Featured in Xpoze Magazine Jan 2013

Hi all,

Grab a copy of Xpoze magazine this month to read a super fun style feature on me, packed with pictures - as well a a section full of pictures from the Labels Blogfest! Below are a couple of images that I can share with you all for now:

The lovely Rabia Butt on the cover in Ali Xeeshan.

 The editors Andleeb's letter, so honoured that she has crowned me the 'It-girl' in the world of Pakistani fashion bloggers. Thank you so much Andaleeb and Fathma, it was super fun working with you!!! 

The super fun contents page. Can you spot me?

xxx A

2012 Recap: Beauty Fruity Blurbs

I started blogging on the 15th of March 2012. Read my first introductory post ever here, followed by a post about lawn campaigns and the lawn fad in general.

BFB was the first Pakistan based style blog to feature an 'Ensemble Du Jour' section, in which I share my personal style.

The first style inspiration I posted about was Lana Del Ray, followed by Christine Centenera (fashion editor for Harpers Australia) - both have totally different signature styles that I adore, and are my favourite style icons for 2012.

I attended both, FPW 3 and FPW 4 and reviewed them in detail. I produced a full trend report on FPW 4 here; which included metallics, coats, exaggerated collars, fur, leather trimmings, mesh inserts, statement pants, alongside others. 

I also took you fashionistas through beauty looks, showed a couple of previews of the make up I did. (Click here: 1, 2 , 3)

I attended my first ever bloggers meet which was the Pond's Bloggers and Journalists event. Read more here. Followed by the Dove bloggers campaign and the Labels Blogfest - which was such a huge success it even proceeded to Lahore. 

The hot trends of the year that I documented were: smoking slippers, collars , midi skirts, statement suits, risque lace and graphic sweaters. 

The first ever shoot I styled and did make up for was the Rida Shahzad shoot with Ali Khurshid - See more pictures here. 

The best dressed from the Lux Style Awards were covered - stylist Raana Khan, designer Sanam Chaudhri and Aminah Sheikh looked best. 

In August I started a really fun monthly feature for local shoppers called 'Style Picks' in which I take my readers through the hottest Eastern and Western trends available locally. Below are a couple of my favourite style picks to date. 

I mean I also found the dress I want to wear to my wedding (or wedding party)!!! Haha - Check out what Lily Donaldson wore below to the Olympics closing ceremony.

BFB became a part of the Labels bloggers network!! The BFB logo is a permanent fixture on the labelsestore, which was one of the most fashion forward moves of 2012 by Zahir Rahimtoola. 

I designed a range of exquisite embellished bow ties that go by the brand name of 'Arsazi'.

My favourite fashion campaign of 2012 was Adnan Pardesy's for 'The Working Woman', as it encompassed what the 'Pakistani Power Suit' is all about and how it should be worn! 

BFB was also featured in a range of online and print publications, such as Hello!, Pose magazine, Sunday Times, Style on Paper, A Wardrobe Affair, the Labels blog and Couture Ability.

It has been an amazing year for BFB!!! A big thank you to all the readers and I hope 2013 is extra special and super stylish for each and every one of you!!!!!

xxxxxx A

Event: Xpoze Soiree: Exclusive Pictures of 5th Anniversary Celebrations!

Farhan Zafar, Andleeb Rana and Rasikh hosted a lovely afternoon soiree at Koel cafe to celebrate 'Xpoze' magazine's 5th anniversary!

The event was attended by their family, friends - lots of fashionistas and many other media personalities.

Enjoy the pictures below:

Andleeb and Fathma both looking super!!!!

Loving Aamna's Wardha Saleem kameez, we also saw it in on Amara in the Blogfest pictures!

Shehla Chatoor looking chic as always. 

xxx A
(Photography by Kashif Rafiq)

PS - There is a super fun feature coming up in Xpoze magazine, so make sure you grab next months copy on the 1st of January 2013!!!

