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Emma Farmer joins Custard Communications

Events agency Custard Communications has appointed Emma Farmer to the role of General Manager. With over ten years of experience in events management, Emma previously worked with Centaur Media, UK as the Events Manager and most recently with Dubai Lynx as the Festival Director. In her new role, she will be joining the agency’s management team to oversee the strategic planning and representation of to meet their clients’ needs across the UAE.

“Strategically, now is the time for us to leverage our reputation and experience in the region to further strengthen our position as an industry leader,” says Nicola Holmes, Co-Founder, Custard Communications. “Emma has a fantastic track record and brings passion, strategic vision and clients’ needs to the heart of everything she does.”

Emma adds “I am very proud to be joining Custard, particularly at such a significant time for the company. I am looking forward to working with the team and driving the company forward.”

VIVA magazine launches new website

VIVA magazine, part of ITP Publishing Group, has launched vivabeauty.me. Providing readers with daily beauty news, the website features industry updates including make-up tips and tricks, behind the scenes sneak peeks, expert tutorials and the latest beauty items of the season.

“The recently launched website is an extension of the much loved VIVA brand and is just another way to offer readers more of what they love in an instant,” says Anita Quade, Editor, VIVA magazine.

Five Minute Focus – Megan Hess

Team TMN chat with Zahirah Variawa, Managing Director of Think Liquorice, to talk about the launch of Megan Hess’s new book, New York: Through A Fashion Eye

Tell us a bit about Megan Hess?

Megan Hess was destined to draw. Her initial career as a graphic designer led to her employment as an Art Director at some of the world’s leading design agencies. In 2008, Megan illustrated Candace Bushnell’s New York Times bestseller; Sex and the City. She has since illustrated portraits for Vanity Fair and Time magazine, as well as created iconic works of art for Cartier of Paris and decorated the windows of Bergdorf Goodman in New York. Megan also channels this signature style into her bespoke range of silk scarves and limited edition prints, which are sold around the globe. Her illustrious clients include; Chanel, Dior, Tiffany & Co., Yves Saint Laurent, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Ladurée, Sephora and the Ritz Hotel in Paris. When she’s not working in her studio, Megan is usually hiding in a coffee shop, secretly sketching those around her and looking for that perfectly dressed person.

This is her fourth book following Fashion House, The Dress and Coco Chanel: The Illustrated World of a Fashion. Megan’s portfolio has been bursting at the seams with bigger and better projects being added every year. Since her last visit, she has launched a collaborative sleepwear and footwear collection and traveled the globe with leading luxury brands and numerous other projects in the pipeline.

Tell us about the concept behind the launch for Megan’s latest book

With New York: Through A Fashion Eye, Megan Hess will take you on a fashion adventure through this iconic city and allow you to discover her favourite places to shop, eat, sleep and play – all through her fashion eye. Megan’s signature style of fashion illustration has made her a favourite with international fashion labels, making her the perfect in-the-know guide for the reader. In her inimitable elegant way, she shines a light on the vast array of fashion-themed restaurants, hotels, parks, famous shops, galleries and sites to visit, as well as her own favourite places. This is an uber stylish travel guide that highlights all the famous spots and will serve as a special keepsake for your trip. For armchair travellers it’s a stunningly, gorgeous and inspiring snapshot of the city. New York: Through A Fashion Eye is full of Megan’s absolutely, beautiful, full-colour bespoke artworks that bring the New York streetscapes to life. This is a must-have insider’s guide to New York for any fashionista.

 What makes this event unique to previous launches you have held for Megan?

Each year we work very hard to try and create a concept that is unique, creative and true to the city with the brands who have partnered with us along the journey so far such as Fairmont The Palm. This year we wanted to celebrate the launch of the New York themed book, but still stay true to our city of Dubai. We’ve come up with something we consider to be the perfect marriage of the two cities – both incredible in their own right. We’re bringing a New York inspired sunset soiree to the Seaview Garden of Fairmont The Palm. Without giving too much away ahead of our VIP event – New York City will come to life in a very Dubai-esque style!

How will you make the Dubai launch stand out from its international counterparts?

Megan’s book tour travels across most of the major fashion capitals in the world and with all of these talented teams behind each event, it is always hard to stand out. What we take advantage of here is the beautiful weather and the outdoor setting we have. Dubai stands out as the only city on the tour that offers guests beautiful, warm weather with a skyline sunset and the luxury of hosting the event as a glamorous high tea.

Can anyone attend the launch?

The launch takes place in two events. The first is an invite-only event taking place in the Seaview Garden and the second is open to all and is a meet and greet that will take place in the Mashrabiya Lounge at 7pm. Both events will take place on Thursday, November 3, 2016

Could you tell us more about what media can expect to see at this event?

Megan Hess, in a small and intimate setting so they will have the opportunity to interact with her in luxury and comfort. A beautiful food and beverage service all uniquely themed to the event by the wonderful team at Fairmont The Palm. A New York inspired setting with a very special (secret) feature that we are very excited about. A Think Liquorice style event – small, intimate and enjoyable with loads of attention to detail.

Will there be opportunities for brand partnerships?

Yes, we are open to partners and sponsors for the event if confirmed fairly soon. Ideally this needs to be brands that fit the level of the Megan Hess brand and add value to the guests and event.

How can PR’s/brands get involved with this event?

Get in touch with Team Think Liqourice. We are always open to ideas and partners on any event and this one is particularly exciting as the brand association is extremely significant. Interested brands can reach out through email to Zahirah@thinkliquorice.com

Abbi Mullan joins Aziza Communications

Luxury lifestyle agency Aziza communications has welcomed Abbi Mullan to the role of Senior PR Executive. Abbi will work across a selection of fashion, beauty and F&B brands, including the Victoria’s Secret account and the upcoming KENZOxH&M launch event.

“The Aziza Communications team is ever expanding as we increase our service offerings, and investing in great talent is part of our growth strategy,” says Loubna Elfakri, Account Director, Aziza Communications. “We are thrilled to welcome Abbi to the team – not only is she a great content creator and communicator, but she has a sharp eye for detail and is bursting with ideas.”

EW secures royal exclusive

Emirates Woman magazine has secured an exclusive with Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein. The interview features HRH Princess Haya speaking about the admiration she has for her husband, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, her children and her late mother, as well as her views on social media today.

“Ahead of her time yet utterly in tune with ours, HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein is one of the world’s greatest humanitarians and I was both honoured and humbled to interview this hugely inspirational woman,” says Lyndsey Steven, Associate Editor, Emirates Woman Group. “HRH Princess Haya is not only a brilliant role model for working women in the UAE, she has also made great strides in changing the world’s perception of women in the Middle East.”

Scarlet Fever

What: Scarlet skin treatment

Where: Obagi Medispa

When: Obagi Medispa is open from 9am until 8pm daily. Scarlet treatments must be booked in advance.

The promise: “Obagi Medispa’s new treatment is the closest thing possible to the imaginary Fountain of Youth. This exceptional skin treatment utilises radio frequency energy to reduce saggy skin, wrinkles, large pores and acne scars.”

Did it deliver? Obagi Medispa is very much how Team TMN imagine a posh doctor’s surgery 500 years in the future will look. Occupying a palatial villa located in Jumeirah, the Medispa is understatedly luxurious; immaculate, open, bright and airy with a pool in the yard and valet parking upon arrival. As we entered the villa, Team TMN were approached to fill in forms about our general health and directed towards a large waiting area with gender-specific waiting areas, before we were taken to Dr. Inas’ office.

Dr. Inas was a lovely, incredibly knowledgeable and attentive doctor, who asked further questions about our skin and medical history – specifically whether we had previously had any kind of procedures done to our faces – before thoroughly explaining the Scarlet facial treatment and all processes involved. Scarlet, we were told, is not a facial; it is a rejuvenation treatment that works by developing collagen cells in the skin. Dr. Inas then proceeded to examine our faces for target areas before cleansing and applying a numbing cream which felt slightly bizarre but was, we soon discovered, highly necessary.

We won’t lie at this point; the treatment was not exactly soothing. One member of TMN described it as an ‘almost-tattoo of the face’ as we were zapped with an electronic pen to stimulate collagen production. Thankfully, Dr. Inas didn’t use the pen – something that looked a little bit like a weapon in a low-budget sci-fi film – on any sensitive areas, although it did cause some areas (foreheads in particular) to become more sensitive than they were before. Having said that, we imagine that the sensations caused by the Scarlet treatment were only a fraction as painful as having actual surgery, which would also be a lot more invasive than, and the whole procedure only took around 30 minutes. Once the treatment was done, we chatted to Dr. Inas for a while longer as she explained any after-effects of the treatment and told us that we weren’t to clean the skin, apply makeup, or do anything to make us sweat for six hours. Leaving the clinic, we could feel our skin pleasantly tighten, almost as though it had been really, really thoroughly cleansed and washed.

The verdict: The effects of the Scarlet skin treatment were immediately visible – jawlines looked more pronounced, skin looked and felt tighter and almost thinner. The treatment also felt much more natural then alternative versions; perhaps because of its non-invasive nature or perhaps because it is recommended that Scarlet is carried out over a number of sessions to provide optimum results. At between AED 2500 and AED 4000 a session, Scarlett isn’t a cheap treatment but it does compare favourably to surgery and offers similar, youthful results. Overall, it’s a treatment that Team TMN would definitely recommend for those looking for a younger, more radiant complexion, without wanting to go under the knife.

Mr and Mrs Brunch launches new app

UAE-based blog, Mr &Mrs Brunch has launched Let’s Brunch, an easy to use brunch information portal. Let’s Brunch is a free application that features a comprehensive list of over 30 brunches across Dubai and Abu Dhabi as well as a review section that aims to help users plan their brunch with greater ease. The app is available for download with an in-app purchase option to unlock special benefits such as; discounts, free post brunch beverages and complimentary pool access.