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UD Insider: Valleydez Gives Creative Designers an Outlet to Shine in Dubai’s Fashion World

Valleydez launches its first ever art competition for aspiring and talented designers.

High-end designer boutique gives artists a life-time opportunity with its first ‘Dare to Create’ art competition

High-end designer boutique – Valleydez is sponsoring an art competition titled ‘Dare to Create’ in an effort to promote aspiring and emerging artists.

The art competition requires participants to submit an illustration, photograph or any piece of artwork by the 15^th of March, 2015.

The winning design will be have t-shirt printing on eight different T-shirt styles, which will be sold at the luxury Jumeirah boutique.

Sidra Surmed, Creative Executive at Valleydez boutique explains that the design entries will go through two rounds of elimination. She says: “The art competition is divided into two parts. The first part comprises of submitting an art piece – it can be a photo or a painting – then the candidates will be shortlisted. Once the candidates are shortlisted, we will contact them and then they will be asked to create a story of eight pieces.”

Each shortlisted candidate will have to create a collection based on a theme of their choice. “Within the eight pieces, you have to summarize you story. What is the theme behind your collection?” Sidra continues.

A judging panel of designers based in four different countries will be in charge of the second round of elimination. “We have four different designers in the judging panel. One is Lamya Abedin – also known as Queen of Spades – an Emirati designer, another designer from Turkey, another from Kuwait, and one from the UK – Jean-Pierre Braganza.”

Valleydez Creative Executive, Sidra Surmed.

Founder and Head Buyer of the innovative luxury boutique, Ghalia Al Abbas is an Emirati fashion illustrator herself. Sidra explains what inspired the boutique owner to launch the art competition. She says: “She wanted to relate something which is very personal to her.”

With March being the month of art in the city, Valleydez decided to launch its first ever art competition during the art season. “We decided to run the competition in the month of art in Dubai. March hosts Art Dubai and Design Days events. I think that people look forward to attend all these events and they get inspired. So we wanted to give a proper platform at a proper time.” Sidra explains.

The launch of the Jumeirah boutique art competition was also inspired by the brand’s aim to introduce an eclectic mix of styles into its collections.

With the summer season approaching, the concept of a T-shirt design competition seemed very appropriate. “We wanted to do more casual chic at the moment because now we are entering into the summer phase. And we wanted to bring a more cool side to the store and brand.” Sidra explains.

Many of the outfits and accessories at the store are art-inspired pieces.

Supporting aspiring artists and designers from within the UAE is the main purpose of organising the competition. Sidra says: “Valleydez want to give the platform to the aspiring talents to showcase their work.”

Breaking into the design and fashion industry in the UAE can be a lengthy process. That’s why, having the support from a well-known brand can be highly rewarding. “Being in the creative industry takes a lot of courage to get into the industry.” Sidra says.

She continues: “Providing a platform for creativity is a great bonus for anyone wishing to enter the industry in the UAE.”

A highly artistic piece by Paris-based designer, Manish Arora on display at the Valleydez Sunset Mall showroom.

The art competition is open to all age groups and participants can submit artwork of any type. “There is no specific form of art that we are looking for. It should showcase the artist inside of the person. This includes photography, pop art, fashion illustration.” Sidra explains.

In addition to having their artwork printed on T-shirts, the winner will get the relevant promotion and PR support from the brand. Sidra says: “There will be total support from our PR side and from the media side. We would definitely love to feature them in the magazines, because that would be a very good idea to promote the artist within the industry.”

As for whether the profits from selling the T-shirts will go into charity, the brand is considering that. Sidra says: “About the charity, we will reveal it soon. We are definitely having some talks, but I can’t reveal that at the moment.”

The winning design will be launched as a new collection in the store. “It will be launched as a new collection – as a brand to the store.” Sidra explains.

To submit art work, visit the following link:

http://valleydez.com/Art-Competition/

The high-end designer boutique is launching new styles that are very quirky and very elegant at the same time.

Valleydez Creative Executive, Sidra Surmed, is wearing an art-inspired design by UK-based designer, Jean-Pierre Braganza.

The high-end store promotes art and design within the UAE’s art and fashion scene.

The boutique hosts a large collection of casual chic designer pieces.

The high-end boutique hosts a mix of styles, from day wear to evening gowns and beach essentials.

The five year-old luxury designer boutique showcases the work of both local and International designers.

Original artistically-designed pieces decorate the shelves of the high-end designer boutique.

“We will be having an in-store event on the 23^rd of March in which we are launching our SS15 collection, titled: Garden of Fashion.” Sidra concludes.

Photo Essay: Sole DXB Event in Dubai

Today’s post is another University project that I just completed for this term’s photojournalism course. I present to you:

My Photo Essay on Sole DXB event that took place on the 14th and 15th of November. I was there on the 14th of November for a few hours, taking photos and meeting up with some friends.

First up, the short synopsis about the photo essay:

Many think that Dubai’s street culture doesn’t exist. The organisers of Dubai’s urban lifestyle and culture event want to change that misconception.

