The blue carpet on this year’s Billboard Music Awards was, as always, full of hits and misses. The albeit more casual event showcased not one but three Arabic designers including Zuhair Murad, Georges Chakra and Rami Al Ali.

Have a look at our picks of the best and worst dressed and let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.

BEST DRESSED:

Taylor Swift looked the part in this glittering blue Zuhair Murad mini dress

Alyssa Milano’s head to toe white ensemble from Emilio Pucci looked fresh against see of dresses

Zuhair Murad does it again- this time his design is seen on actress Emmy Rossum

Miley Cyrus gains serious style points for this runway look from Balmain

Another sheer number: Jennifer Morrison in Kristian Aadnevik

WORST DRESSED:

Jenny McCarthy’s get-up looks very 1990s, and not in a good way

Amber Rose’s beautiful figure is drowning in this boring chiffon number

Ke$ha may have worn this season’s trendy Givenchy look, but something about a waist-high slit makes it inappropriate for an awards show

Chad Kroeger and Avril Lavigne in matching black leather remind us far too much of Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake’s atrocious matching denim looks from the American Music Awards in 2001

As for Jason Derulo- please save your sleeveless shirts for a day on the beach, not the Billboard Music Awards

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The Cannes Film Festival started on May 15 with some of the biggest celebrities in attendance.

Sofia Coppola, Emma Watson, Nicole Kidman and Marion Cottilard are just some of the few dazzling females to walk the red carpet.

We take you through our most and least favourite looks so far.

BEST DRESSED:

Freida Pinto looked every inch the glamazon in bespoke hot pink Gucci as well as a custom-made dress by Indian designer, Sanchita

Marion Cotillard mixed two trends, pastels and stripes, in Vivienne Westwood Couture

Nicole Kidman showed off her lean figure in this Christian Dior Couture gown and shapely Alexander McQueen dress.

Cara Delevingne worked all black with an ultra feminine twist in Burberry

WORST DRESSED:

It’s rare that Florence Welch gets it wrong but this somewhat bizarre combination reminds us of Minnie Mouse

This is the prefect example of too much going on at once. Isla Fisher’s cascading waves and layered red silk dress from Oscar de la Renta seem to drown her petite frame.

We wanted to love Julianne Moore in Dior but this dress was made for the catwalk, not the red carpet

The elegant Chanel Couture dress is much too mature a style and colour combination for the youthful Emma Watson

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comment box below.

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Ever wondered who is behind the costumes of some of the world’s biggest stars? We catch up with Aldene Johnson, Florence’s stylist and contributing fashion editor of Vice magazine to find out…

1) How did you begin working with Florence Welch?
The very first thing I did with Florence was when I styled her for her debut album cover  ‘Lungs’  … the rest as they say is history.

2) How do you choose the designers you work with?
It all really depends what I’m working on, in that it’s event specific. I look at which designers work best for either stage, red carpet or day looks. I obviously have my favourites, but it’s more about if the piece or look works and if I fall in love with it rather than only looking at certain designers.

3) Why did you choose Marina Qureshi for her Dubai performance?
I was first drawn to Marina Qureshi when I came across the incredible black dress from her Fall 2012 collection that Florence wore for her Reading and Leeds performances last year.

4) How did you decide on the particular dress for the Dubai show?
The bespoke dress made for Florence was a combination of two looks I really loved from the current collection.

5) You have created an otherworldly character in Florence with an ethereal style – how and why did you decide to go that way?
Florence is an an incredible person to dress and together it wasn’t so much a decision we made, but more a natural organic progression.

The post Dressing Florence And The Machine appeared first on The National.

Model of the moment, Cara Delevingne, was spotted at this years Met Gala wearing a studded crêpe plunge-neck column dress, clutch bag and shoes all by Burberry.

As the face of the brand Delevigne also wore Burberry Make-up. Her smoky eye and contoured cheeks added drama to her punk-inspired look.

To get the look use Burberry Beauty’s Fresh Glow base, Light Glow Earthy Blush in No. 7, Complete Eye Palette in Smokey Grey No.1, Effortless Mascara in Midnight Black and a heavy dose of Eye Definer in Midnight Black.

The post Get Cara Delevingne’s look at the Met Gala appeared first on The National.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual Costume Institute Gala is referred to as the Oscars of the fashion world. The event is hosted by American Vogue’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and this year’s theme was punk.

With some attendees sticking to the theme of the night and others disregarding it completely (including Wintour herself who wore a floral Chanel piece)- here’s a look at some of our best and worst dressed.

Were you as impressed by the gowns? Did others make you shudder in fashion-pain? Let us know in the comment box below.

