Month: March 2012

Exclusive Style Consultation With Top Fashion Stylist Farah Kabir

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Farah in action

Al Ghurair Centre offers exclusive Style Consultation Opportunities With Renowned Fashion Stylist Farah Kabir

One of the people I have become very fond of in the last two years is Dubai’s hottest and trendiest fashion stylist, Farah Kabir, who also happens to be my ex-neighbour and is like my older daughter and a friend. She and Leila, another friend keep me feeling young.

While I lived next to her, it was an absolute delight bumping into Farah in the mornings, near the lift or just as she was about to go out as she was always impeccably dressed and no matter what she was wearing, it always looked effortlessly chic. Naturally she is talented and this is her career but I still feel one has to have a natural knack for style and clearly Farah has it.

We always felt Farah would be an incredible independent stylist – doing what she does best and enhancing people’s sense of style in Dubai. (Trust me, there are those like me who work all the time and have no idea of what’s trendy, what’s not, and where to go for clothes).

Help is now at hand with Al Ghurair Centre which has kick-started its signature Al Ghurair Styling Event which runs until March 31st 2012 offering 10 days of pampering and styling in a relaxed setting where women can mingle and chat, exchange fashion tips and get insider styling ideas from Farah.

Farah will give shoppers a once in a lifetime opportunity to transform their wardrobe, and signature style as she has styled for big-budget Hollywood movies such as the Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol blockbuster and world-class brands such as Nike, Tag Heuer, Harvey Nichols, De Beers and Cartier.

Farah started her career working at avant-garde boutiques such as Demeulemeester, Yamamoto and Comme des Garcons before entering the world of styling. She is also a graduate of the prestigious London College of Fashion.

If you feel like you need a style makeover or you need to make a few changes in your wardrobe, there is no one in Dubai better than Farah to make it happen for you….what are you waiting for girls?

For further information, please contact 04 2055309 / 285 or visit www.alghuraircentre.com


Abu Dhabi Festival Plus Bringing Shakespeare to life

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While doing my Masters in Literary Studies, I always cringed when an assignment on popular classics came my way. But as I grew older and wiser, they grew on me… mostly due to the influence of living with Eric who as a stage actor loves performing classics and it looks like NJD is going that route too since her video of emulating Juliet has been a hit amongst friends.

So lo and behold, I am now a fan of Shakespeare (when I really should have been a fan while I was studying him). Naturally then it was delightful to hear of Midsummer Night’s Dream reinvigorating a Love of Shakespeare across UAE as the UK Theatre Company returned to the Abu Dhabi Festival 2012 with a specially commissioned production of the play.

The mesmerising performance at the packed Abu Dhabi Theatre held its audience in awe, as the actors played out one of Shakespeare’s most imaginative plays. As part of Abu Dhabi Festival’s education program, the interactive play breathes new life into this amazingly clever and classic Midsummer Night’s Dream and its cast of mortals, mechanicals and fairies is packed with dazzling poetry and sparkling comedy.

Her Excellency Mrs Hoda Al Khamis Kanoo, Founder and Artistic Director of the Abu Dhabi Festival thought the Director, Buckhurst and his talented cast did a superb job and delivered a powerful and passionate performance. A popular and enduring comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream features three interlocking plots set simultaneously in the woodland, and in the realm of fairyland under the light of the moon. The story, mixed with mortals, a feuding king and queen, magical practical jokes, love affairs and characters transformed in the most unlikely ways, danced across the delightfully constructed stage.

The Festival continues its commitment to showcasing the very best of the arts, with a schedule combining classical music, theatre and performing arts, jazz, ballet and fine arts until the 6th of April. The programme crosses cultures and explores the past, present and future of artistic expression.

Interesting acts to watch for would be Naseer Shamma and Global Ensemble. The ensemble will perform on the 24th of this month, and a unique fusion of music of the Spanish guitar, oud, percussion, upright bass, clarinet, harp and piano will transcend genres and blend influences. The act is an Abu Dhabi Festival Commission and World Premiere event.

There will also be an Emirati flavoured adaptation of the well-known Restoration comedy, The Rivals, by Richard Sheridan by Abu Dhabi based Resuscitation Theatre. Not to miss as well would be Arab musician Ibrahim Latoof and Riwaq Al Fikr, Royal Opera House’s production of Beloved Friend and SUTRA: a stunning blend of Kung Fu, Tai Chi and contemporary dance bough by the illustrious Sadler’s Well Theatre in London and feature 17 monks of the Shaolin temple in China. I cant wait to see this…i reckon its worth a journey into Abu Dhabi to get a glimpse of SUTRA.

