Melissa Takes Morocco!

It's been a bit quiet of late as far as the Melissa Odabash blog is concerned - May-August is my busiest time, so everyone has been busy busy working hard to make sure everything is ready to launch my 2013 collection. Two weeks ago, we flew off to North Africa to shoot the look book, keep reading for a full run-down & behind-the-scenes pictures...

I can’t even begin to explain the one week of pure bliss that was my week at Mazagan, Morocco, where we shot the Melissa Odabash 2013 look book this month. I have never met such incredible welcoming & friendly people in all my travels, anywhere in the world.

Nothing could prepare us for the level of luxury we were greeted with when we arrived. We were taken immediately to two beautiful villas, mine having a long marble swimming pool outside & even its own hamman, having been greeted by everyone who would be working with & for us throughout the week. After making ourselves at home, we made our way down to the dining rooms where we were presented with an incredible ten-course dinner – thankfully after a long journey behind us we were all quite hungry to say the least - & the food was unbelievable.

I was placed in the care of the sweetest butler that never left our side the entire stay. From arriving on our set with freshly squeezed orange juice & croissants every morning to never even letting me lift up my own sunglasses, & chauffeuring us around the resort on a golf cart, every request was met with ‘as you would like’ - & best of all he knew all the best places around town to eat & drink that the tourists didn’t know about – recommending a different place to go every night we were there. Of course, it wasn’t all luxury – the shoot was hard work, sometimes working long hours late into the evening to get the perfect shot, so it was amazing to know that when we got back to our rooms we would be treated to a massage with real Moroccan oil – not a pretty sight afterwards, but our hair & skin was glowing - we really were spoilt!

The massages more than made up for the super-early morning shoots on the beach, & the early morning wake-up call was worth it to see the Arabian horses running through the surf at dawn. The sunsets were also like heaven - the entire sky would be luminescent in all shades of oranges (very on trend for next season!) & we got some incredible shots around these times – I love Morocco in the evening. When the carved doorways & lanterns are lit up it is one of the most beautiful places. We were lucky enough to be taken on a tour into a souk where we watched a man making bread & discovered some amazing waterfront hotels, before being taken to some incredible underground caves where Gucci shot their last campaign – very cool.

Mezagan is also known for having the best spa in Africa, so of course, it would have been rude to not have made sure this was the case! After a tiring five days, I waited until the last night to have my ‘relaxing’ hamman experience. Imagine my surprise when I turned up & was ushered into a men’s hamman! Not the most relaxing of experiences, but definitely by far one of the best hamman I have ever had. He began with intensely scrubbing my body so not even the tiniest amount of self-tan remained before a full massage after which I didn’t have a single know left in my back. I ended up walking out feeling like I was Moroccan with my hair in a turban & freshly scrubbed skin - I definitely gave everyone back at the apartment a good laugh, but it was well worth it.

Keep your eye out for the Melissa Odabash 2013 look book, I think the collection is my best yet - & the location definitely made the pictures super-special.

Top Celeb Spots

We're loving the recent spate of celebs wearing Melissa Odabash swimwear whilst hitting the beach the past few weeks.

Odabash devotee Tamara Ecclestone chose two of her favourite triangle string bikini's for a recent holiday & her charity bikini shoot - the gunmetal Maine is perfect on her skin tone & looks great with her glossy dark locks - some girls make beach-side glamour look so effortless! Take a look at our high summer Maine in bold blue here - it works equally well on blondes & brunettes (& we hear Tamara snapped one of these up on her recent visit to the Odabash boutique in Chelsea).

Tamara Ecclestone wears Maine in gunmetal, very Bond-girl-esque

We also love her in this skimpy apricot Denver bikini, perfect for showing off a tan - the jungle green option available on our website here looks especially great on you blondies!

