[su_heading]Kishmish, Dubai’s first gourmet Afghan street and soul food restaurant, first opened its doors to Dubai’s Dar Al Wasl mall in February. The authentic Afghan eatery tells the tale of three patriotic Afghan women with a shared love for food, nostalgia for home, and a mutual dream: to share the riches and comforts of Afghan food with the world. Iman, Fatima and Homaira, the founders, have been family friends for generations, whilst they grew up outside of their native land, each of them holds an innate appreciation for their history, rich culture and, of course, their native tongues. Having grown…

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[su_heading]Fu Wenjun, a Chinese pictorial artist, graduated from Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, and he creates principally through the art media of photography, installation, sculpture and oil painting. He has put forward the concept and practice of ‘Digital Pictorial Photography,’ a genre created by Fu Wenjun,  representing a photographic art expression working through digital post-processing and multiple exposures. Here we talk to him about Pictorial art and his vision…[/su_heading] 1. How was it possible for you to blur the lines between photography and art? Yes, both have physical stimulation of the mind and both convert a portrait of a sort but how…

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[su_heading]Tara Young, 49, is Artistic Director of La Perle, a groundbreaking permanent show in Al Habtoor City, Dubai. The Canadian debuted as a performer on New York’s Broadway aged 18 in a show with Cabaret star Liza Minnelli. Ms Young has worked with LA Opera, New York City Opera, New York City Ballet and as Artistic Director of Michael Jackson’s ‘The Immortal’ world tour before former Cirque du Soleil creative Franco Dragone hired her for his China show and then La Perle. Here we talk to Ms. Young on her life and her future ambitions:[/su_heading] Q. What is a day…

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[su_heading]Reem Abou Samra is a business woman at the top of her game with the ownership of fashion, beauty and lifestyle licenses under her belt. Some of those names include the celebrity hair salon, Jose Eber Laloge, Versace Kids, Samra jewelry amongst many. Reem is also a well connected socialite known for her lavish events and for being seen among the notable and elite members of the UAE society. She also participates in a lot of charity work and uses her position to give back to organisations such as the Rashid Centre for Disabled children with personal visits to the…

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Natasha Rudatsenko (formally known as Natasha Stephenson) is a Dubai based health and fitness entrepreneur who describes herself as a ‘serial health nagger’ after regularly pestering family and friends into living a healthier lifestyle through a combination of yoga, exercise and good food. Originally from Estonia and educated in London, Natasha moved to Dubai in 2010 and has since gone on to launch a number of award winning businesses including Muncherie Organic Foods and RAWR Yoga. Shortly after moving to Dubai, Natasha fell in love with Hot Yoga from the first sweat. Becoming a regular class goer, she went to…

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[su_heading size="20"]In last week of June, the holy month of Ramadan arrived. So did Art Noor’s solo exhibition of Paintings depicting the divine ‘99 names of Allah’.[/su_heading] Titled, “Fragrance of Faith”, it exhibited 48 artworks at Le Patio in St Regis Dubai on a much larger scale than his earlier exhibition which was held last Ramadan at Sofitel the Palm Dubai. He has been having the exhibitions on the same subject since 2004, when his first solo exhibition called ‘Noor’ was held in the UAE organized by Directorate of Art, Sharjah. Though invited, I couldn’t make it to the opening…

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[su_heading size="20"]Glamour and luxury exemplify the unparalleled collection of couture in Turkish Fashion Designer Rasit Bagzibagli’s dresses, bringing out every woman’s natural femininity and elegance with every drape and shimmer. As a curious 8-year-old, Rasit saw fashion in a reverie of bold colors, crepes, and silks and drawing inspiration from his mother’s couture fittings, decided to become a Fashion Designer at the tender age of 12. Rasit set up his first atelier at his family business in 2007, releasing his first female couture collection aged 21 and by 2013 he had presented his first ready-to-wear collection named RASHID, debuting in…

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[su_heading size="20"]For more than 20 years, Hervé Gambs, artistic director and floral fabric design initiator, imagines sensory experiences for unconventional luxury seekers. As a free thinker, his approach is meticulous and instinctive. He tries various olfactive ways and succeeds in giving a new refreshing meaning to the French traditional Haute Perfumery. He creates free, intimate and sensual fragrances as a mirror of his passion for authenticity. This contrast between raw and extreme sophistication soon became his trademark. In an exclusive interview, KM talk to the man that does it all, right from the aromatic distillation to the finish of a…

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[su_heading]Sophie Allouche, Founder of luxury skincare brand KOSME PARIS has always been very in touch with the environment and its effect on our health. Ever since she became a vegetarian, she has always been vigilant about petrochemicals such as parafins and oils, believing that animal fats or products made from them are harmful for your skin and the environment. After a chance encounter with an ethnobotanist, her interest in creating natural products grew and the rest has been history. Sophie maintains her vegetarian philosophy right from the ingredients of her products to her focus on ethical farming ensuring that each…

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[su_heading]Saygin Yalcin, Founder of Startup Hero’s YouTube channel, which has over 136,000 subscribers making it the largest business focused channel in the Middle East, gives us tips on how to be a budding entrepreneur and on how to devise a potential idea for a successful business.[/su_heading] 1. When did the idea to start an entrepreneurial YouTube channel strike you? Why and how? A: The idea came after I became a course lecturer at the Canadian University of Dubai. I felt the need to create an environment that fosters a can-do culture and belief that business and entrepreneurship is not something…

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