The dynamic team at The Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) have done an amazing job in their bid to nurture the arts, education, culture and creativity for the benefit of society and the advancement of Abu Dhabi’s cultural vision.

ADMAF’s broad programme of initiatives and events – including the Abu Dhabi Festival and the Young Media Leaders, The Nationals’ Gallery and The Artists’ Studio among many others – brings together audiences of all ages and nationalities. Through its educational and community programmes, it nurtures the creative talent of the UAE and beyond, in partnership with leading national and international institutions….how cool is that?

London’s Globe Theater Brings Love of Shakespeare to Abu Dhabi - IMAGE BY ADMAF

ART DUBAI + JOHN JONES ART ON PAPER AWARD + SIKKA AND MORE

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I loved 'Aquarium' by Beatriz Milhazes at the Cartier enclave in Art Dubai

The last two evenings have been awesome with me doing whistle stop tours of the galleries at Art Dubai after work.

Its awesome to see so many familiar faces and art enthusiasts lapping it up….my favourite area this year has to be the Cartier enclave. I didn’t want to leave as it was like a mini paradise set up to entice us and although I am not such a great fan of most Cartier jewellery, I have to say they really know how to pull the crowds with the ambience they have created at this years Art Dubai.

One hot news that has emerged is that the judges of the John Jones Art on Paper Award have selected artists Hassan Sharif (UAE) and Luis Camnitzer (Uraguay) as dual recipients of the inaugural award. The two artists are shown on the stand of New York gallery Alexander Gray Associates…. I went to see their gallery amongst others and they have some super talented people this year featured at the stands.

This Award was conceived by master framers John Jones Ltd. and Art Dubai to recognize the potential for excellence and innovation for works made on paper.  Sharif and Camnitzer will be given the opportunity to present a dedicated exhibition in Dubai between March 2012-2013, and in addition to the artists receiving a cash prize, the winning works will be acquired by the John Jones Contemporary Art Collection in London.

I also came across the information on SIKKA and the ArtBus concept which I think is a superb idea for people who really want to see all the art scene that Dubai has to offer without worrying about transport, parking etc….diva likes this idea heaps.

To make it more interesting,  the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture commissioned UAE-based artist UBIK, to design the SIKKA ArtBus. The ArtBus, organised by ArtintheCity and thejamjar, in partnership with the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, serves as a convenient guide for visitors to various art fairs, galleries, educational and interactive talks, and other art events taking place in Dubai. Another bus acts as a complimentary ArtBus shuttle, taking passengers to and from SIKKA 2012, until March 24.

SIKKA 2012 is held at the historic Al Bastakiya, the vibrant cultural nerve-centre of Dubai….there is so much more to enjoy in terms of Art in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi that I don’t know where to start and where to stop…..all I can say is that the UAE totally rocks when it comes to the Art scene this month. There is no place in the world I would like to be in right now, my home country Fiji Islands included (Fiji is a paradise and the way the world should be so me saying that in March I reckon UAE is more fun than Fiji means a lot).

 

The Cartier area at Art Dubai


Royal Jet and their challenging Medical Evacuation Mission

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Although I generally don’t like talking about brands that clash with the business interests of our group members, this week I found myself questioning and going against that as I was reading about Royal Jet’s Medevac unit successfully completing a highly complicated medical evacuation mission as it flew 31 Chinese workers injured in explosions in the Republic of Congo to China – I thought that was very commendable and worth a mention.

Frankly speaking, I always saw Royal Jet as an international luxury flight services company more on the premium side without knowing that they also have a medical team. So it was an eye opener finding out that Royal Jet Medical Evacuation Service offers state-of-the-art equipment and highly-qualified, skilled and dedicated medical professionals….this clearly is the caring side of the brand.

So…the story is that using its fully equipped and expertly manned Boeing Business Jet aircraft, the Royal Jet Medevac mission landed in China after a 16-hour flight from Maya Maya Airport in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo, following a brief stop in Abu Dhabi for fuel and crew change. On board were Royal Jet’s well-trained and highly-skilled Medevac team headed by Dr. Ibrahim Soto, Royal Jet’s Medevac Medical Director with five Chinese medical experts who were dispatched to Brazzaville by the Beijing government, shortly after the blasts to attend to the wounded.

The blasts apparently claimed more than 200 lives and injured over 1,500 and six Chinese workers out of about 140 working at a nearby construction site were killed in the blasts. The medical team arrived in Brazzaville and spent 15 hours stabilizing the patients before accommodating all of them safely in the aircraft.

