~Hijabi Fashions...I've got something for you!~

aSalaam uAlaikum and Good Evening My Stylish Sisters!

Insh'Allah you all enjoyed yesterday's post about Prada, and the partnership that has made it so successful throughout the years.  I always enjoy learning about the "behind the scenes" happenings of my favorite fashions.

And speaking of fashions, I just got some beautiful new merchandise in from Jordan and I decided I wanted to show it to my fabulous followers before sharing it with anyone else.  All of these items are brand new, straight from some of the hottest boutiques in Amman.  A couple of the scarves were very tempting to keep, but luckily for all of you, I have nooooo room for any more hijabs at the moment, so get 'em before I change my mind!!  :)

I'll give a little description under each picture, along with a price.  All payments can be made through my 100% secure PayPal account, so if you see anything you can't live without, please leave me a comment or send me a message through Google connect and I will get back to you immediately with payment information insh'Allah!

Ma'Salaama and Happy Browsing!

Fashionably Yours,
The (Scarf Obsessed) Mujahada in Prada

Cell Phone Charms

Adorable filigree cell phone charms with crystal accents.  The two on the right are circular charms, with a crystal accent inside the circle.  Available colors as shown.

(Gift boxes available for $1.00 each)

$3.50 each

2 for $6.00

Close up of the flower detailing on the circular charms.

Mesbeha

(Prayer Beads)

Gorgeous crystal Mesbeha (prayer beads).  Available (from left) in Clear Crystal, Dark Grey, Light Brown, Red, Green, Lavender, Sky Blue, Golden Yellow, and Light Pink.  You will not find Mesbeha like this anywhere in America, they are truly beautiful enough to carry with you or to hang up as decoration.  They measure 10" from top loop to the bottom of the dangle.

$7.99 each

2 for $15.00

(These come individually bagged, and make wonderful presents! Gift boxes available for $1.00 each)

Close up of the Dark Grey, and Light Pink Mesbeha to show chain and crystal details.

Tube Style Underscarves

Stretchy, thick, and the perfect size to wear under your favorite scarves, these underscarves are great to keep your hair secure under your scarf, or to add a flash of color to your look.  Available in Lime (above), Light Lavender, Bright Coral, Turquoise, Vanilla, and Classic Red.

$4.00 each

3 for $10.00

Prayer Outfits

Two piece prayer outfits, with top khimar piece, and long skirt.  The top has a pretty, decorative trim, and the skirt has an elastic waist to allow this set to fit any size up to US size 14.  Available in three prints: Navy with Baby's Breath, Navy with Roses, and Brown Cotton Flower.  100% cotton, and machine washable.

$19.99 per set

Navy Roses

Brown Cotton Flower

Navy Baby's Breath

Fashion Hijabs

Yes, I saved the best for last.  All of these scarves are high quality, fashion prints straight from Jordan, and all measurements and prices are listed after each picture. Enjoy!

Mod Leaf

 Classy modern leaf design with polka dots.

White with Black Print

21" x 58" / 100% Silk

$17.99

Sophisticated Stripes

Olive green scarf with contrasting turquoise, burgundy, yellow, and pale green stripes.

Color as shown.

20" x 66" / Cotton-Poly

$10.99

Glam Gold

Beautiful, shimmery scarf with a modern flower print.

Gold with Brown Flowers

19" x 66" / 100% Silk

$17.99

Abstract Spring

This vibrant scarf is splashed with fabulous abstract flowers.

Color as shown

20" x 62"/ 100% Silk

$15.99

Glittering Grey

This gorgeous grey and green scarf is extra stretchy, which is great if you want to experiment with different ways of wrapping it.  Lined along one edge with tiny crystals (as shown) it can be worn casually, or for a special ocassion.

Color as shown

19" x 62" / 100% Polyester

$11.99

Tic Tac Toe

My favorite of the group, this fabulous scarf has prints ranging from polka dots, to checkerboard, to floral.  A beautiful combination of white, black, turquoise and purple.

21" x 58" / 100% Silk

$17.99

Spots and Stripes

A classic combination of stripes and spots, this scarf looks great with jeans or an abaya.

White, Navy, and Red

20" x 60" / 100% Silk

$15.99

Dazzling Dots

Oversized dots and a simple border make this a classy and chic scarf.

Color as shown

20" x 58" / 100% Polyester

$12.99

Op Art

Funky and fun, these Op Art scarves are bold, but classy.

Black and Lt. Grey / Turquoise and Cobalt

20" x 58" / 100% Cotton

$10.99

~The Devil Not Only Wears Prada...He Owns It~

aSalaam uAlaikum and Good Morning My Stylish Sisters!

