Middle Eastern-inspired fashion is currently en vogue around the world from the streets to the catwalks. But rather than merely dabbling in aesthetic exoticism, the designers and brands who are exploring the region's sartorial traditions are drawing inspiration from a commercial viability that's given the style such sturdy legs.
Kaffiyehs were an integral part of the Eighties bohemian look worn by American girls. They caught on with Japanese teenagers in the early part of the decade, but by the mid-2000s, however, hipsters from the gritty sections of Brooklyn to the hallowed halls of New York's universities were again seen sporting the traditional Arab attire as scarves around their necks, making a statement purely for the sake of style.
Soon, they were available at H&M, Topshop and Urban Outfitters, while Nicolas Ghesquière for Balenciaga adorned them with charming pendants in his collegiate and tribal-inspired autumn/winter 2007 collection. To complete the scholastic-inspired outfits, Ghesquière also paraded them along with jodhpur pants, which were showed in various iterations at numerous shows, including Roberto Cavalli, Vivienne Westwood and Dries Van Noten.
In early 2008, harem pants were first spotted on many trendsetting women such as Lou Doillon, and later that year, the look seemed to take on a life of its own. During the spring/summer 2009 collections, countless female fashionistas took to wearing them as part of their show-going outfits, while men sported brightly printed and distended versions paired with high-top trainers for a casual appeal, metallic lace-up shoes for a romantic look, and boots for a more rugged air.
The chicest arrangements were seen on the French Vogue editors, who paired them with leather jackets, masculine-looking vests and asymmetrical cardigans - a languid, dishevelled luxury that only stylish Gallic girls seem to pull off perfectly.
Even hard to please, avant-garde- leaning fashionistas in Tokyo found ways to incorporate the look into their darkly hued wardrobes. "There is a lot of crossover with traditional accessories," observes Misha Janette, a Tokyo-based fashion journalist.
Additionally she says: "The harem pants have been big among the fashion types for quite a few seasons now - I believe Yohji Yamamoto brought it back a few seasons ago, and it has caught on as harem pants worn with flat sandals."
While the streets teem with such fashion flourishes, more designers continue to be inspired by the relics and sartorial inspirations of the region. "The reason why the Middle East is often referenced in art, music and fashion is due to the region's rich and profound cultural heritage as well as its distinct exoticism," says the Manila-based Bea Valdes, whose line of handcrafted bags and jewellery is doing brisk business at Tanagra boutiques all over the Gulf region. "It really does encourage contemporary wanderlust," says Valdes.
For Balenciaga's autumn/winter 2009-2010 line, Ghesquière manipulated silk to mellifluous effect, yielding lushly draped jodhpur-like pants that chic women everywhere will clamourafor once they hit the stores later this summer. Haider Ackermann's draping of bunchy leggings underneath long robe-like, abaya-inspired dresses also hints at this tribalism, while Angela Missoni's heavy layering of scarves, head pieces and knits for Missoni is both cosy and also a clear reference to Bedouin clothing. But the most palatable pieces for women came from Chloé, where the creative director Hannah MacGibbon used desert colours, such as sandy brown, beige and tan to create trousers with voluptuous silhouettes in velvet, silk and cotton.
The recent resort collections of important luxury players such as Lanvin, Givenchy and Yves Saint Laurent also had an Arabic leitmotif running through them. At the recent men's shows in Paris, Julius featured conceptual takes on the abaya and the hijab, Rick Owens layered and deconstructed a series of tunic-like tops, Mihara Yasuhiro made harem trousers into purposely distressed jeans, and various tops by Comme des Garçons looked like abbreviated khandouras, a garment that Kris van Assche skilfully worked into masculine pieces that also had urban appeal.
Riccardo Tisci seems to be leading the pack with this new cultural aesthetic, however. Although there were Middle Eastern touches in his resort 2010 show, his menswear outing in Paris also featured harem pants, references to the hijab, and geometric patterns. At Givenchy's autumn/winter 2009 couture show in Paris, he also paraded heavily embroidered harem pants - worn by Lakshmi Menon - but the most winning and dramatic pieces were two long, silk abaya-esque dresses donned by models decorated with ornate jewellery.
