Happy New Year! If you have been following the various word-of-the-year shortlists and design trends, you may have noticed that the Danish hygge has recently been dethroned by a new Scandinavian it-word – the Swedish lagom. Lagom is translated loosely into English as the Goldilocks principle of ‘not too little, not too much, just right’. While … Continue reading
Category Archives: Lifestyle
UAE Art & Fashion: A Cosmopolitan Mix
Last weekend I was among the lucky visitors to the brand-new Louvre Abu Dhabi — a futuristic museum designed by French architect Jean Nouvel and the hottest new arrival on the global art scene. The museum’s concept is to show humanity in a new light, highlighting the commonalities across civilizations, cultures and religions. The crowd shuffling … Continue reading
It’s a Wrap!
Recently a budding designer asked me about sustainable and luxurious packaging options, and it made me think about this important yet often overlooked part of the product offering. Packaging is an $11 billion elephant in the room, according to the Sustainable Packaging Association, and it is essential to communicating the brand’s sustainability commitment. Although brown … Continue reading
Happy Slow Year!
It’s hardly an overstatement that many of us hope 2017 will be an improvement on its predecessor. In my case, after a fast-paced 2016, I hope that this year will be slower (hence being slow in writing my first 2017 post for green stilettos). Here are a few things I’d like to take slowly this year… … Continue reading
Gifts As Sweet As Honey
In Greek mythology, the Gods of Olympus would consume honey as a drink or nectar to achieve immortality. For the rest of us mortals, honey is a fantastic product to feed our body and soul, and a wonderful gift in this festive season. Buying responsible honey products can also help save dwindling populations of honeybees, … Continue reading
Organic Bordeaux
Earlier this month I had the opportunity to visit the beautiful region of Bordeaux in south-western France. Renowned for its good food and wine, Bordeaux certainly did not disappoint. What’s more, it offered a taste of some of the world’s best organic wines. Organic wine, known in France by ‘Agriculture Biologique’ or ‘Vin Bio’ labels, … Continue reading
Stilettos Revisited
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that stiletto heels remain the stuff of dreams for women and men alike. As stilettos celebrate their 110th anniversary, here’s a short history of this famed footwear — from fashion splurges to fetish items. Although slender high heels had been worn by French courtiers as early as late 19th century, it was shoemaker Andre Perugia … Continue reading
Charitable Gifting
The festive season is once again upon us, and what could be better than a gift that gives back? As Francis of Assisi said, “For it is in giving that we receive”. Here are some ideas for ‘charitable gifting’ to end the year in green-and-glam style. Charity Baskets from Marni This Christmas, Marni offers a limited … Continue reading
Eco-Chic Home Office
Recently I have been busy setting up my home office. In fact, it was not until I have left the comfort of a (very green and modern) office building where I had been working five days a week over the past four and a half years to start my own company that I realized that having a dedicated work space … Continue reading
Travel in Style
These couple of weeks I am doing a fair amount of packing due to a three-week family holiday in Australia. Those travelling with young children will relate to the proverbial ‘kitchen sink’ being moved from continent to continent, as well as the hassle of negotiating various airport obstacle courses. It is hard to believe that not … Continue reading