The city’s first – one of its kind event, Sole DXB was staged at Dubai Design District to showcase the region’s latest street culture trends. Specifically the footwear, fashion, basketball, hip hop, and street art.

Those who made their way to the venue were treated by regional retail brands; Nike, Puma, and Reebok. DJ’s, live performances and panel discussions pumped life into the event and gave it a fresh and exciting community atmosphere. With a hidden construction site chosen as a venue for this year’s Sole DXB event, indeed it is underground.

Professional basketball players take turns at shooting hoops at Sole DXB’s grounds in celebration of basketball culture. Dubbed ‘Ball Above All’, the competition saw the victor walk away with 10,000 AED. The game has proved to be a popular way to bring the community together. The only stipulation was that entrants must be 18 or older to apply to play in the tournament.

British artist, Remi Rough and his counterpart YesBee are busy creating the freestyled ‘Mondrian vs Wildstyle’ art piece. A 3 x 10 meter art work; spray painted using ‘Montana 94’ paint. Remi’s art began on walls and trains in South London in 1984. By his own admission, “I didn’t invent straight lines, I just made them funky!” – said Rough of his work.

Canadian pop artist, Antoine Tavaglione – also known as Tava is a muralist and illustrator based in Montreal. Famed for his signature ‘dripping milk’ paintings, his “Che Cazz” piece proved a popular addition to Sole DXB. The cat figure mural was created in one day, and produced using spray cans.

Additional work from Tava – showing more of his favourite cartoon figures – this time, Bart Simpson. Made using acrylic colours on canvas, Tava said: “I like to recreate iconic characters that are very nostalgic to me, and add my signature dripping effect to them as if they are melting ice cream.”

‘The Irezumi Girls’ are part of a limited edition created by Dubai-based design studio Robot and Spark. The figures are made using cast resin material with a chrome finish. The artist imagined these toys to live in the year 2075 in the city of London. ‘The Irezumi Girls’ are a gang of heavily tattooed, uber cool, superhero vixens hailing from Baker Street Station.

Creative Director Robert Gibbs from design studio Robot and Spark has been working on these original figurines since 2009. The germ of the idea came from a fiction-story about a group of futuristic, rebellious and superhero vixens – namely Lipstick and Suicide. The futuristic fantasy eventually came to life at Sole DXB’s gallery, after a five-year obsession.

British artist and photographer, Julian Castaldi expresses his love for Italian company ‘Campag’ with this painting of a vintage bicycle. His cobalt blue piece was inspired by his love for cycling, and the iconic company. Julian explains the concept by saying: “I have always loved the logo and story behind the brand.” The ‘Campagnolo’ painting uses acrylic, enamel, pastels, and lacquer on a 4 feet x 3 feet canvas.

Corcel, a Dubai-based bicycle and apparel store take cycling lovers back to the good old days with their 50’s/60’s inspired collection. The ‘Bikeid’ range was created for a nostalgic bicycle experience. The simple, elegant, and vintage designs can be customized for personal taste. A couple interested in getting a bike are looking at the catalogue and selecting their preferred colour of bike and tires.

An amateur artist is keeping himself busy by drawing a pair of sneakers using spray paint. Despite his aching fingers from the excessive amount of pressure while completing this piece of art, he is determined to leave his mark at Sole DXB. He asks the audience: “Does it look like a shoe?” and feels ecstatic after their approval.

The stylish crowd attending the urban lifestyle event did not overlook making a fashion statement with their favourite pair of sneakers. A young lady sporting a very bright and colourful pair of ‘Nike’ trainers caught my attention. She told me that they were a recent buy from the brand’s latest collection.

Another original pair of ‘Nike’ trainers worn by one of the ladies attending the street art event. When I asked her about the unique running shoes, she told me the story behind them and how they’ve been worn out at a music festival overseas. “I bought them from Barcelona – for a rave.” she said. I thought they still looked new and exotic!

A priceless moment in time, as I am transformed back to the 90’s at street wear label Amongst Few’s interactive gaming space. The highlight of the event for me was discovering this cool 90’s inspired concept brand. Founded in 2013, Amongst Few is a Dubai-based street wear brand that merges traditional Emirati outfit inspiration with Western style. In my nostalgic 90’s flashback, I can be seen playing the game ‘Duck Hunt’ on a 1983 Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) console – complete with classic TV sets and 90’s memorabilia.

A great variety of second-hand sneakers on display at the sneaker swap stall. Trendy and pristine trainers to match every age and style fill the wooden racks at this sneaker wonderland. Get lost in time as you look for the perfect pair to replace your worn out and tired sneakers. No cash? Don’t worry, you can trade in the currency of sneakers!

Dubai-based urban and R&B DJ, Mr. Shef Codes livens up the Reebok space with his top old-school R&B beats. Shefan Lantra, better known as Mr. Shef Codes is currently signed with Bliss Inc Entertainment and plays at local venues around the city. The tunes he was playing were so addictive, they kept the crowd glued to the Reebok stand far longer than they intended to be there.

