Swarovski wedding: Add sparkle to your life

There are many ways in which a young bride can add sparkle to her life and her new home. That is the message of Swarovski Crystallized Wedding, a unique exhibition hosted by BurJuman.

The glittering products on display in the Observatory at BurJuman include wedding gowns, accessories, gift boxes, candelabras, photo frames and even tea sets and kahwah pots decorated with Swarovski — Crystallized Elements products. The exhibition will continue until May 21.

Also on display at the exhibition is a coffee table book titled Unbridaled –The Marriage of Tradition and Avant Garde, featuring pictures of the exhibits and several interesting stories about various aspects of wedding traditions around the world.

Unique project

The book and the exhibition are the result of a unique project conceived by Swarovski to demonstrate the versatility and creative possibilities of its Swarovski-Crystallized Elements stones.

The company invited top international fashion and interior designers such as John Galliano, Armani, Vera Wang, B.B. Simon and Fredrickson Stallard as well as up coming designers from around the world to design one-of-a-kind wedding related items incorporating Swarovski Crystallized Elements.

The result is a collection of over one hundred exclusive designs that include wedding gowns, jewellery, bags, shoes, bed and table linen, cutlery, invitation cards and decorative items for the discerning bride.

Several designers from this region were also invited to be part of this project. These include Rami Al Ali, Sohad Acouri, Zuhair Murad, Furne One, Awatif Al Hai and Zaki Bin Abboud from the UAE and Indian designer Tarun Tahiliani.

Al Ali created an exquisite wedding gown with matching gloves, shoes, wedding invitations and bedcover.

"My gown is a blend of East and West. While the fitted strapless silhouette is quite Western, the veil is designed like an Islamic chador. I have used a variety of Swarovski Crystallized Elements to create graphic Islamic motifs, a delicate lace-like effect and a shaded effect on the off-white dress," he said. "It was a privilege to be a part of this project," he added.

Striking

Another striking piece on show at BurJuman is a black henna dress designed by Sohad Acouri."The colour is a daring departure from the usual green or red, but I have strictly followed the cut and silhouette of a traditional Arabic thobe including the setting of the embroidery with a centre piece and belt and a head piece with tassels. But instead of gold embroidery and gold coins I have used golden Swarovski crystals in geometric and floral shapes to create traditional Arabic patterns on the black hand-painted dantelle fabric, specially ordered from Paris," said Acouri.

"I enjoy working with Swarovski because they constantly bring new and innovative ideas and products that provide great scope for creativity," he added.

Hot and cool collection

Head to yet another enticing collection of ethnic Indian wear including saris, salwar suits, kurtis, tunics, skirts, Indo-western wear at the Anokhee exhibition-cum-sale at the Ramada Hotel, Bur Dubai, today.

There is a lot of white in the collection, a regular summer favourite, plus other hot colours such as sunshine yellow, peach, pista green, dusty pink and lavender.

In fabrics, there are plenty of mul muls, cottons — embossed and hakoba — chiffons, georgettes and jacquards, (which are great for party wear), brocades and silks.

Anokhee, though a relatively new brand, has caught on quickly in the Indian fashion world with its trendy yet classic approach to women's clothing. It aims to bridge this gap by bringing designer wear closer and more affordable to the women of today.

The exhibition will also have designer-inspired collections, in truly rave colour combinations like pink-navy, brown-purple, ash-cherry and olive-magenta. Many of the items are semi-stitched giving the wearer the option to making it a long or short length kurta, patiala, churi or salwar bottom. The Anokhee exhibition-cum-sale will also be held at the Novotel Hotel in Abu Dhabi on May 31.

Travelling exhibition

Swarovski Crystallized Wedding is part of a travelling exhibition of over a hundred exclusive designs created by designers from around the world.

The exhibition was unveiled by Swarovski during the haute couture week in Paris and has now come to Dubai. It will remain in BurJuman until May 21 after which it travels to Tokyo, Barcelona, Delhi and New York.