Mamma Mia!
A firm favourite with yummy mummys worldwide (celebrity fans include Gwen Stefani, Jessica Alba and Stella McCartney), Mamas & Papas was founded in 1981 by the Italian entrepreneurs David and Luisa Scacchetti, to import nursery equipment for wholesale – it is now the fastest-growing mother-and-baby retailer in the UK. Country farmhouse-style cribs and cradles are coordinated with all manner of nursery furniture, clothing and luxury gifts.
Mamas & Papas, Al Wahda Mall (02 443 7273) and Marina Mall (02 681 6689)
Pretty women
Label-loving ladies with a bulging new season budget can find plenty fresh-from-the-catwalk styles in Marina Mall, home to Burberry, Dior, Valentino and Chanel. The latter fashion legend has managed to stay relevant all this time thanks to Karl Lagerfeld, who has been revamping classics such as the little black dress, the tweed suit and quilted leather handbag since 1983.
If you’re a fan of Mischa Barton and Keira Knightley’s style (both known fans of Temperley London’s haute garb), then you’ll want to drop by the designer’s new Marina Mall store. For quirky, up-and-coming brands and one-off pieces S*uce is a must. Yes, some of the dresses that hang from the rails in this fun-of-the-fair-style fashion boutique are pretty ‘out there’ (more court jester than covetable couture), but in between these kaleidoscopic creations you’ll find stunning pieces from the likes of Pencey, Philip Lim and By Malene Birger. For those with cash to splash in S*uce (Dhs28,705 to be precise), treat yourself to an Ola & K 18-carat gold diamond ring.
Elsewhere in the mall, you’ll find shoes and accessories from the likes of Coach, Bally, Gucci, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Tods and Yves Saint Laurent. Pique your friends and enemies with an exclusive piece from one of these top capital boutiques.
Marina Mall (02 681 8300)
Established in 2004, Grafika is an independent boutique specialising in designer dresses, abayas, hand-bags and accessories. The most expensive item in-store? A stunning Rabani & Rakha evening dress – a snip at just Dhs7,000.
Al Wahda Mall (02 443 7111)
Techno-geeks
Customise your crib with new groove gear from Bang & Olufsen. With its sliver-thin designs, top-notch quality and whopping price-tags, the Danish electronics giant is a prime producer of big boys’ toys, like the sputnik-shaped Beolab 5 speakers, its black-trimmed Beovision 7 flat-screen television and its brushed-aluminium Serenata mobile phone. You may not understand the complexities involved in manufacturing an integrated music system with ‘neural intelligence’, but it certainly sounds impressive.
Bang & Olufsen, Abu Dhabi Mall (02 644 0587)
It’s a man thing
With exclusive brands including Façonnable, Stefano Ricci, Givenchy and Hettabretz, Rodeo Drive boutiques are inspired by the renowned Beverly Hills street – a street synonymous with high fashion, luxury and glamour. So what better home for such a prestigious shopping destination than Emirates Palace? Head there for snazzy silk ties, sleek tailoring and all manner of classy accessories.
Rodeo Drive, Emirates Palace Hotel (02 681 2300).
Having a suit made to measure has to be one of the ultimate fashion indulgences. Abu Haleeqa specialises in national dress and will custom-make items based on your choice of style and fabric.
Abu Haleeqa, Abu Dhabi Mall (02 644 3316).
For those men who follow new season trends (and are proud to admit it without fear of being labelled a ponce), you’ll be pleased to know designer threads can be found at the Ferrari Store, Hugo Boss, Emporio Armani and Burberry (Marina Mall, 02 681 8300) as well as Tommy Hilfiger (Abu Dhabi Mall, 02 644 4965) and Polo Ralph Lauren (Abu Dhabi Airport, 02 575 7818)
Get your rocks on
Tiffany has always managed to navigate the dark spells of the economic cycle and since the opening of the very first store in New York in 1837, the brand has survived the Civil War, two World Wars, the Panic of 1893 and the Great Depression, supplying niceties from diamonds to cuspidors to dog whips.
Abu Dhabi’s outlets of the legendary brand exude an air of Audrey Hepburn-style glamour with their flabbergasting selections of fine jewellery, chic accessories and gift items. Check out the highly coveted engagement rings and the signature Tiffany bubbles, hearts and watches. The most expensive item in store? A five carat solitaire ring worth a cool Dhs960,000!
Tiffany & Co, Abu Dhabi Mall (02 644 1182) and Marina Mall (02 681 4477)
If the bling on display at Tiffany’s doesn’t take your fancy, Van Cleef and Arpels (Marina Mall, 02 681 1121) and Bvlgari (Marina Mall, 02 681 8828) have plenty of opulent offerings. Watch lovers can check out the trendy timepieces on display at Tag Heuer (Abu Dhabi Mall, 02 644 6448) and Omega (Marina Mall, 02 681 8616); as the official timekeeper of the Olympics, the watch of choice for James Bond, and more than 160 years of experience – Omega has an impressive history.
What lies beneath
Some luxury products seem to weather recessionary times better than others and luxury lingerie, as frivolous and unessential as champagne for breakfast, continues to sell well. No one understands luxury products better than the Italians and beautiful lingerie, like fine leather goods or hand-embroidered linens, belongs to the Italian tradition. Now the fifth largest textile group in Italy, La Perla had a modest start in the ’50s, selling out of a Bologna apartment, but the brand now represents 50 per cent of the total luxury lingerie market thanks in part to its use of the latest technology in adapting new trends. The prices at La Perla may be steep but when the style and quality is this good it’s worth dishing out a few extra dirhams. In the summer months, look out for exquisite cut-out swimsuits and bikinis.
La Perla, Souk Qaryat Al Beri (02 558 1670)
