Aatiya London x Bubblegum Hijab: An Blogger London Launch Party

I was invited to a special launch party a few weeks ago, for a Malaysian brand which launched last month in London - Aatiya London. This was a pretty special blogger meet, as it involved so many women who I have become friends with over the last few years.

One of these is Bubblegum Hijab, fashion blogger and YouTuber who has some seriously cool acheivements - as well as a PR and events company, she designs clothes, makes and sells bathbombs and still has time to blog and vlog!

Bubblegum Hijab collaborated with Aatiya to design and bring a new collection to London, which was a collection to celebrate diversity and  also show her inspiration of Souh and East Asia. Her collection was inspired from a visit to Malaysia, but also to celebrate 'women of cultures' - women around the world of different background and heritage.

The launch party was held at a pretty French restaurant called Aubaine in central London, at a private room upstairs. It was set out in a really pretty, rustic way - candles, flowers and wood everywhere which looked lovely.

I absolutely LOVED the outfits of the collection - there were several bloggers who modelled a few pieces from the collection, and also a rack of dreses and jackets for us to look at. My favourites were the brocade jackets with accompanying maxi skirts, there were also some very nice pieces which wre versatile. There were a few two-piece outfits inspired by the Malaysian baju kurung, which is a top and a bottom skirt. The top is a peplum one, which is very adaptable and  can be worn together with the skirt or mixed and matched with trouser and dresses.

And of course I managed to try one of the pieces on, which was this lovely white brocade with a split. I loved how comfy and easy it was to wear, and really wanted to take one home with me!

We also stopped for a quick talk with the designer herself and a company representative, as well as a video with the collection's pieces - here's a quick snippet below!

The food itself also deserves a mention - it was delicious! Although this wasn't a halal restaurant, there were some really lovely delicacies and finger foods - my favourite was some cheesepuffs with mushroom pieces, and chunky chips with cheese and truffle oil!

There was a really great buzz to the launch party, and it was great to see old faces and meet new ones. It was also really lovely to see how many people came out to support the designer - literally with women from different cultures, in a French restaurant in London.

Aatiya London also celebrated the company's birthday, so naturally there was a lovely cake for everyone eat - I'm told this was custom-made by Eila's Cake Couture, which was a lovely fruit cake with delicate icing.

I had great fun at the event, and loved how everyone dressed up to have a fun night out. I managed to make a few new friends who I've stayed in contact with, and will be seeing them soon. I have also seen a lot of the Aatiya London pieces at expos and events, and love how popular they are getting.

We also got a lovely goody bag (or really, a box!) to take with us - inside was a pretty chiffon scarf, a purse and a Malaysian cake for us to enjoy, with a chocolate bar! The picture below isn't great because I took it at night time and then forgot to take a better one, but my favourite piece is the scarf, which I love.

The scarfI got was a pretty dusky pink colour, which I have worn at least three times already (including on Eid!) and which I have gotten compliments for every time I've worn it. I'm already considering buying myself a few more of these scarves!

You can shop the Aatiya London's pieces at their website, and also on Modestly Wrapped, which also stocks them - let me know what you think of their pieces!

An Exclusive Blogger Preview with Modlist

I was lucky enough to get invited to fashion brand and powerhouse Modlist  for a blogger preview a couple of weeks ago in Chelsea, London, and managed to get a first look at some of the labels which are housed under company. Modlist is a new company which has been set up under the existing Haute Elan label (which is another company which sells higher-end fashion brands). The whole aim of Modlist is to bring affordable, elegant and modest fashion under one roof and making them more accessible for consumers – which is definitely relevant for today’s market!

The event took place in Modlist’s new showroom in Chelsea, which was a beautiful boutique which multiple rooms for showcasing the different labels. It was a great opportunity not just to explore new collections from various brands, but also meet the individuals behind Modlist and speak to various other bloggers as well.

There were quite a few brands on display, some labels which I recognised and some which were new – but they all had pretty beautiful, versatile pieces which everyone looked over and tried on. The Modlist brand has quite a few high street brands such as Zara, Asos, Gucci and Uniqlo, but there were also other brand labels which focus on modesty-wear, such as Aab, Roddiva Couture, Aisyah Al Mashoor and Store WF.

I also got a chance to try on a few outfits, here’s me and fellow blogger Aneesa trying on a few kimonos and kaftans!

