My First Sahar Okasha - sooo sexy

[ssipes]

Kharis, how many hours did it take you to design/draft the pattern, and then sew and bead the dress? And how much is an hour of your time worth?

Originally Posted by kharis_UK

I have a red galabeya smothered in Swarovski diamante....and I mean smothered. On the front midriff area, you can barely put a pin between them. I think I used about 300 stones, all of various sizes from 8ss up to 48ss, with the oblong and pear stones going up to 60ss. the total cost of the stones was about £100 which is around $180. Now, you tell me that the mark up of nearly $2,000 is fair. And I don't believe for one moment that any of those Sahar costumes have that many diamantes on them.

[mariyah13]

Originally Posted by naiyahayal

Most of the new Sahars are out of my $$ range, too, but I certainly don't agree that Sahar can pull off even her simplest designs with $180 worth of Swarovski crystals!

I don't know. I have not seen a picture of a Sahar yet that looks like it has near the amount of crystals on Kharis's dress.

Just from looking over at the photos at the bellydance store, it seems as though she charges much more for the more offbeat, original designs whether or not they necessarily have more work.

[SamiraShuruk]

Originally Posted by mariyah13

I don't know. I have not seen a picture of a Sahar yet that looks like it has near the amount of crystals on Kharis's dress.

Just from looking over at the photos at the bellydance store, it seems as though she charges much more for the more offbeat, original designs whether or not they necessarily have more work.

I'd say yes, she does charge more for the original off beat designs. I'd also say some of her costumes have a higher number of crystals than Kharis's beautiful sparkly dress. Many of her crystals are small and don't really show up in pictures but sparkle under lights in person.

[kharis_UK]

Originally Posted by ssipes

Kharis, how many hours did it take you to design/draft the pattern, and then sew and bead the dress? And how much is an hour of your time worth?

the dress is a cheapey one - about £10 in Cairo. However, the pattern is relatively simple and could be made from around 2m of fabric. The diamantes I added by hand, obviously. They are clamped on. Took about a day. Additional hand beading - about another day. Two days. Still not enough to justify that amount. That's ....er, 600 squid for two days work. £600 is about $1,200. Even if a bra took longer than that to make, it's still bloody expensive for what it is.

[kiyaana]

For those of you who have seen these up close, can you describe what's happening at the top of the skirt here:
The Belly Dance Store

It looks like a separate piece, but sewn to the skirt. It seems to have a nice little curve/dip in the front.

This color is yummy!

[anala]

Kharis, old girl...you know...we are both getting on a bit...and I am wondering who you will be willing that dress to...do you have someone in mind? It would ill behoove you to not make provisions for the proper disposal of a dress like that...so...who's you buddy?? Who's your pal???

[SamiraShuruk]

Originally Posted by kiyaana

For those of you who have seen these up close, can you describe what's happening at the top of the skirt here:
The Belly Dance Store

It looks like a separate piece, but sewn to the skirt. It seems to have a nice little curve/dip in the front.

This color is yummy!

At one point she had two like that; the other one had looped fringe though. I tried them on. Yes, I guess that could be described as an attached yoke at the top of the skirt and it has a subtle curve to the yoke/beltish part. I think everything I tried on from her has either built in panties or shorts- this one would be panties. Zip up the back center.

[kharis_UK]

Originally Posted by anala

Kharis, old girl...you know...we are both getting on a bit...and I am wondering who you will be willing that dress to...do you have someone in mind? It would ill behoove you to not make provisions for the proper disposal of a dress like that...so...who's you buddy?? Who's your pal???

I'll behoove it to you, me old gal pal. However, will you still be alive in 30 years' time...when I will be doddering around the dance floor with my sequinned zimmer being hailed as a game old bird, whilst shaking my stick and cursing and calling everybody fit to burn and not caring coz I'm an old fart who no longer gives a damn about who thinks what and being grumpy is my prerogative and to hell with being politically correct at halfahs.

[anala]

Yeah...I'll still be hoofing it around in 30...but at the rate of an additional 15 minutes in the bathroom - per year of increased age (to put on just a teensy bit more make up (spackle)) - I will be spending 7.5 hours in the bathroom per day before I am ready to come and and party with you. God, just thinking about all that preening just made me tired...I am going to go take a nap now....

[Zana]

Anala -- you've put me next in line for that gorgeous thing, right? I wanna be behooved, too! You already own half my wardrobe, so it's only fair. Besides, you're going to be swanning around in naked dresses well into your eighties, and somebody needs to be dancing in the red sparkly one!

Hey, Kharis -- how old do we have to be to qualify for the game old birds' club? I think I want to join right now. Stirring things up a bit at haflas sounds like fun....

[mariyah13]

I have seen several Sahars in person. They were all pretty expensive $750, $950 etc.
I can say that two of them for sure had no crystals of note. One I was able to inspect very closely and definitely only had plastic beads and a small bit of rhinestone trim. The others had crystals, but I don't remember that they had a lot or were remarkably sparkly.

I am not knocking Sahar or her designs. I would actually love to own one but probably won't at these prices, unless its used.
I don't doubt that there are some Sahars that are covered with crystals but I know that there are expensive ones that are not.
I just don't think that her high prices are necessarily related to the expense of crystals.

[anala]

swanning around in naked dresses well into your eighties,

Naked wrinkles on a droopy 30 year old net dress.......ahhhhrrrrggg.....Horror show...

[shems]

I've just bought my second Sahar. A red and black beauty. It is officially my favorite costume I've ever owned. I'll post photos soon. There is a couple more at the belly dance store I'm eying as well. If only they weren't so expensive, I'd buy 5 at once. Sahar is officially my favorite designer.

For me it's not about the crystals, it's all about the fit and the cleanness of design.

<3

[SamiraShuruk]

Originally Posted by shems

...
For me it's not about the crystals, it's all about the fit and the cleanness of design.
<3

I love that she has a variety of lines- she's got the "simple Sahars"- with virtually no embellishment. Her "base model" line, I guess. She's got the elegant ones that seem to be mid-range price- dripping with beads - sort of "black tie event" looking to me- and then she's got the ones she let her creativity loose on. And BOY is she creative!
I LOVE the fit and I love the quirky, elegant yet flirty and whimsical spin she puts on things.

[damiena]

Shems, between you and I and Samira and Amartia, I think we will keeping Shahrzad in the Sahar business for a long time!!!

Shems - please tell me you are wearing the new Sahar tonight!!!! I can't wait to see it on you!! I am wearing my orange one!!!

Samira - I had another thought about my base model olive one...an overlay of off-white lace on both the bra and skirt, and then big olive green Swarovsky crystals! Kind of like Thalia's red lace Eman!!!

[SamiraShuruk]

Originally Posted by damiena

Samira - I had another thought about my base model olive one...an overlay of off-white lace on both the bra and skirt, and then big olive green Swarovsky crystals! Kind of like Thalia's red lace Eman!!!

We've created a sewing monster!!!
That sounds beautiful.
I might have to buy another "simple Sahar" so I can keep a plain one after I decorate the blue one.

[Vasha_Hatal]

I love this thread. I will never get tired of looking at Sahar costumes!! I got 2 in Egypt, I will have to get some pics in them and post :3

[SamiraShuruk]

Originally Posted by Vasha_Hatal

I love this thread. I will never get tired of looking at Sahar costumes!! I got 2 in Egypt, I will have to get some pics in them and post :3

Oooh! Yes! Post pictures! Post Pictures!