This winter it's all about big coats, boots, bags and baubles

Global shopper The director of buying for Boutique 1, Nicole Robertston, reveals the most popular pieces in the Dubai multibrand stores this month.

Halston coats, seen here at a show for New York Fashion Week, are some of Boutique 1's most poular items.

The director of buying for Boutique 1, Nicole Robertston, reveals the most popular pieces in the Dubai multibrand stores this month.
Many of our clients have been preparing themselves for upcoming travel by buying heavier winter items. Cashmere pieces from Oscar de la Renta, leather jackets from Balmain and furs from Giambattista Valli have all sold out. Other hot sellers have been the leather leggings from Les Chiffoniers and The Row and coats from Halston, Giambattista Valli and Chloé.

For those staying in Dubai but feeling the slightly cooler weather, we have seen high sales in lightweight knitwear, especially from 3.1 Phillip Lim and Chloé. Over the last couple of weeks we've had many events in Dubai, including the Atlantis party and the opening of our flagship store at The Walk in Jumeirah Beach Residence, so we've seen an increase in sales of cocktail dresses and eveningwear, with dresses from Missoni, Thomas Wylde, Alexander Wang, Zac Posen, Oscar de la Renta, Temperley, Halston and Elie Saab all doing well. It felt like New York Fashion Week had descended on the desert of Dubai!

Even in just the last few weeks, our male clients have become more adventurous. They're buying drape knitwear from both Unconditional London and MeMine, and oversized 1960s-inspired pieces from Adam Kimmel. The sports fanatics among our customers always buy Y3 Apparel and Stone Island brands. Men in the city are also becoming more style-conscious when it comes to shoes, which has surprised us - they love Marc Jacobs' shoes, and the high burgundy boots from Collection Privée.

Accessories are very big this season. They're all about stones, sparkles and embellishment - and the more the better. In jewellery, Angelo Figus, Sophie By Sophie, Erickson Beamon and Tom Binns have been the winners. This has been very much the season of the shoe: sculptured shoes and boots with detail have been key. Brian Atwood's cosmic button-back boots sold out in the first week and it was a very good season for the ankle boot in general with Alaïa's eyelet boots, Chloé's metallic studded boots and Rupert Sanderson's Kit Kat boots. Clutches have been a success in the bag section, with Maïa N, De Couture, Creation Amale and Kotur being the hot sellers.

The autumn/winter season is coming to a close: we have an international customer base with fashion-forward clients - they come to Boutique 1 for the "must-haves" for the season and the mood in general now is anticipation and excitement for spring/summer, with waiting lists a mile long. New brands coming to Boutique 1 include Thakoon, Peter Pilotto and Phi. We are particularly excited about Halston's new collection and its evolvution so we are expecting big things from this brand in the months to come. The new Maïa N Puffy bag has just been delivered to us in fantastic metallic python skins and there is quite a waiting list for the version in crocodile. Other new accessory brands that are just about to be delivered are Michael Teperson and Mos Milano.

We don't just sell fashion - we also have books and magazines that pertain to fashion and art that interest our customers. Recently published books for every fashionista's collection include The Fashion Game Book by Florence Müller (Assouline), which tests your fashion knowledge. The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own by Nina Garcia (Collins Living), illustrated by Ruben Toledo, sets out essential wardrobe and style advice.

The Subjective Atlas of Palestine, edited by Annelys de Vet (010 Publishers), is an award-winning book platforming the work of Palestinian artists and designers given the opportunity to present creative work about their homeland. And The Secret Life of Syrian Lingerie by Malu Halasa and Rana Salam (Chronicle Books) explores the unusual underwear to be discovered in the souqs of Damascus - it's a delightfully revealing volume!
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