"O’ de Rose in Dubai"

... Not in the habit of linking to this kind, but Mimi (May) Shakashir & her lovely family are  very good friends ... NYTimes, here

"... this boutique offers clothing, accessories, contemporary art and home décor by independent Arab-world designers and “little artisans who do handmade things, passionate things,” Ms. Shakhashir said.

“I have never been a mall person,” she said. “I love personality and personal attention.”

O’ de Rose has both in spades. Most of the space is packed with ethno-chic updates of traditional Arab and Middle Eastern creations, from Moroccan drinking glasses in psychedelic Pop Art colors (30 dirhams, about $8 at 3.7 dirhams to the dollar) to hand-blown Syrian vases.

Anyone with a fetish for Oum Kalsoum, the celebrated Egyptian diva, will find her image and lyrics embossed on everything from hand-painted ashtrays, to jazzed-up kaffiyeh scarves bearing wildly flowing Arabic calligraphy....

Another Lebanese brand, Bokja, specializes in reupholstering retro armchairs, couches and ottomans with colorful handmade antique fabrics from the Middle East, Central Asia and beyond...

The gamut of East-meets-West products deployed around O’ de Rose suggests what might happen if Aladdin swapped his cave for an urban loft. “We love to bring back the traditional icons from the Middle East,” Ms. Shakhashir said. “They’re part of our culture, and it’s nice to bring them out in funky, modern ways.”