OOTD: The Vintage Silk Road Dress

My Mum and I have many things in common and one of them is our interest in fashion. Although I didn't study Fashion Design like my mother did, I've always had a penchant for beautiful things, which included clothes and accessories, of course. Although I don't claim to be a stylish person I do enjoy putting together ensembles and experimenting with colours, prints and designs. It's like second nature to me.

While clearing out our wardrobes, Mum and I found a dress she bought when she was a fashion student in London. I tried it on and she couldn't stop grinning. I suppose she finds it amusing that her daughter is wearing something she used to wear in her twenties. 

Remembering Mon Amie, Ami Schaheera

"It is therefore with deep sadness and regret that I must inform you that, according to this new data, flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean."

"Ami's gone."

Two separate events. Two pieces of devastating news. It has been a tough week. As the saying goes, "When it rains it pours." 

As a country, we are mourning. As a friend of Ami Schaheera, the cancer fighting fashion blogger with a beautiful soul, I am saddened by her recent passing. I didn't have a good feeling when her husband informed us that Ami had trouble breathing and sleeping due to a lung infection a week ago. I knew Ami had been in and out the hospital ever since she found out that she had leukemia three years ago. A month after her wedding, in fact. But this time, I really didn't have a good feeling about it.

The Travelling Moroccan Parisienne

One of the things I am most grateful for is the fact that God has sent people from all walks of life to be my friends and acquaintances. The lovely young woman standing next to me in the picture above is on a fascinating journey. I first met Jihane in Dunedin when she was an exchange student from Paris. She had long curly locks and walked around campus with an air of confidence and independence.

I don't recall how we met but it must've been through some mutual Arab friends. Jihane is Moroccan but she has lived in Paris for many years. I'll always remember that she taught me the one-word Moroccan saying, "B'saha". It's kind of like "Salut". You can say it to others before they eat or drink but she once said it to me after I went shopping. I guess it's sort of like "Congratulations or best wishes" or the Islamic expression "MashaAllah".

Oh yes, I mentioned that Jihane is on a fascinating journey. Let me tell you why. In France, after five years of working (I'm not sure if this is exclusive to her company or field), one is allowed to ask for a 9 month no-pay leave. She was lucky. She was granted the leave after four years and decided to go on a travelling journey. She began in South America where she didn't fancy the food but the people were very friendly. She loved Brazil and had a taste of poverty in Bolivia. Then she went to North America for a few weeks and attended the Burning Man Festival. Her exact words were, "It was crazy. Crazy."

Why Is Everyone So Angry At Abu Eesa Niamatullah?

As I was typing this blog post as part of my commentary on the #FireAbuEesa issue, my friend Ameera Begum posted the above message. For the record, I didn't jump into conclusions.  I did check if he said it as a joke and yes, it was recorded by students of the University of Nottingham (Malaysian campus). Please read Ameera's Facebook post if you want to know more about what happened.

This is exactly why people like Ameera and I reacted badly towards Shaykh Abu Eesa's recent statements on his social media accounts. While the likes of Abu Eesa would find these sort of comments funny, there are actual Muslim preachers out there who are indoctrinating the minds of Muslims with false teachings under the guise of Islam.

And there is nothing funny about that.

Pray for MH370

I am sure you have heard the shocking and devastating news about the Malaysian Airlines plane MH370 which was scheduled to arrive Beijing at 6.30 am on 8th March 2013 after departing from Kuala Lumpur International Airport on the same day. The local news networks and television channels have been providing regular updates and we are all kept on our toes. Unfortunately, various speculations and rumours have been spreading like wildfire via social media. Sadly, this incident has revealed the mental maturity or lack thereof of these irresponsible social media users. If you have made a mistake, let's move on and learn from it. 