Tamara in our apricot Denver available at www.melissaodabash.com

And last....but by no means least, who popped up in Hawaii wearing our bestselling 'Elle cowboy hat. And just how great does she look!? granted, it isn't an Odabash bikini, but we still think it is pretty cool. There aren't many girls that get away with such a strong red lip at the beach either, but Rihanna is a lesson to us all in how to look super-cool on holiday this year. Buy the hat here

Interest in Pinterest

It is safe to say we've become a little bit obsessed with online pinboard Pinterest at Odabash HQ this week. There is nothing more exciting than having a look through someone's sketchbooks or moodboards (just us?!) so for us to have unlimited access to hundreds of thousands of personal collages is pretty great! Check out ours - Melissa will be uploading images that inspire her collections, locations she's been to or is planning to go to, favourite photographers & photographs that encapsulate her London life. Check it out!

Melissa Models Odabash & Macdonald for Hello!

Check out Melissa getting back to her modelling roots here in Hello! magazine this month - she & good friend and collaborator Julien Macdonald gave an exclusive interview about their friendship, how they work together & of course, a few juicy bits of gossip you won't hear anywhere else! Melissa was then photographed in a succession of pieces from the O&M collection. All set in the luxurious surroundings of The Sanctuary, Covent Garden's glamorous day-spa...though there was unfortunately no time for a quick treatment as it was all work work work!

Also seen wearing Odabash&Macdonald in this week's Grazia magazine was none other than the lovely Whitney Port - putting her fashion experience gained at Diane von Furstenburg, Peoples Revolution & Teen Vogue to good use by becoming a new judge on Britain & Ireland's Next Top Model alongside Julien - lending a touch of old-school glamour to the 'Coleen' luxe kaftan.

Say hello to Melissa Odabash: High Summer 2012

Here's another exclusive post for you MO fans (drumroll please...) - this time, a sneak peek at the Melissa Odabash 2012 'High Summer' collection. Featuring key pieces & best-sellers from the main line, updated in new, fresh prints & bold colours for the new season. The collection launches next week, head to our website to check it out - but until then, here are a few of our favourite pieces...

'Geneva' updated with chic, neutral crocodile print - classic shape given an edge with sexy cut-out sides.

'Maine' super-popular & very skimpy, glamorous Maine has been updated into a bold new blue - looks incredible with a little bit of a tan.

A real favourite - 'Diana' in super soft draping fabric in chic truffle colour is perfect for home or away - looks great on its own or teamed with jean-shorts & flat sandals.

Our 'France' cut-out swimsuit given a sexy new twist with bold but delicate beading & embroidery. A real statement piece, perfect to stand out on the beach.

One of our bestsellers, the 'Evita' updated into a hot new pink for the summer.

A real stand-out piece from the main line, the Savannah is perfect for day or night to exude laid-back beachy glamour. Team with metallic flat sandals & our statement lotus cuff from the new MO jewellery collection - also available at our website.

Spring has Sprung...

...which means (our favourite season) summer is well & truly on it's way. And while it is a beautiful sunny morning here in London, we can't help but wish we were in some exotic, faraway location with our MO bikini on, the sand between our toes (& maybe a Margharita in our hand!) Maybe somewhere a little like here...

And if all that has whet your appetite for getting away, keep your eye on the blog next weeks for exclusive not-to-be-seen-anywhere-else sneak peeks at our high summer collection, launching very, very soon.

Odabash&Macdonald - The Big Reveal!

We're super excited to be sharing this post with you today, of a very special collaboration between Melissa & long-time friend & fellow designer Julien Macdonald.

The collection took inspiration from a road trip taken by David Bailey in 1973, in which Anjelica Huston & a very debonair Manolo Blahnik posed in a succession of glamorous eveningwear harking back to the dramatic styles of the 1930's...

The collection consists of twenty-three high fashion pieces of swimwear, beachwear and four exclusive, made to order couture knitwear, all of which represent the desire both designers have to make women feel sexy and confident.  Form fitting slip dresses complement silhouettes emphasized with fringed thigh high splits and dangerously low backs. Floor length diaphanous silk chiffon flows fluidly and give a luxurious finish to the beachwear with select pieces hand-embellished with bejewelled sea serpents. Available at our two London Boutiques, see here for contact details.