Patrizio Bertelli, the husband and business partner of Miuccia Prada is well known to be difficult, hot tempered, and explosive (to put it mildly)  On one ocassion he smashed a mirror in a new Miu Miu store that was being finished in Manhattan because he was unhappy with its decor.  On another, he enjoyed breaking the taillights of several cars that were parked in the wrong spaces of Prada's parking lot.

He is not all temper tantrums and public destruction, though.  He is one half of the mastermind behind the world-renowned and highly respected fashion house Prada.  As creative and traditional as Miuccia is, he is entrepreneurial and business-minded.  As Miuccia herself puts it, "He's far more of a provocateur than I am.  With him, you're always questioning yourself.  He and I have a little rule of three.  If he says something more than three times, then I need to think about it.  Sometimes I don't want to listen, but I do."

Prada has always been known for their high quality, luxurious handbags, classically tailored clothes, and fashion forward shoes.  Today they are a household name for high-end fashion goods, and have managed to keep the majority of their items Italian-made, which is no small feat in a global market where most fashion houses are quickly moving production to Asia, Eastern Europe, and North Africa.  Bertelli, as always the more realistic and economical of the two, has pushed Prada to allow some production to go to Vietnam, Turkey and Romani saying that consumers should learn to trust a brand name, regardless of where it's made.  He believes a tag stating "made by Prada" should be considered just as valuable and trustworthy as one that states "made in Italy".

Prada also avoided the e-commerce route longer than any other major fashion houses, only starting to offer their goods online as recently as 2007.  Miuccia believes exposure by fashion houses such as Burberry, urging customers to post pictures of themselves in their brands is ridiculous.  She doesn't beat around the bush about this subject:  "It's bullsh-t.  Why does showing a photo of someone wearing a trench coat online mean being open to the world?  What's that got to do with anything?"  But, as seems to be the case the majority of the time, the two disagree about this subject as well.  Bertelli feels "The Internet is democratic, and so you can't give it an elitist response.  Miuccia is always moralistic about these things."

Despite their differences (or perhaps because of their differences) they have built a successful business empire and a loving family.  Coming from humble beginnings, Bertelli started a small accessories company due to the demand for quality leather belts for men in Italy in the late '60s.  Flared-bottom, Levi's jeans were all the rage then, even in Italy, but the thick belts that were required to wear with them were still luxury items.  Bertelli bought some leather along with some brass to make the buckle and took it to a local cobbler who was able to make the necessary belts for about 4% of the cost of those that were offered on the market.  When the trade fair in Milan took place in 1977, Bertelli had a mid-sized accessory business that now included handbags.  There he met Miuccia Prada, an upper-class woman from Milan who wore Yves Saint Laurent skirts, studied theatre and was well spoken in politics.  She ran the leather-goods business her grandfather had opened in 1913 and soon hired the loudmouthed, Tuscan entrepreneurial Bertelli.  Shortly thereafter, they moved in together in a flat in Milan.

As their family grew, so did their company.  Prada grew in the 1990's from a niche fashion house to a $1.5 billion luxury-goods conglomerate, soon buying out Azzedine Alaia, Helmut Lang, Jil Sander, and a stake in Fendi.  Bertelli's temper caused problems among the newly absorbed design houses, and caused Jil Sander and Helmut Lang to leave the fashion house due to explosive disagreements, and design differences.  When hard times and a slow economy hit, Prada offloaded Helmut lang and Jil Sander, and they were forced to sell 5 percent of their company to an Italian bank.  "We made mistakes.  With Jil Sander and Helmut Lang, I would say it's 50 percent our fault and 50 percent theirs," but Bertelli remains optimistic by continuing on to say, "But now we are rid of these brands, and things are good."  They still area globl fashion conglomerate that includes Prada, Miu Miu and shoemakers Church's, and Car Shoe.

As with every partnership, whether personal or business, it is important to be able to see the big picture.  When Miuccia feels she has put on an inspiring fashion show, re-introducing one of her favorite jackets into the line, Bertelli complains about the "big city" setting, stating "I've been thinking about the 24-hour city thing.  It's like the negation of privacy and intimacy, isn't it?"  After all these years Miuccia has learned to shrug comments like these off, and replies with a simple "Don't get philosophical on me now," and bolts back to her receiving line of journalists, friends, and groupies.

Whether you consider Patrizio Bertelli a maniacle genius, a raving lunatic, or the devil himself, one thing is certain.  Even with his violent temper, his obssession with detail, and his larger than life expectations he has been the perfect match for Miuccia Prada throughout the years.  No one describes their life-long partnership better than Miuccia herself, "He is the mind, we are the arms."

I guess the old adage is true- opposites attract.  And in the case of Prada, opposites not only attract eachother, but millions of fans all over the globe.

Ma'Salaama and Happy Shopping!

Fashionably Yours,
The (Prada-loving, opposite-attracting) Mujahada in Prada