BEST DRESSED:

Sarah Jessica Parker, in Giles Deacon, and Katy Perry, in Dolce & Gabanna, show where prints and punk meet. Parker’s Philip Treacy mohawk headpiece and custom-made Christian Louboutin tartan boots stole the show.

The all-white bregade: Nicole Richie in Topshop (complete with white hair) and Rooney Mara in Givenchy

Bohemian songstress Florence Welch combined her natural style in this Givenchy fringed look,while Christina Ricci looked to the queen of punk- Vivienne Westwood- for her tartan threads.

Girls star Alison Williams rocked classic black Altuzarra, as did Anne Hathaway who stood out as one of our favourites in Valentino.

Gwen Stefani’s cool style proved that minimal can translate well into punk with this Maison Martin Margiela number. Elle Fanning trumped her older sister, Dakota, in next season Rodarte.

WORST DRESSED:

Perhaps Gwyneth Paltrow didn’t get the memo but we’re not sure how a hot pink, boring, full-length dress is punk. On the other hand Kim Kardashion thought punk meant florals… Tight Givenchy florals.

Jennifer Lopez sure loves her animal prints as displayed by this unsightly Michael Kors gown. Meanwhile Ginnifer Goodwin’s overly-sequined Tory Burch dress and heavily made-up eyes showed us the bad side of punk.

Alicia Keys (in Jason Wu) and Carey Mulligan (in Balenciaga) just didn’t push it far enough to lend their looks any sort of punk feel.

Beyoncé once again goes for excess, but fails to deliver in this Givenchy number. Gold was also snapped up by actress Elizabeth Banks who wore this unflattering Atelier Versace dress and shoes.

Ashley Greene’s Marchesa gown looked more medieval than punk and made her look twice her size. On the contrary, Miley Cyrus, who wore Marc Jacobs, was nearly there with her look- perhaps the hair took it too far?

DIDN’T QUITE CUT IT:

Didn’t try hard enough: Jennifer Lawrence in Dior, Kristen Stewart in Stella McCartney and Emma Watson in Prabal Gurung

Took it too literally: Dree Hemingway in Stella McCartney, Lily Collins in Moschino and Kelly Osbourne in Marc Jacobs

The post Met Gala red carpet 2013: best and worst dressed appeared first on The National.

Designer Dries Van Noten has teamed up with fragrance expert Frédéric Malle to create a new perfume.

Dries Van Noten par Frédéric Malle, was created by Bruno Jovanovic and has heavy hints of Sandalwood evocative of classic fragrances.

Available exclusively at Harvey Nichols, Mall of the Emirates,  04 409 8888

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A recent trip to Mall of the Emirates ended with a quick visit to the Fashion Dome- home of some of the glossiest designer stores in the city.

While going up the escalator we saw the Gucci window out of the corner of our eye and had to do a double take- the bright monochrome display was absolutely genius!

On closer inspection we noticed that the mannequins were, in fact, clad in a fabric of the exact same tone as their outfit.

The concept behind the windows was Avatar- which coincides beautifully with Gucci’s S/S 2013 runway show. The collection included sharp azalea, citrus yellow and electric blue pieces paired with floaty silhouettes, bell sleeves and oversized ruffles.

On display now at Gucci, Mall of the Emirates and Dubai Mall.

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Sarah Burton’s S/S 2013 collection for Alexander McQueen was heavily influenced by insects- in particular, bees.

The accessories in particular were inspired by the structure of honeycombs, in the form of perspex and leather boots as well as stunning beekeeper headpieces.

Both runway pieces are now available at The Dubai Mall store.

Headpiece, Dh7,300; shoes, Dh16,000, Alexander McQueen, Dubai Mall, 04 339 8760.

What do you think of these pricey showpieces? Let us know in the comment box below.

The post Alexander McQueen’s latest pieces appeared first on The National.

Ultra-cool French label Sandro is all about minimalism. Their signature includes understated, tailored pieces with just the right amount of trendiness- the kind that shows that you’re not trying too hard.

Their S/S 2013 collection is now available at Harvey Nichols.

Will you be buying Sandro’s latest pieces? Let us know your favourites in the comment box below.

The post New in at Harvey Nichols: Sandro S/S 2013 appeared first on The National.

What happens when luxury leather goods label, Coach, meets high-end audio? These artfully designed, leather wrapped radios from Tivoli.

A great piece for your living space that brings fashion into alternative home decor with the added bonus of functionality.

Available at Coach, Marina Mall, 02 681 3997; Dubai Mall, 04 339 8670 and elsewhere

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