I would just like to remind everyone to be careful about the information they share. Authorities and search and rescue teams from Malaysia and other countries like Thailand, China and Vietnam are doing their best to locate MH370. They are doing their jobs and we should do ours too, which is to continue praying for the passengers and cabin crew and not incite hatred or blame towards the pilot, Captain Zaharie Shah, Malaysian Airlines or the government because no one knows what truly happened at this stage. While we sit here in the comfort of our homes, the very same individuals and organisations you criticise are doing the best they can to save lives. Please don't become a victim of group think or group mentality -- think for yourself.

source: The Element by Sir Ken Robinson

Lupita Nyong'o on Beauty and Self-Compassion

"You can't eat beauty. You can't rely on how you look to sustain you. What actually sustains us... what is fundamentally beautiful is compassion - for yourself and for those around you. — Lupita Nyong'o"

I'm really happy for Lupita Nyong'o. Not only for being an Oscar winner, but for her courage and determination to pursue her passion and to possess something I feel is extremely vital as a woman -- self-compassion. 

Modest Street Fashion K.L. x Langston Hues x Mizz Nina x Felixia Yeap x Natasha Hudson

source: Natasha Hudson's Instagram

Every now and then I am fortunate to be a part of unique events like Modest Street Fashion K.L. which was recently held on Sunday, 23rd February and hosted by Art Beat Consultants and Crescent Collective at the enchanting venue called Talent Lounge. I must admit, I was a tad nervous about being an emcee this time. So much so, I can barely remember the dialogue between Langston, Natasha, Felixia, Mizz Nina and myself. Thank God, the whole session was recorded and hopefully I get to watch it soon! I know, it sounds crazy but I was truly stressed out and by the end of the night, my brain was almost mush. All I know is, everyone had a good time and we all learned something new. Thank you to our hosts Art Beat and Crescent Collective and our sponsors Neng Geulis, Fashion Valet, Indahijabbe and Lawa Photography.

You can check out the video or the photos below. Or even better, both.

#OOTD x Modest Street Fashion K.L. x Langston Hues

Hello hello! Just a quick #OOTD post and a shout out for the upcoming event I will be emceeing this Sunday, inshaAllah - Modest Street Fashion K.L.! It will be a casual meet and greet with Langston Hues himself and our special guests, Mizz Nina, Felixia Yap and Natasha Hudson. To spice things up there will also be a fun discussion on a universal understanding of modesty, Islamic modesty, and the rise of modest street fashion around the world.



Hope to see you at the event! Don't forget to have a look at some of Hues' latest work on YouTube.

Style Sunday: It's Never Too Late to Wear Red

 

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

Dresses are great,

But pants are so underrated, true?

Okay, I can be really cheesy like that. I couldn't help it ;) I wore this outfit to a meeting about an upcoming event I will be part of, inshaAllah, and what makes a monochrome ensemble a bit interesting? Red lipstick, of course.

Modest street fashion photographer and globetrotter from Detroit, Langston Hues, will be in Kuala Lumpur and we are hosting an event featuring the man himself, Natasha Hudson and Mizz Nina on 23rd February 2014. It will be held at 8 pm, Talent Lounge, Damansara Perdana.

 

Falling in Love with Him

I love that Valentine's Day fell on a Jumaah.

Regardless of what you think about its origins, it's definitely a day when people think about love. Whether you're for Valentine's Day or against it, the thought of love is inescapable on this day. Be it 14th February or not, love should be celebrated; especially His love for us and our love for Him. You won't see a Hollywood movie about it nor a series of novels either. I think that's a terrible shame because it's the kind of love that beautifies and amplifies any other type of love; the kind of love that helps us make sense of who we are and the importance of those in our lives who have entered, stayed or walked away. A love that gives a deeper meaning to the things we do. A love that heals when this world and everything in it, including ourselves, breaks us.

Who better to love than the Most Loving One and the Beloved (pbuh)? The One who continues to shower us with blessings despite our tendency to take His love and mercy for granted. The Beloved one who showed us how to love Him back.

Style Sunday: Midnight Aladdin

Can you guess why I named this post 'Midnight Aladdin'? Why, it's inspired by these pants, of course! And I don't know why but I have a special affinity for vampy shades of berry as of late. From clothes to make up, I see a pattern in the colours I tend to buy these days.