Iraqi artist, designer, calligrapher, and typographer Wissam Shawkat creates a ‘calligraffiti’ piece of art in his signature modern Arabic calligraphy style. The art work includes the words (love, affection) written in calligraphy style. The Dubai-based artist has been in love with the classical writing style since he was 10 years old. He is using acrylic colours on canvas to create the aptly titled ‘Love for the Sole (Soul)’ piece.

Some additional images that were not part of my photo essay project:

I won these lovely designer PUMA sneakers in a competition that I entered with Stylist Arabia magazine. All I had to do was share a photo of my favourite pair of sneakers! This pair was part of a collection for autumn/winter 2014, in a collaboration between PUMA and East Coast creative Sophia Chang. The designer’s illustrations are inspired by New York, and specifically the Brooklyn area.

Here’s the finished wall that Remi Rough and Yesbee were painting:

here are other paintings from Julian Castaldi that were on display at the event’s gallery:

Materials used: acrylic, enamel, lacquer on canvas : 4feet diameter.

Concept: Just love the old school soda labels I actually collect vintage skateboards, soda bottles amongst other things.

Materials used: 100cm x 70cm in metal frame.

Concept: Shot in London and used in Urban Outfitters.

Materials used: 100cm x 70cm in metal frame.

Concept: Love the signage and billboards around LA lots of hand painted and distressed signage which looks amazing, this was shot around Melrose in LA.

Materials used: 100cm x 70cm in metal frame.

Concept: Used to drive past this private members club on Santa Monica Blvd, it had a mysterious look and I stopped one morning to shoot the pic.

Framed original Polaroids shot in LA 2005 on painted board.

Framed original Polaroids shot in 2012 on painted board

Julian explains:

“I have been shooting Polaroids for over 20 years and my Private Rooms project includes Polaroids I have taken of John Malkovich, David Bailey, Oasis, Pearl Jam and many more.”

For more information about Sole DXB or any of the artists mentioned in this post, check the links included in this post.

My personal pair of sneakers which I wore to Sole DXB!

My Beauty and Home Fragrance Essentials: Bath & Body Works

Let me let you in on a little secret about my blogging rituals (as I like to call them); every night when I’m working on my laptop from home, and the comfort of my own bed – well mainly because I don’t have enough space for a desk in my studio apartment – I play a CD of chill-out or jazz tunes and light up a scented candle.

Not any scented candle though…I have developed a healthy type of obsession with Bath & Body Works collection of scented candles. My obsession started when a friend of mine presented me with their anti-stress stress relief scented candle as a birthday gift on my birthday. Yes, she’s a very caring and loving friend who thought that I could use some stress-relieving candles to combat my chronic stress that she could obviously sense every time we met 😀

Honestly, I’m very thankful for that friend for introducing me to the Bath & Body Works home fragrance collection. As I’ve been a big fan of their scented candles collection since that birthday present. My favorite scent is the Pineapple Mango (pictured above); it has a very sweet and fruity scent to it that is so strong and energizing.

You don’t want to miss out on the “Buy one get one free” promotions that the store has on its home fragrance range. That’s the time when you would see me at the store with a basket full of scented candles of all size and type. I tell you, they are highly addictive 🙂

Another product range from the beauty-lovers’ dream store that I’m a big fan of is their True Blue Spa range. I think the first product that I tried from that range was a body butter or lotion, before being hooked on their Callus Treatment tough love foot cream. It’s the most intensive yet light foot cream that you will ever come across. The foot scrub from the same collection is also great and effective. So is the hand lotion.

The good news is that Bath & Body Works Middle East have just introduced the True Blue Spa Shower Smoothies and Body Bars Collection. The smoothies come in a number of exotic fragrances in a rich formula with a blend of moisturizing yogurt and vitamins. Since the Smoothies come in the form of a creamy cleanser, you can expect your skin to be gently cleansed and hydrated at the same time. The Body Bars also come in various scents and help nourish and replenish your skin. Which means that you will enjoy a healthy, hydrated and refreshing shower experience!

The Bath & Body Works True Blue Spa Range is a staple on my night stand

The 10 oz Shower Smoothie is priced at AED 80, while the 7 oz Body Bar is sold at AED 40.

I personally can’t wait to try this new collection from the wonderful and rich True Blue Spa range. You’ll most likely see me in a Bath & Body Works store with a basket full of goodies…especially when there are promotional offers being held, which is a regular thing with this fresh American brand. In the Middle East, they always run weekend offers which goes on from Tuesday to Saturday, in addition to their weekly offers. In Dubai, there are five store namely in Deira City Centre, Mall of the Emirates, Mirdif City Centre, Dubai Mall & Ibn Battuta.

In the end, I must admit that the sweet and relaxing scent from this brand’s scented candles collection has greatly contributed to my well-being and calmness. I don’t think I would have the patience and peacefulness that is essential for sitting down to write a blog post if it weren’t for Bath & Body Works’ wonderful collection of relaxing and invigorating scented candles 🙂

Watch this space for a cool and exciting giveaway with Bath & Body Works Middle East for a chance to sample their amazing and neat products.

For more details about UAE store locations, check out this link.

To find out more about the offers at the store and their uber cool collections, check out and “like” their Facebook Page.