Love in the Movies
Simran Chard shares her opinion on the validity of Romace in the world of film:
“Love isn’t like you see in the movies” was the mantra I had embedded into my head from a young age. The idea that love is given a fantastical and irrational portrayal in cinema has been long known, but how does it really affect us when we get to that time in our life and we start looking for our ideal partner?
Having reached the ripe old age of 20 I find myself in the predicament that 80% of women my age find themselves in, the never ending battle of finding that one special person. The one person you want to spend long winter nights cuddled up to against the fireplace and spending hours watching out dated television series together. What makes it worse? The fact that everyone around you seems to be blissfully content in serious long term relationships, so comfortable with one another that their immense affection for each other makes the meal you just ate for one regurgitate in your stomach.
From a young age I was forever watching cheesy rom-coms about the ideal man romancing his romantic interest. From the suave Richard Gere sweeping Julia Roberts off her feet in the eternal romantic movie Pretty Woman; to Jack forfeiting his life and saving his lover Rose in Titanic. Movies are bursting at the seams with men whose chivalry and devotion to their romantic partners make the average woman yearn for her share of this idealistic gallantry. Where is my Jack who will freeze to death in the middle of the ocean for the sake of my life? Where is my Richard Gere who will save me from the darkest recesses of my soul? The answer is that he is in my mind and will never materialize in the world we call reality. No man will love you like they do in the movies, and that’s the harsh reality of it. The undying, besotted prince charming will never come on his white stead and rescue you from the tallest tower. The most we can hope for is a paid meal on the first date (even that, these days, is a commodity only reserved for the elite).
My point is, we complain about not finding the perfect man who will buy us flowers and worship the ground upon which our delicate feet touch, But are we the perfect women? The truth is that perfection doesn’t exist, if it did it would be boring. Who wants to be perfect anyway? When looking for love we have to look for the best in any prospective person we meet. Don’t write them off because they don’t tick every box on your never ending list. Instead of looking for perfection the next time you meet a man look for the way to turn the imperfect into the perfect. Life is all about shaping the things around us to our liking, why should a man be any different?
CREAM: A Fashionista’s Dream
CREAM started as a boutique store in Jeddah (KSA) and has now turned into a household name in the Middle East. Its founder, Dana Malhas, undoubtedly achieved every fashionista’s dream! Going from maintaining a small store to having her presence requested at private Chanel luncheons and exclusive fashion shows in Dubai, London and Paris amongst fashion royalty such as Karl Lagerfeld. Aside from her amazing taste in clothing, she received a little help from the phenomenon of social media.
1. What is the best part of your job?
Buying! It’s like shopping for yourself but with a bigger budget and for a bigger closet! We try to make CREAM appeal to women as their dream closet, so we buy everything a woman could ever need (clothes, bags, accessories, lingerie, beach wear) and we have even designed the store to look like a walk-in closet.
2. What role did Instagram @creamjeddah play in the success of Cream? (Note: she has 56k followers)
A huge role! Instagram has opened an international door for us. We have clients and fans from all over the world. Our name has become prominent in the Middle East fashion world and our boutique has become one of the top fashion destinations in the GCC because of this platform. Also, Instagram has helped us stay in touch with our clients on a daily basis; which is beneficial because I live in Dubai.
3. If you could give advice to someone who wanted to follow in your footsteps, what would it be?
Thinks, act, dress, buy like your target client. Being the same age as your audience is also great and I was lucky enough to have that, because when it helps you know very well what they want and how they think.