Who wore what? 7 UAE influencers tell us how their Christmas wardrobes look

The term ‘revenge shopping’ was introduced around late last year, or early this year, as the pandemic became a bit manageable. Now, everyone inevitably wants to mourn over the Christmas they lost in 2020 — this time, making sure to celebrate with big(ger) trees, more roasts and definitely more power-suits. As you can see, 2021’s shift in dressing is strong. wknd. caught up with some of the region’s biggest social media influencers to find out what Christmas dressing means to them.

Alizey Mirza

(Insta: @a1izey, Followers: 208k)

Alizey Mirza, also commonly known for being a twin-pair to Lailli Mirza, takes her personal style to Instagram. She has a background in fashion journalism and the purpose of her channel is to help girls all over the world achieve their dreams and get what they want out of life, one fashionable step at a time.

1) I always stay true to my classic style and rarely follow the latest fashion trends.

2) Growing up in London, Christmas has always been something we’ve celebrated. I love wearing festive colours, such as red and green to get into the holiday spirit. I also love a bit of sparkle and never say no to sequins!

3) I love spending Christmas at home with family and close friends.

4) I’m wearing a red tailored suit from Zara — I love the bold colour. I’ve paired this with a pair of Amina Muaddis and a red Lady Dior bag.

5) Queen Rania is my ultimate style crush; she’s elegant and carries herself so beautifully. Lailli Mirza

Lailli Mirza

(Insta: @laillimirza, Followers: 252K)

Lailli Mirza is a luxury fashion influencer based in Dubai. She educates her audience on luxury fashion and investments while keeping her feed casual and true to herself.

1) My Instagram is a random selection of my favourite outfits and latest purchases, a small glimpse into my life of when I actually bother to change out of my sweatpants and baggy T-shirts.

2) I take advantage of all the heavily embellished and sparkly pieces in my wardrobe that I seldom wear throughout the year.

3) We’ve had the same tradition as a family for as long as I can remember. We exchange gifts in the morning in our Christmas pyjamas, enjoy an intimate homemade lunch which usually consists of a succulent roast turkey or chicken with fluffy Yorkshire puddings, tangy cranberry sauce, crispy roast potatoes and mince pies. Lunch is usually followed by a food coma which results in everyone lounging on the sofa, watching old home videos like Love Actually or Home Alone.

4) The red dress I’m wearing is from Revolve, the heels are by Valentino in ‘Tan-Go’.

5) I love Christine Centenera — her style is effortless and classic, she’s always well-put-together in layered basics and well-tailored ensembles. For party outfit inspiration, I always find myself stalking the likes of Leyla Milani, Jamie Chua and Giorgia Tordini, the way they play with colour has encouraged me to try and be more bold with my outfit choices.

Rinki and Ritu Pamnani

(Insta: @ritupamnani and @rinkipamnani3, Followers: 197k and 198k respectively)

Ritu and Rinki Panmani are also Dubai’s identical twin bloggers who take fashion and dance over to their Instagram. You might just be confused who’s who!

Rinki Pamnani

1) Love yourself enough.

2) Dressing up for Christmas is therapy! It fills my heart to dress up in beautiful winter clothes. I can never have enough stockings, overcoats, beanies and mufflers in my closet. Always looking for a new piece to add to my wardrobe.

3) I have planned a trip to London. I really want to visit Winter Wonderland this year!

4) I’ll be wearing the British designer label — Nadine Merabi, so expect a lot of bling!

5) I am really inspired by Zendaya these days.

Ritu Pamnani

1) Love yourself, imperfections are perfect.

2) Christmas is a magical time of the year for me and I love celebrating it with dressing in all Christmas colours and bling!

3) I’m traveling to one of my favourite islands.

4) I’m wearing a sage green suit, which is different from the blingy dresses I usually wear on Christmas, but it is perfect for the season.

5) It is hard to give one name but at the moment, I’m totally crushing over Lisa’s (@BlackPink) looks.

Naomi D’Souza

(Insta: @naomi_dsouza, Followers: 99.6K)

Naomi is a mechanical engineer and tech genius by day and food blogger by night. She enjoys making the most of both worlds by creating content that screams fun and is always true to her lifestyle.

1) Be who you are; there’s no duplicate version of you.

2) Christmas is the only time of the year when ‘ugly sweaters’ are not laughed upon and adding extra glitter on your face does not make people ask, “Why?”. I love dressing myself, my dog and my home for Christmas! The entire essence of the party as well is on what you wear.

3) I’m planning on baking a lot. I’ve been decorating my house since mid-November, and I still have a lot to do. My husband and I are visiting a friend who’s making some homemade drinks and cake. We are organising a Secret Santa get-together too at our place!

4) When I was in US, I bought a gorgeous DKNY red sweater that is perfect for Christmas. I have another sweater with a huge reindeer that I ensure I wear every year... five years and counting. Lastly, I bought an oversized sweater-dress that I can wear anytime of the day. The sweater actually has tinsels stitched on it.

Fay Ezzat

(Insta: @fayezzat, Followers: 27.5K)

Fay is a Palestinian/Spanish minimalist fashion influencer. She pushes boundaries by exploring style from both genders, keeping her aesthetic very sporty and gender-neutral.

1) The message is — simplicity and minimalism are key. Also, how to create art with fashion.

2) Christmas dressing represents joy and celebration. It is a combination of cocktail attire but often with holiday flair.

3) This Christmas is going to be different because I will be celebrating it in Bali, which is a completely new experience for me!

4) It’s a piece from my own collection.

5) Bottega Veneta, always.

Rabih Rowell

(Insta: @rabihrowell; Followers: 25.2K)

Rabih is creative director of his own label — @anomalous.monism. He uses the square grids of Instagram as a space for self-expression through fashion.

1) Overall, you can say my profile is my life’s album — my feelings, personality and a creative brain.

2) Ever since I can remember, going to shop a holiday outfit with my mom used to always be my favourite time of the year.

3) Like every year, I’m planning to visit my family in Lebanon.

4) I will be wearing a red power suit over a printed mesh top that I thrifted recently, or I might completely change my plans and wear something from the archives of my own label called — Anomalous.

5) When it comes to style icon, I cannot think of only one person. I get inspired by so many people everyday — strangers, friends, people in the mall, people I follow on social media… But if I had to choose one person, it would be Rabih Rowell in five years.

wknd@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai