One of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix's most exclusive hotspots this weekend will be the F1 VIP Lounge, a collaboration between Lumin and Flash Entertainment, which for the first time this year is tucked away backstage at du Arena. The lounge Bedashing will be offering spa treatments, entertainment will be courtesy of Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE beach club, while brands including Pioneer, Harley Davidson and Lacoste will be gifting items to celebrities who want them, with everyone from the British singer Rita Ora to the Arab Idol winner Mohammed Assaf getting an invite. Here are four we want you to know about:
Arcadian Apparel
Billed as the first website selling wearable art inspired by Emirati culture, Arcadian Apparel T-shirts will definitely get you noticed. We are fans of #Fancy, Run DXB, Red Camel (a play on Red Bull), the beautiful Hopeless Romantic and, of course, EmiraTee. The Italian designer Stefano Gabbana apparently agrees, posting the "D&G Dubai Girl" version to his Instagram page. All T-shirts are designed by local artists and the site also encourages amateurs to submit their designs for a chance to be featured, too. arcadianapparel.com
Ethical Muse jute bag
This year’s VIP swag bag was designed by the lounge favourite Ethical Muse, which was commissioned by the video app Keek.com. Featuring the Hand of Fatima and hand-stitched by women in Sharjah, it’s made of upcycled coffee sacks and jeans, all from within the UAE, so it gets two likes – for being eco-friendly and local.
Jordan River Foundation pillows
When Mosaique quietly opened in Nation Towers Galleria earlier this year, Abu Dhabi got itself a destination shop for stylish decor from the region and beyond. So it's fitting that it's furnishing this year's lounge and gifting special guests with appliquéd pillows from the Jordan River Foundation, one of its partner charitable organisations. Founded by the UAE-based Palestinian Lama Qaddumi-Shahin, the boutique is cleverly curated, with multicoloured vintage patchwork chairs (including passport pockets for global citizens) by Lebanon's Bokja, Arabic calligraphy tables by Jordan's Dina Gildeh, hookahs by Turkey's Gaia&Gino and candle lanterns by Italy's Seletti. It also stocks art books, jewellery and a selection of clothes and bags, so if you're stuck for a unique gift for anyone, our secret is now yours. Open from 10am to 10pm Sunday to Wednesday and 10am until midnight, Thursday to Saturday, 02 665 5144, www.mymosaique.com
Balu Joias jewellery
The jewellery brand Balu Joias will be gifting limited-edition bracelets. The brand's founder, Sharon Harris, has created pieces in leather, silver and gold featuring Swarovski crystals and glazed horse shoes. The Dubai-based designer has produced the bracelets in a selection of colours from the UAE flag and titled the collection Lucky 7. After all, she says: "Nothing is more precious than to be able to pay homage to the wonderful emirate you live in." shopatbalujoias.com
artslife@thenational.ae