In a nutshell, Royal Jet’s fleet of Gulfstream, Learjet and Boeing Business Jet aircraft covers the globe and tailor each mission to the patient’s medical needs along with specialists and highly trained medical team. While other Royal Jet’s product offering spans several operations including luxury air charter services and Royal Jet Charter Brokerage (providing travel solutions through sourcing the appropriate aircraft for charter), I find the Royal Jet Medevac side of their business great as it helps save lives.

Working with Artists and Audiences on Commissions and Residencies

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Although this week is all about Art Dubai, I also felt like talking about an incredibly interesting programme by The Sharjah Art Foundation called March Meeting 2012: Working with Artists and Audiences on Commissions and Residencies. This takes place until March 19 in Dar Al Nadwa, Heritage Area, Sharjah.

I’m told the programme will be inaugurated with an Opening Address given by His Excellency the Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, Abdul Rahman Mohammed bin Nasser Al Owais. Over 80 notable local and international art world figures will be speaking, including: HE Omar Saif Ghobash, HE Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, Dr Salwa Mikdadi, Head of Arts and Culture Programme at Emirates Foundation and Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, Founder of the Barjeel Art Foundation.

Distinguished art historian and curator Salah Hassan will give the Opening Keynote. James Lingwood, Co-Director of Artangel, London, will be introducing for the first time in the UAE the commissioning work of Artangel at the March Meeting, which coincides with the Middle East premiere of 1395 Days without Red.

Ziad Antar, whose documentary photography project of the UAE coastline, Portrait of a Territory, which opened in Sharjah on March 16 and the curator of the exhibition, Christine Macel, Chief Curator at Musée National D’Art Moderne Centre Pompidou, Paris, will both be participating in the March Meeting, along with Basma Alsharif, who has a solo exhibition, Farther Than the Eye Can See opening today March 18.

Lebanese sound artist Tarek Atoui’s Revisiting Tarab, an evening of performances inspired by classical Arab music will premiere in Sharjah on March 19, will also be presenting. Additional speakers include Yuko Hasegawa (Japan), the newly appointed Curator of the next Sharjah Biennial in 2013, Jude Kelly, OBE, Artistic Director of Southbank Centre (UK) and Beatrix Ruf, Director/Curator, Kunsthalle Zurich (Switzerland).

Sheikha Hoor Al-Qasimi, President of the Sharjah Art Foundation, will give the Closing Address at the March Meeting on March 19….the question is – will I make it to any? I sure want to!

More on the PR World Congress 2012

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The last two days was a flurry of activity with heaps happening in Dubai as always to the point that I had to take annual leave to fit things in. But most important was the PR World Congress where Lord Tim Bell, Chairman of Chime Communications (Bell Pottinger) spoke to more than 450 delegates in his keynote address ahead of a panel discussion on ‘Public Relations in an Age of Dialogue: Challenges & Opportunities.

We enjoyed his key messages like “Practice good PR, no matter how difficult the circumstances, and you will be OK. After his keynote address, Lord Bell joined a high-profile panel discussion featuring Dr. Herbert Heitmann, Executive Vice President, External Communications, Royal Dutch Shell; Daniel Tisch, Chair, Global Alliance for Public Relations & Communication Management; Khalid Al Maeena, Editor-at-Large, Arab News; and Prema Sagar, Founder President, Public Relations Consultants Association of India.

A familiar face to me was Malaysia’s former Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the opposition People’s Justice Party, Anwar Ibrahim. He was a key role player in my University in Malaysia (IIU) and my fondest memories included going to his house every Ramadan with International students for ‘buka puasa’ or ‘iftar’ (breaking fast). He is just as eloquent, friendly and a people’s person as I remember him. I wish I wasn’t such a rebel when I was in University but I’m glad I attended all his talks for the very reason that I did my second degree in Islamic Science after completing my PR Bachelors instead of doing my MA in Literary Studies first because he felt that the top students should be given the opportunity to get this qualification so they get the best of both worlds.

Naturally all the sessions at PRWC were insightful. And I had a great time at the workshop on Wednesday – it was worth every penny I paid for it. All I can say is its great that the organisers worked so hard to bring the world congress to our doorstep so we get an opportunity to get exposed to the leaders in the PR industry.

The congress was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and in partnership with the National Media Council of the UAE, the Public Relations World Congress is organised by the International Public Relations Association – Gulf Chapter (IPRA-GC). And key sponsors of the Congress were Saudi Aramco and Saudi Basic Industry Corporation (SABIC), which have signed up as headline Strategic Partners.

