Dubai Fashion Week

The beautiful Militza turning into the Amato Woman
In line with Furne One's vision for his show Gerhard designed a mannequin like look, very pale and nuded, but beautifully sculpted and contoured.
Inglot's semi-matte AMC Foundation was applied along with lots of concealer to achieve the flawless mannequin appearance envisioned by the designer. Brows were nuded by brushing foundation through them and lips were subtly enhanced with Inglot's Lip Duo's for a natural shine. The cheeks were stunningly contoured with a soft orangy/brown.

Stunning Sibilla - Final Touches


I was thoroughly impressed with the team's great quality of work and positive attitude. Moreover, I was super happy to see that hygiene was on top of their list as well, a rarity at many events. Great job Inglot! Very impressive!

Hope to see you at the next Fashion Week!




Thank you to Suzanne and her team from Hill & Knowlton for her fantastic support and flawless preparations and set up for the media.



photo credit: Dubai Fashion Week and Ali Mohajer www.alimohajer.com

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Photographer Watch: Tina Chang - Shaping the future of Fashion Photography in the UAE



"Tina Chang" - a name synonymous with über-cool Fashion Photography in the UAE.


On a weekly basis this exceptional photographer inspires creatives from the region with her unusual, amazingly versatile and impeccably executed editorials published in The National's M Magazine.
I have not had the honor of working with her, yet I rush to the Newspaper stand every Saturday to grab a copy of the M Magazine as though it was my own work published inside, just to see what Tina has been up to. On a regular basis I catch myself thinking "awww, I wish I had done that" and certainly always I react with "holy s..t, that's seriously amazing".







Her editorials let you assume an artist behind the camera who is very true to herself and does not bend or conform to norms or expectations of her environment. Her photos feel as though she truly believes in her instincts, her talent and vision as an artist.
Tina surrounds herself with some of the finest stylists and makeup artists of the UAE and you can almost feel their presence when looking at her photos. The passion for fashion, storytelling, creativity and artistry is so evident in her editorials, you just know that there is a amazingly excited team of professionals standing behind the camera looking over Tina's shoulder trying to catch a glimpse of her last shot.












Tina's works are certainly shaping the future of Fashion Photography in the UAE by challenging the traditional commercial approach often demanded by clients and imposed on the resident photographers. I am convinced that over the long run her creative input will change the minds and develop the UAE into a Middle Eastern hub appreciating creative freedom, non-traditional beauty and artists who aim for the extraordinary. Inshallah, it will.









































And here her most recent one, styled by the incredibly talented Sarah Maisey.





photo credit: The National M Magazine