Shopping in Dubai: the decorating menu of local designers

At Galeries Lafayette in the Dubai Mall, there are corners selling bags and jewellery by Lebanese and Egyptian designers, including Nihal Basha, who invents brightly coloured leather clutches to which she attaches XXL clasps in the shape of Arabic letters. There's also Sohad Acouri's collection of eveningwear and a selection of local brands in the décor boutiques. Also in the Dubai Mall, the gold souk is full of jewellery inspired by major brands such as Pomellato, Van Cleef & Arpels, Chopard and Cartier, which are not true copies but cost three to four times less than the originals. But beware: while the price per gram of gold is still reasonable, and you can have a chain or other piece of jewellery made for you, it's best to make sure that it's really 18-carat gold. For the rest, a trip to Sharjah is a must. This emirate, located a good half-hour's drive away, has remained "provincial" and not very touristy. Its blue souk is a good option for shopping for handicrafts, which are much cheaper than in Dubai. Silk carpets in particular are known to be exceptional...