Dressing for Work in Pakistan - Part 2

Hi all,

If you remember my previous post on dressing for work in Pak, I had mentioned that a huge challenge I face is how to dress for work here. Of course, I am lucky considering the environment I work in is not so conservative, however it would still be a little OTT dressing in power suits as I would like. That being said, I was so pleased when I saw Adnan Pardesy for The Working Woman's collection. These are the Pakistani 'Power Suits'! You can see a lot of Adnan Pardesy's signature styles in this collection. Not only that - but what a highly creative campaign! If you know me, you know I'm always on the look out for innovative and fun fashion campaigns and this one truly stands out. From the brilliant composition of the photography - to the typography - to the design of the layout - everything is a hit and some more. They've used a celebrity hook, but not the regular Mahira Khan type, rather Zoe Viccaji, a musician - as the face of their collection. You can tell a lot of thought has been put into this campaign. Love how the pages are laid out in a magazine editorial style for "The Careerist".

The collection is stylish, fun, and perfect for a conservative environment as well. It even has the edge to be personalised - as can be seen on Zoe. So, you can definitely add your own style to the look with printed leggings, different coloured pants, fun accessories and so on.

Below are some of the campaign pictures:

 The fun editorial type magazine layout!

Other images of the working woman in action.

Images from the Lahore store launch that took place on the 12th of December: 

Adnan Pardesy, Zoe Viccaji, Zaman and Omer Chaudhry.

 Adnan Pardesy and Ali Xeeshan who is wearing an Adnan Pardesy coat as seen 

at his collection showcased in FPW4.

 Gauhar Bano and Momina Sibtain - these working women are looking ultra chic! 

 Zoe Viccaji looking lovely. 

Fatima Waleed Zaman looking fabulous in an Adnan Pardesy for the Working Women kameez, see how she has incorporated her own style with loose pants that have a lace trimming? This is what I was talking about! Fatima looks fabulous!!!

Adnany Pardesy for The Working Woman is also coming soon to the Labels estore! 

What is your opinion on dressing for work in Pakistan? and this collection?
xxx A
(Photography by Imran Fareed)

Ensemble Du Jour: Winter Ball 2012

Hello fashion lovers,

I'm so excited to show you all what I did with my dress! Let me present the pictures first before I get into the details:

What I'm wearing: The dress is from Candela NYC, the clutch is from Mimco, shoes are pewter coloured Michael Kors but you can't really see them.

I had posted asking if my readers would know what exactly I had altered. Well, one person guessed correctly on the BFB facebook group, that I had revamped the dress by adding the tiered skirt insert. I had bought this dress to wear to my 21st but ended up wearing something else instead - this dress has been lying in my closet since then. So, on Wednesday I hopped down to Aashiana and purchased some net, I got it dyed the same colour as the dress and got my tailor to urgently make tiers attached to the lining of the dress with a slight trail. Picked up the dress Saturday afternoon - lucky for me it turned out well!! Otherwise, I would've picked up one of the dresses featured in this post.

Make up: TV stick in 508 under Mac concealer in NC25 and Revlon photo ready 3. Mac foundation in NC25, with TV paint stick in FS45 dabbed lightly with a damp sponge all over my face. Benefit high beam on cheekbones and nose bridge. Illamasqua blush in 'Tremble'. Lipstick was Rimmel lipliner  in 005, Illamasqua lipstick in Brink and Bourjois velvet finish lip cream in '51 rose poudre'. I put a lot more eyeshadow that I usually do, even for a night out. I blended many colours; started off with the silver you can see in the Stila 'light up the world' palette (separately sold as 'sugar'), then used the L'Oreal chrome shine eyeshadow in '179 starry black' - blended this in with a Mac paint pot in 'Perky', then used the Kryolan aqua colour pot liner in '101 brown' and used it on the crease of my eyelid and blended it in. I also used the Stila silver shadow on my lower lash line, and then some of the brown from the Karaja 4 colour palette with a slanted brush on the outer ends of my lower lash line to define my eyes slightly. Of course I lined my waterline with a white Rimmel eye pencil. I then stuck on Blync lashes with 1000 hours eye lash glue (this is the best glue ever by the way) and used Rimmel eyeliner (which is not in the picture above) to give a winged liner look. Also used the Revlon mascara to blend in the false lashes with my real ones. I then dabbed the Chanel 30 Naturel Translucent 2 press powder all over my neck and face. Phewf!

Hope that was a detailed enough description ^^
xxx A