I loved that there was also a showroom for children’s outfits, which was beautifully done up as well with a toy room. When shopping for modesty-wear, we don’t often think of children’s clothes so it was nice to see this included as well for parents who want to see different brands for their children too.

There was also an opportunity to get free manicures done from Secret Spa, and also enjoy some massages with Urban Massage. I didn’t get a massage but here’s me getting me nails done!

There was also a lovely buffet spread set out by Halal Eat, not to mention some yummy cupcakes from Lola’s Cupcakes to finish off for dessert.

At the end of the evening, CEO Rommana Bint-Abubaker explained a little further about the aim of Modlist as a company, which was not just to bring affordable modest fashion under one roof, but also to empower women through modest fashion – whether you’re a blogger, a businesswoman, a fashionista or you simply want to dress elegantly.

We also left the launch party with two lovely goody bags, you can see the contents below, which included eyelashes, makeup tools and snacks. I especially liked the bag of Oud Bath Crystals which I thought was a great idea!

I had a really incredible time at the Modlist Preview event, and thought it was a great way of showing how modest fashion is really making leaps and bounds in such an entrepreneurial way. As the modest fashion industry has boomed in the last few years, it’s great to see so many diverse labels available in London for shoppers and being made more mainstream, especially as a lot of these brands are mostly only available online.

The Modlist Chelsea showroom is now open by appointment only, although you can also browse their website online and also their Instagram account.

Instagram accounts - @hauteelan @modlist.co

Sponsors:

Popchips - @popchips_uk 
The Vintage Cosmetic Company - @thevintagecosco 
Store WF - @storewf
Mi-in Lashes - @miin_lashes 
Samol Herbal - @samolherbal 
Roddiva Couture - @roddivacouture (designer)
Scents Of Paradise - @scentsofparadiseuk
Catering Sponsor:
Halal Eat - @halaleat
Entertainment:
Urban Massage - @urbanmassage
Secret Spa - @secretspauk  

Other bloggers also at the event:
Hannah (@thefleurdusiel); Aneesa (@hijabi_in_london); Mona (@manoosa92); Mara (@maradxb); Tulin (@trestouline); Aneesa (@ibreatheshoes) ;Hannah (@hannahghouri); Amira (@modesrmira_); Halima (@misslittlefancy); Zahra (@zahrarosea); Maryam (@maryam.taqi); Sabba (@queenofsabba); Zara ( @zaraazix); Anna Nourin (@aana_nourin) ; Mariah Idrissi (@mariahidrissi); Nabila Bee (@nabilabee); Asma (@asmabdrr); Nadia (@rnadiasabrina); Sebina (@sebinaah)

A Meet and Greet Session with Mehreen Syed

I was lucky enough to be able to meet the beautiful Pakistani supermodel Mehreen Syed a few weeks ago, with a small group of select girls at the Dorchester Hotel in London. I've been a fan of Mehreen for a few years after seeing her modelling campaigns from as far back as about a decade ago, and I've also been interested in her charity work and business endeavours since.

We managed to speak with Mehreen for an hour, and she was full of stories, of modelling, fashion designers, beauty care and her travels. I wasn't sure what to expect as I haven't met a lot of Pakistani celebrities, but I found Mehreen very friendly and bubbly - she told us she got about 5000 messages a day while she was in London requesting meetings, and how she wished she could meet everyone!

It was also nice to see that she looks exactly as she does in her pictures (she's also super tall!) and has a very natural beauty which you can see photographs well, and is one of the reasons she's a sucessful model today.

Mehreen herself has previously blogged before, and is the founder of the Desi Beauty Blog (now managed by co-founder and makeup artist Nilo Haq whose work I also follow). I really like the idea of someone who is experienced in the fashion industry giving back knowledge from what she has learned and her experiences, rather than looking to make money from her knowledge.

Another project Mehreen told us about was setting up a beauty school in Pakistan for poor girls - daughters of workers and servants who couldn't always afford an education so that these women could not only learn makeup skills, but use these to create a career as makeup artists themselves. She is also chairperson for the International Fashion Academy Pakistan (IFAP), which is a private educational institute based in Lahore, Pakistan, and is a fashion industry school. The school was developed to an platform for the next generation of fashion industry professionals; specifically stylists, models, makeup artists and photographers, and for them https://www.facebook.com/IFAPofficial/to study their field in a professional environment

We spoke to Mehreen for a while, and also managed to get some beauty tips from her - I've forgotten some of these but I'll post what I remember:

• I'm sure you can tell from the pictures that Mehreen has amazing hair! She told us that the latest shampoo she was using was L'oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil Hair Care series - the shampoo, conditioner and hair oils. She said that she sometimes has pretty dry hair due to a previous illness earlier on in the air, which meant she needs intense hydration, and these shampoo and conditioners were really helpful. I've bought these but haven't tried them yet, so I have high hopes for them.
• If you're looking to dye your hair - make sure you pick the right colour and don't over-bleach!
• Without sounding too obvious - a balanced diet is very important if you want to be healthy. As a model Mehreen said that this was important to maintain a good figure and remain slim, and to not over-indulge in sugary foods!
• Similarly, she said exercise is important, regardless of whether are thin or not in order to maintain your health.
• Mehreen encouraged us to try different makeup styles and tips - find out what you like, don't be afraid to try new things and practise doing makeup to find out what suits you.

It was really lovely to meet a down-to-earth, humble person such as Mehreen, and I'm really glad I got the chance to meet her during her stay in London. She has encouraged us to keep in contact and also email or message her for any queries, which I also though was very generous considering how busy she is! It was also nice to hear her stories - of fashion designers, of Pakistan and of her travels, and it was really great to meet a celebrity who made the time to sit with us and have tea : )

A Meet and Greet Blogger's Session with Imaan Boutique

Last weekend I was lucky enough to be invited to an afternoon high tea with leading Malaysian hijab and modesty-wear brand Imaan Boutique, and also a chance to meet Imaan Boutique founder, Madam Rubina Mughal. The company had exciting pieces of news, firstly the company celebrated their second anniversary, and secondly the release of their new Eid collection.

Imaan Boutique has a gorgeous range of scarves, modest outfit pieces and abayahs which aims at an audience of young adults, career women and also 40s women. Initially the brand was launched online in 2013 with the use of social media, but since then the brand has opened a boutique in Malaysia, and aims to launch new collections every season to keep up to date with trends. One of the things which really struck me about this brand was how colourful yet wearable this brand it - it aims to create beautiful outfits which appeal to many ages and which fit in with comfortabole yet modest.

The event took place at Skylon Restaurant in central London, and when the bloggers arrived we were all given an outfit or a hijab to try on. I arrived a little late (blame the trains!) so I didn't get a chance to try on the abayahs or dresses, but I did manage to look at the hijabs, and I loved the fabrics which were used.

The group managed to have an interview session with founder Rubina Mughal, where she told us about the brand's aim and the new Eid collection, which consisted of beautiful pastels, maxi dresses with drapes and pleats, soft pinks and mints and embroidered sleeves. Personally I loved the scarves, the material draped beautifully and I love that they are big enough and versatile enough to be draped any way the wearer wants.

Here's a quick peek at the restaurant we went to - I forgot to take a picture of the amazing view overlooking the River Thames and all of the lights below, but you can see how lovely and floral it was inside!

Here is also some pictures of the outfits on the actual bloggers - I love that we all got a chance to try and get a feel for the new collection for ourselves. Most of the bloggers (including myself) loved the outfits, and agreed that they were very wearable. Not all of us wear abayahs but the designs were very appealing and there were also a mix of maxi dresses which looked lovely.

And of course a mention of the tea itself! We were served several juices and teas, along with delicate sweet treats and nibbles, which tasted lovely - I quite liked the raspberry and pineapple tarts!

Imaan boutique very generously gave each blogger an outfit and a hijab to take home - I got this lovely black one with embroidered sleeve and a very pretty salmon-coloured hijab. Even though I don't wear abayahs normally, I can imagine wearing this one because of the flattering cut and how wonderfully it drapes, especially as it was made from a thick silky material which looked quite decent in quality. I also was really happy with the hijab scarf as the material is a non-slip one and the colour is something which is right up my street!

All in all, I thought this was a really fun day to meet the Imaan Boutique brand, and also to meet other bloggers who are interested in hijab, modesty and fashion. It's great to see brands which are trying to make hijab fun and colourful without compromising on modesty. In this day and age, it's still too easy to associate boring with abayahs, especially if you see a lot of plain black ones, or even for non-Muslims to find hijab intimidating, so it's lovely to see brands like this which try to combat this.

I'll be styling my Imaan Boutique hijab and abayah soon, so watch this space!

Imaan Boutique online store

Facebook group

Instagram page

(You can also see a few Youtube Vlogger's videos here and here of the day!)