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Crowds of star-struck fans flocked into City Centre Bahrain on Thursday night as popular Khaleeji singer Balqees Ahmed Fathi took the stage to kick off the mall’s three-day Fashion Weekend.
The event featured a collection of autumn/winter runway shows showcasing some of the world’s most popular, contemporary brands.
The air was electric with excitement as the mall turned into a fashion hub with more than 40 brands being worn up and down the catwalk. Fashionistas, friends and families flocked to catch the latest looks of the season, making this well-planned event a runaway success.
The show I attended on Saturday featured New Look, Miss Selfridge and Coast which highlighted some current autumn trends.
New Look showcased statement jewellery, smart jumpers, shearling and large print plaid (these pieces will never go out of style).
Tights and low boots also helped complete some of the model looks. Like the offerings currently available for the leading designers, blue was a shade favourite, ranging from light periwinkle to deep sapphire in midi skirts, denim and chucky sweaters.
Another trend alert is the 1960s British rock style with ‘tights under shorts’ and leather jackets over jumpsuits.
Miss Selfridge, which is known for its youthful high-street fashion, modelled various designs such as an impressive fitted dress adorned with intricate colourful embellishments and large sequins.
To polish and make this outfit ‘royalty’ they used a feather tassel cardigan over the model’s shoulders and wrapped her neck with a black faux fur scarf.
In another set, they paired a leather jacket with a long one-piece jumpsuit, finished off with strappy clogs for retro inspiration.
The camel coloured one strap playsuit was impressive too with a skinny gold belt, pastel blazer and cream faux fur scarf.
Another interesting combination was tulle under a tight black dress. It was adorned with large sequins in silver and purple designs that drew attention to the curves of the model offering an extremely flattering look.
Coast did not disappoint either with sparkle and glamour. My favourite was a full lengthy party gown in silvery shimmer that flowed in all the right places. The light grey scarf was a perfect match for this show-stopping piece because it softened the whole ensemble.
The fashion shows gave a nod to all the hottest looks from high-end fashion brands like Saks Fifth Avenue to trendy street wear like Aldo.
Watch out for the following trends during your next mall visit, there are so many but here are just a few to inspire:
* Fun in the Forest Evergreen is everywhere on the catwalks and it gives such a perennial feel to any outfit. Find a pine tree green cardigan in Max for under BD5 or head over to Dorothy Perkins for its new season large print floral winter-green maxi.
* Matchy-Matchy Sets
Look for this ‘lazy girl’ trend with perfect matching top and bottom prints that are made for each other. This will you give you some extra time in the morning to actually make yourself some breakfast.
* Creature features
The owl symbolises wisdom, the cat curiosity and the bird freedom which are avid reasons for designers to keep using animal motifs in all their collections. Look for all-over prints or simple embossed pieces.
* Captivating Capes
And I don’t mean the superhero kind either – however, you will feel polished and powerful strolling in with this season’s cape over a dress or denim paired with high boots.