Emirates was the Official Airline of the Congress, while CNN and Al Arabiya TV are the International Broadcast Partners. Dubai Media City was the Industry Partner of the Congress, Bates PanGulf was the Design & Advertising Partner; ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, the Marketing & PR Partner and Media Watch is the Media Intelligence Partner. We have these guys to thank these guys to making this happen for the regional PR industry.

An evening with Her Highness Princess Ameerah Al Taweel

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With Her Highness Princess Ameerah Al Taweel

Flanked by Princess Ameerah & Rajah Galadari

One of the most amazing benefits of being a long term member of various professional women’s groups is that you get opportunities to meet with some very inspiring, beautiful and motivating women leaders. One such personality I met a few days ago was Her Highness Princess Ameerah Al-Taweel.

I was blown away by her down to earth personality, by the fact that she spent so much personal time with every woman in the room to get to know what they did and what their aspirations were. What was equally impressive was her knowledge in Mass Communication and the tips she gave us that night on communications, PR and Social media- it was on par with a professional communications expert.

I was thrilled to know that H.H Princess Ameerah had been to Fiji Islands….i don’t meet many people who have been to my country so we immediately felt at ease with other.

She taught me one good lesson that night…to never depend on anyone except myself. I will treasure this thought as I always trust people close to me way too much and I’ve realised that’s not a good thing as people can sometimes be deceiving and detrimental to your success because they drive you to do things that only benefit them….this is a lesson I will recall every time I am in situation where I’m told something but know in my heart its not the real scene.

Princess Ameerah is Vice Chairwoman and Board of Trustees and Head of the Executive Committee of the Al Waleed bin Talal Foundation in Saudi Arabia and the Alwaleed bin Talal Foundation Global. She supports a wide range of humanitarian interests in Saudi Arabia and around the world and has won numerous awards including the CEO Middle East 100 Most Powerful Arab Women 2012.

I went to the awards ceremony where Sheikha Lubna, another incredible Arab woman who has done this region proud spoke. Arab women are drop dead gorgeous, they have brains to match their beauty and given the opportunity, they shine among their peers….its great to see more and more Arab women making their mark in the global scenario as well.

It was awesome to come up, close and personal with Her Highness Princess Ameerah thanks to the hard work of Sahar Madani who is the founder of WE Group – this is different group from the International Business Women’s Group of which I have been a member of since 2003 thanks to the far sightedness of my ex boss Stuart Cameron who first encouraged me to network with women who were empowering. I owe this opportunity to him and till date, I always make time to meet and learn from women of calibre and high intellect.

One thing is clear…. The amazingly gorgeous Arab women of today are setting the stage to become inspiring leaders of tomorrow. Today I also heard a great talk by H. E Reem Al Hashimy who is a UAE Minister of State at the 20th World PR World Congress. Like her, Princess Ameerah is such an amazing example of an educated and incredibly eloquent, warm leader we all hope to see more of in the media and in forums around the world.

Saying goodbye at the end of the dinner…

Innovative concept from Gulf Craft for outdoor entertaining space

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The dynamic guys at Gulf Craft Inc., the largest manufacturer of luxury yachts and fiberglass boats in the Middle East and Asia last Saturday showed VVIPs at its shipyard’s the largest ever hull construction – the Majesty 135.

I already wrote about the awesome 30th anniversary gala celebration we attended at Gulf Craft’s yacht manufacturing facility in the UAE … These guys know what they are doing and are the nicest, warmest people you will ever meet so its always a pleasure being with them.

The Majesty 105 is the latest in a series of revolutionary concepts created by Gulf Craft. It represents both, the degree of engineering, design and technological sophistication already achieved by the company during its three decades in the business as well as its ability to anticipate and meet the need for striking new superyacht concepts tailored to diverse cruising needs.

We had the exclusive opportunity to tour the striking blue-hulled, triple-decked superyacht which features 5 staterooms, including a luxurious owner’s stateroom, 2 crew cabins and one captain’s cabin, 8 bathrooms in addition to a dayhead. The Majesty 105 runs on 2 Caterpiller C32 rated engines and can reach top speeds of 27 knots.

The interiors are furnished in gold teak veneer with soft, light carpeting and furnishings in a sea-inspired colour scheme that gives a nod to Mediterranean elegance. Extensive exterior space – including an outdoor steering helm and a hard-topped sundeck fitted with comfortable sofa seating, a wet bar, fridge, icemaker and barbeque makes this the perfect yacht for outdoor entertaining.

