Consumers are becoming more conscious of the environment — Sally Sarieddine

to be constructive in everything that you do.”

A huge advocate for conscious fashion, Sally designs handbags that are locally handcrafted in Lebanon and as sustainable as they can get. Prior to being a designer, Sally dabbled in theatre, public relations and marketing. But it was after she signed up for a fashion design course in London that she realised what she really wanted was to create art that ‘ embodied her personal message to the world’.

“I commit to being ethical and sustainable and want to allow conscious customers to shop with peace of mind,” she explains. “I use locally- sourced materials, less chemicals and reused and recycled materials wherever possible.”

Lalaqueen’s handbags are assembled by local Lebanese artisans who operate in healthy working conditions and all packaging for the bags is made from recycled materials only. Sally also believes that true elegance has no age, and this can be seen as the theme of her shoots that refreshingly shifts away from the norm to feature a striking older model as well. It is all part of her aim to be conscious and give back to the community, and consumers are taking notice. In fact, even celebrities like Amal Clooney have been seen sporting Lalaqueen handbags.

“Consumers are becoming more conscious of the environment,” says Sally. “They want to take part in contributing to the greater good BAGGING NEW TRENDS: Lebanese handbag brand Lalaqueen features both young and old models, as fashion is timeless; designer Sally Sarieddine — even if that means simply supporting brands that do so.”

She is not wrong. As consumers start to sit up and take notice, big brands are following their lead. Case in point, Nike, which was once universally criticised for its use of sweatshops, now includes sustainability as a part of the innovation process. The factories have been inspected by independent third parties and come up clean, and they have even pledged to go ‘ toxic- free’ by 2020. Another example is H& M. At a time when most high- street brands are under fire for creating heavy amounts of waste and exploiting workers, H& M released its conscious collection. It looks like more and more brands are realising that the key to success is treating the environment — and their workforce — with a little more respect.

“Being ethical is about helping the community that has given you so much,” says Ayah Tabari, a Dubai- based designer and founder of Mochi. Named after cobblers who developed the art of embroidery in Gujarat, Mochi focuses on bright pieces of clothing and accessories that are handcrafted by local artisans — and for every new collection, Ayah travels to a different destination to design a line that

NATURAL IS BEAUTIFUL : Designs from Mochi’s African collection; designer Ayah Tabari whose collections give locals fair wages and employment

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vintage pastel earrings by parfois DH59 2 top from Desigual DH209 3 printed scarf from promod DH149 koton tan satchel bag DH99 5 striped smock from stradivarius 6 ‘ handa’ clutch wallet from ecco DH749 7 promod bohemian patterned blouse DH199 8 casual dress from m& s 9 asymmetrical dress from 10 cropped frayed hem skinny jeans by tory burch 11 knitted short sleeve t- shirt from 12 taupe suede booties by steve madden DH439 13 metallic platform brogues from

I am a 17- year- old girl and I have a hair fall problem as well as dry hair. Could you please suggest some tips to stop the hair fall so I can have bouncy and straight hair? I also need a natural remedy that will improve my complexion, but without using honey as it does not work well with my skin.

— Stella It is important to note that if your diet is proper, a lot of your beauty issues will resolve themselves. Keep a balanced diet by having foods rich in proteins, carbohydrates, zinc, iron and all the vitamins required for a healthy body. Ensure that you drink 8- 10 glasses of water daily and eat plenty of eggs, fish, soya, fresh fruits, green leafy vegetables and whole grains. Also get a blood test to check your thyroid hormone levels, as an imbalance can cause hair fall and bad skin. Coconut milk is very nourishing for the hair, so massage it onto the scalp and leave it on for at least an hour before rinsing. For your complexion, make a creamy mask using one tablespoon of coconut milk, a teaspoon of strawberry purée and oats powder. Apply this to a clean face and when dry, scrub off. Do this three times a week and you are sure to see a difference.

I am a 12- year- old girl and I have pimples on my face. I have also been having hair fall for a few days now. Can you please give me some remedies for both of these problems?

— Name withheld Hair fall and pimples may be due to dandruff in the scalp. Take one tablespoon of aloe vera gel and add six drops of tea tree oil to it. Mix well and massage into your scalp and face. Leave this on overnight. Do this three times a week for best results. Have a healthy diet and don’t forget to drink 10- 12 glasses of water everyday — you will be surprised by how much it helps.

I’m 17 years old and although I massage my head every other day with coconut oil, the hair on the front of my scalp is very thin. Can you please suggest some home remedies for hair growth?

— Name withheld Add a tablespoon of castor oil to two tablespoons of warm coconut oil and massage this onto your scalp. Follow this with steam treatment and leave it on overnight ( or for at least an hour). Avoid using conditioners when you are using hair treatments. Coconut oil is very good at improving the volume of hair. ( Got a beauty- related query?

Write to Rima Soni at wknd@ khaleejtimes. com)