From left, Tommy Hilfiger’s womenswear and menswear collection for autumn 2015. Photos Tommy Hilfiger
From left, Tommy Hilfiger’s womenswear and menswear collection for autumn 2015. Photos Tommy Hilfiger

Tommy Hilfiger unveils 1950s, 60s & 70s inspired collection in Dubai



In an exclusive event for press and VIPs at Art Sawa Gallery in the Dubai International Financial District, Tommy Hilfiger evoked past decades in revealing the runway, womenswear, menswear and children's collections for autumn 2015.

The theme

True to its varsity roots, Tommy Hilfiger’s autumn collection was an all-American affair. This season, the label rolled out three lines under the theme of an American Love Story, which fused elements of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Modern athletic wear was the cornerstone, including duffel coats of lush Toscana shearling and alpaca. There were also plenty of scholar scarves and sweatshirts in cosy faux fur. Best-sellers for the cooler months in the UAE are likely to be capes of felted mohair with embroidered stripes for her and coach’s jackets in contrasting wool and leather for him.

For her

Think chunky-knit cardigans and tunics, with versatile separates that have lace detailing for the ladies, matching skirts with delicate whip stitching on their seams. The range was also awash with tweed, denim, wool crepe and buttery lambskin in classic silhouettes accentuated with grosgrain ribbon. Hilfiger’s kick-pleat skirts and sheer-panelled chiffon dresses were teamed with wedge-heel football boots and sequined Mary Janes. The combinations were fun and feminine. With much of the collection inspired by ladies of the 1950s silver screen, there are retro pleated pants, trench coats and handkerchief shirts. For those who dare to wear them, this season’s thoroughly modern accessories also include a pair of patent heeled moon boots.

For him

For men, Hilfiger’s autumn look has an urban feel, featuring nylon and leather paired with fleece joggers or sweatshirts. Pops of chilli-pepper red added bright accents throughout the collection and, in keeping with tradition, well-worn denim in saturated indigo tones. Highlights include the buffalo button-down shirts, heather-grey knitted sweaters and evergreen hoodies for men. The collection features plenty of New-York-inspired graphics with layered tone-on-tone colours. Bleached-out blues again highlighted the urban aesthetic, while bleached greys added a modern twist to vintage washes from the 1970s.

For kids

The Tommy Hilfiger autumn collection for children, dubbed F.A.M.E, paid homage to the worlds of film, art, music and entertainment. Since his brand’s launch in 1985, Hilfiger has been known to roll out collections reflecting his passion for classic 1960s cinema and the pop art of the 1970s. His children’s line this season was all about bright colours, preppy patterns and cool pop-culture motifs. Standouts included mulitcoloured snoods, scoop-neck knits and lightweight denim skirts for girls. Key pieces for boys were bomber jackets, crew-neck tees and slim-fitting jeans.

rduane@thenational.ae

Result

UAE (S. Tagliabue 90 1') 1-2 Uzbekistan (Shokhruz Norkhonov 48', 86')

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

A MINECRAFT MOVIE

Director: Jared Hess

Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa

Rating: 3/5

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Roll of honour 2019-2020

Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain

West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership

UAE Premiership
}Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes

UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II

UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby

The specs

Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

Power: 480kW

Torque: 850Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)

On sale: Now

MATCH INFO

Quarter-finals

Saturday (all times UAE)

England v Australia, 11.15am 
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm

Sunday

Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm

THE SPECS

Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo

Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic

Power: 169bhp

Torque: 250Nm

Price: Dh54,500

On sale: now

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
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THE SPECS

Jaguar F-Pace SVR

Engine: 5-litre supercharged V8​​​​​​​

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Power: 542bhp​​​​​​​

Torque: 680Nm​​​​​​​

Price: Dh465,071

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The biog

Name: Mohammed Imtiaz

From: Gujranwala, Pakistan

Arrived in the UAE: 1976

Favourite clothes to make: Suit

Cost of a hand-made suit: From Dh550