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Shopping isn’t just for adults anymore as three young girls showcased their purchase power and creativity by participating in City Centre Bahrain’s first Kids Fashion Project.
The initiative, which falls under the current ‘Fashion for You’ spring campaign, featured Latifah Saleh, 10, Ellinaz Mohammed, 12, and Sophia Matchett, seven, learning how to pick out and personalise their looks with the guidance of TV presenter and style celebrity Noor Al Shaikh.
Mall owners Majid Al Futtaim invited the girls to create their own outfits in a competition-style format. “These girls are all customers who love to shop and have an interest in fashion,” a spokesman explained. “We wanted to give them a chance to meet a professional and help unleash their creativity, as well as motivate them to find their own styles which falls in line with our campaign.”
The project started with the girls running into Gap, an American clothing and accessory brand, to pick out an outfit in 30 minutes, with Noor helping on the side-lines.
“I tried as much as possible not to interfere with their choices as I wanted them find their own look,” said Noor who is currently shooting her own competition fashion programme for adults, called Style Me. “I simply gave them a few tips on what to pick out from colours.
“It was a really fun experience. I wanted, at the end of the day, for them to create their own style with a few simple styling tips.”
The girls were also allowed 45 minutes at the mall’s Fashion Station which is a fun staple of the Spring of Fashion campaign. It is located in the Central Galleria, allowing shoppers to bedazzle, embroider and add their own special touches to items they have bought on the day.
Noor said: “I think the fashion station is great and it offers a lot of items and methods for people to decorate their purchases. I really enjoyed this part. It has vintage, classical, funky and modern items to embellish any outfit. I was also impressed by the girls’ creativity and individuality.”
Twin Sophia, who attends St Christopher’s Junior School, picked out pastel-coloured pom poms to add to the waist line of a flower-patterned dress. She also bedazzled her denim jacket with a large sequined S.
Her mum, Mona, 33, who lives in Riffa Views, cheered Sophia on. She said: “I am so proud of her. I think this is an amazing project.
“Sophia loves to shop and she was truly in her element. We shop at City Centre all the time and she was so excited when we got the call for her to learn more about fashion and clothing from an expert.
“She picked out her look all by herself and I have to say her outfit and styling was very creative.”
Sophia tied the fronts of her jacket around her waist instead of buttoning it up, a tip that she picked up herself from TV. She said: “I really like my jacket, the colours of my pom poms and my dress. Noor showed me how to match the colours to my dress. I love to shop and I learned a lot.”
Kanoo School student Ellinaz, from Hamad Town, also enjoyed the shopping experience. She said: “I added white and black pearls to my white top. I would totally wear this outfit!”
Latifah, who regularly visits the mall with her family when they travel from home in Saudi Arabia, embroidered a design on the shoulder of her newly-purchased jacket. She added: “It was great having someone like Noor to guide me.”
The lucky girls got to take home their new personalised attire alongside prize accolades.
Noor said: “They were each bestowed a title. Sophia won Most Creative. I could see her identity through her outfit. She is comfortable yet ‘shabby chic’ and she knew what she wanted at the fashion station.
“Ellinaz took the Most Trendy title and Latifah was deemed Fastest Shopper. She immediately knew the colours she wanted and which trousers she wanted and even added a scarf to give her look more style. I’m proud of all of them.”
Shoppers can still check out the Fashion Station as the campaign runs until the end of the month.
The first 20 shoppers of every day that spend BD100 will be able to redeem this prize of monograming their recent purchases by adding patches, initials, logos or decorative pieces such as flowers and pearls.
The receipt can be exchanged at the customer service desk for a token to be presented at the fashion station where an expert stylist will brand one of the newly obtained items whether it’s a hat, jacket, denim or bag. The shopper will also instantly win a BD10 gift card.
The campaign also offers visitors spending BD30 or more to enter a draw for a chance to drive off in a luxurious Porsche Cayman 2018.
For more details ask at the mall’s customer service desks or visit www.Facebook.com/CityCentreBahrain or www.citycentrebahrain.com