Erwin Bamps, COO of Gulf Craft was of course in his element – rightly so as he has done an amazing job with all the arrangements for the unveiling of the Majesty 105.

According to Erwin, the Majesty 105 was conceptualized for the yacht owner who likes to spend the majority of his time above deck, With a steering helm on the sun deck and an interactive outdoor entertaining and lounging space, this is the sort of yacht that would allow you to spend time admiring the coast on an island-hopping itinerary or catch all the action moored alongside waterfront racing circuits like Yas Marina Circuit or the Circuit de Monaco. (I’m pretty sure my friends at Yas Marina will be delighted).

It was also superb to catch up with Sultan….a personality to watch out for in the future as he is one of the younger generation of Emiratis who will carry on the legacy and the amazing work of his family and forefathers. Especially as the younger generation have the support of industry stalwarts like Saeed Hareb, Nabil their teams and families.

All I can say is that this baby is awesome – I already tweeted some pictures of both Majesty 135 and Majesty 105 from the exclusive preview @Fijianchick. Enjoy!

With Saeed Hareb

Erwin Bamps, Saeed Hareb, Mohd Al Shaali & Nabil Farhat at the Majesty 105 launch


Salute to beautiful relationships

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Image of Amira's cheeky kittens

One of my most favourite people in the world is my daughter’s godmother Amira (it means Princess) who is a Lebanese Australian currently based in Seattle.

We have this unspoken bond that has lasted more than 17 years and I can never erase the fond memories I shared with Amira and her family in Adelaide Australia on my home to Fiji. I had met them on many occasions before but going to the family home in Adelaide was like going to my very own home.

Needless to say I miss Amira heaps but I thought of her today as she sent us (especially her gorgeous Tash) pictures of some kittens she is fostering until they get a new home.

The kittens are gorgeous but apparently cheeky. I’m not a great fan of animals but my Tash could not stop jumping up and down for joy when she saw the photos and thought the letter addressed to her was awesome from Amira.

It brought home to me how the bonds you have with your University mates never really breaks…..at the moment I have 2 University friends here (Shadi and Edina) and I know I can pick up my phone anytime and they will totally make my day with stories, jokes, coffee dates etc. I reckon that is extremely special and something to be treasured.

Thanks Amira for the images and your beautiful message to me and Tash today…looks like I need to book that seat to Seattle soon and thanks for making me realise, appreciate and treasure the friends and family I have made made along the way. Salute to beautiful relationships 🙂

Novaro -The King of Modern Glass and The Royal Treasures Gallery

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Novaro pieces

Art Dubai is next week – I just received the most beautiful access card I’ve seen for any event so I was hoping to make this week more about PR World Congress, fanciful yachts belonging to members of our Millionaire Group plus about script writing and film making.

But Joelle had other ideas…..she wanted me to get in gear a week ahead and get a sneak peak into what Royal Treasures Gallery was up to. And boy I got some awesome insights – The Royal Treasures Gallery, host to the world’s finest crystal antiques and rare artifacts is announcing their partnership with Jean Claude Novaro, a French glass blower whose works have been snapped up by art connoisseurs….Joelle, loads of people heard of this here first!

Royal Treasures Gallery will launch this partnership through a 5 day exhibition at their Gallery, starting April 3rd – April 7th 2012 so do watch out for this perfect collaboration.

To give you a low down, Novaro, born in 1943, has worked with glass for more than 50 years. The artist  works on shapes but also on transformations due to the reaction of materials, adding enamels, metal oxides, inclusion of gold and silver sheet, coloring the surface or between two layers of clear glass.

As a result of the overwhelming response by the UAE’s antique and glass aficionados as well as artifact enthusiasts and following the success of the Royal Treasures Gallery inauguration before, Dinsha and Munchi Shroff, along with Manav Suri, their local partner, are thrilled with this new-fangled partnership with Jean Claude Novaro.

Novaro is widely acclaimed as the ‘King of Glass’ – his customer portfolio includes the likes of Mike Tyson and Sheikh Tariq Al Qassimi and he has also earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest hand blown coupe ever made.

Jean Claude Novaro’s unique and distinctive art-glass creations are highly valued and sought after by art connoisseurs all over the world. Several of the Frenchman’s creations are being displayed in museums, galleries and private collections around the world…..now Diva reckons that’s something to wait for patiently for the next couple of weeks…can you?

With Novaro