Beauty and Fashion Dubai

Max Mara and Marilyn Monroe, icons of classic chic, beauty and intelligence.

Max Mara Fall-Winter 2015/2016 imagines a wardrobe as light and soft as that blanket, as comforting and familiar as that cardigan. The collection’s signature coats are worn seductively with the allure of luxurious beach wraps. Bomber jackets, overcoats, peacoats, duffels, sweatshirts; Marilyn’s “me time” menswear classics are reinvented in camel hair, cashmere, alpaca and quilted silk. So too are her signature slip dresses, bustiers and pencil skirts. Silhouettes are shrunken or maxi-sized. Camel, sand, casha, ivory; luminous colours which recall that famous shoot on the beach. Sun bleached, powdery pinks, yellows, greens and blues for feather-light cashmere knits, fleecy tweeds, flocculent alpacas and mink which sometimes peeps from the hem of a coat. The Hollywood bag in sleek pony or calfskin with its elegant signature clasp gives discrete glamour – the newest version is worn like a backpack.

‘Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.’ Marilyn famously joked, so naturally there are high heeled pumps in ponyskin and glitter. But there are also bookish tassel loafers. Marilyn in ponyskin loafers and pastel reading glasses; a vision which is brainy, sexy and modern.

Sportmax Fall Winter 2015

Winter arrives next season at Sportmax with a crisp gust of wind blowing across the rolling countryside. Nature’s own intriguing textures and warm color combinations provide endless exploration of luxurious materials, while the cold air creates a constant desire for wrapping up. Fabrics are rich but raw, accentuating their natural provenance. Raw cut seams, hand-stitched blanket edges and fringe trims all bear the mark of human hands rather than cold machines. Silk is embossed like crocodile on sculptural coats, extra long alpaca begs to be stroked, while camel coats are cut from glossy pony skin. A desire for warmth and an effortless ease informs the soft, feminine silhouettes.

Pattern unfurls this season with a wild floral print of anemones and chrysanthemums whose fragility is encased in bold black outlines. The flowers climb over one side of split-pattern dresses, then become displaced and transformed into black guipure floral motifs adoring tutti frutti sloppy knits and camel cady dresses.

Shoes are just as soft and comfortable as the clothes, Lace-up wedges are cut from soft matte leathers, with cow hide placements and chunky crepe soles, creating a spring in the step. Raw cut bucket bags in matte crocodile are lashed together with contrasting lacing and woven knotted straps. The Sportmax woman is cozy chic to go.