Outside the Arab context, these clothes are right in step with the current practical demands of dressing. Sonny Groo, a progressively attired stylist and editor-in-chief of the online fashion publication Mykromag, says that fashion is moving too fast and as a result, there's little time to promote individuality. "And that's why we're going to protect ourselves. That's why we'll layer again, dress with more volume, but add more rich elements such as gold to complete our feeling," he observes. "I'm sure that in a couple of years from now, fashion will be all about heavy materials, longer shapes, volume, back to baggy. Feel good, no-nonsense and it's all going to be about you from the inside: personality."
Even though Groo's prediction may seem extreme, it isn't too far-fetched. With conspicuous consumption now long gone, fashion is moving into more modest times. Shoppers are less likely to buy into trends, but are making more considered shopping decisions with value as the priority. The Swedish fast-fashion retailer H&M, a company that has built a multibillion global empire with trend-driven clothes at low prices, posted a more than expected loss in June, while earlier this summer, Lanvin, the French label with finely crafted clothes that carry a considerably hefty price tag, posted a sales gain of 29 per cent. Based on its second quarter earnings, Hermès is holding strong amid the recession with a 12 per cent rise in sales. Although these brands are competing at different spectra of the market, their financial earnings are indicative of today's shopping mantra: quality over quantity.
Middle Eastern clothes are also universally flattering. "The style and fit of kaftans and harem pants specifically appeal to many markets and customers as they are comfortable, light and airy, hide a multitude of sins and allow the customer to 'buy into' a diverse culture of their own," says Boutique 1's fashion and buying director, Nicole Robertson.
While adaptability is the draw for fashion consumers all over the world, the region's strong purchasing power is attractive to many western fashion businesses even in a downturn. "Although the luxury industry in the Middle East in general has definitely been affected, the overall spending of our Arab customers from the Gulf region actually has not," says Zayan Ghandour, the co-owner, head buyer and creative director of S*uce.
It's also one of the few places that's seeing a number of store openings rather than closings, a prevalent occurrence everywhere else. The region is integral to the survival of the couture business and is probably a commercial reason why Givenchy chose to do such elaborate pieces in its recent show.
"I believe that for luxury brands to excel in this market they must adapt to the needs of the local client. Giving the consumer a unique product specific to this market is one of the key ways to connect," says Rosemin Manji, the managing director for RR and Co, a luxury consultancy that works with international brands such as Tom Ford and Issa to help customise their business strategies for the local market. As part of their penetration strategy, many brands have designed products specifically for the region and are working with stores to ensure that Arab tastes and sensibilities are met because the demand is so strong.
As a result, Emporio Armani has made branded ghutras, Fendi has offered shailas, Tom Ford has produced khandouras, and Gucci makes sandals. "YSL were one of the first houses to reintroduce their version, the sarouel, and in our Kuwait boutique they were sold out in a matter of weeks. The result is followed by a second instalment for the upcoming spring/summer 2010 cruise collection and many other houses are following suit," says Natalie van Rooyen of Villa Moda, the region's premier luxury retailer.
Villa Moda has already collaborated with some of the world's most illustrious brands, such as Prada, Etro, Marni and Tom Ford and this symbiotic relationship is getting stronger. "We are constantly working with local and international brands to do kaftans, jalabayas, dishdashas as well as other products for us, so that we can cater to the needs of our clients," says Van Rooyen.
Since opening its doors in 2004, S*uce has worked closely with its designers to make sure their offerings fit well in the market. "Fetty, for instance, a jewellery brand based in New York which is famous for its New York rock necklace (an actual rock embedded with a diamond), created a Dubai version using a rock that we picked from the shores of Dubai and sent over by courier," notes Ghandour.
But some brands such as Issa have taken it a step further by integrating Middle Eastern-inspired pieces in their collections. "Issa London has incorporated permanent cuts in their collections which are very popular. Kaftan dresses and long wraparound dresses are some of the brand's signature cuts, which are repeated in different prints every season. Similarly, the Japanese brand Tsumori Chisato has added a kaftan style to its collection," says Ghandour.
The cross-cultural influence is clearly a two-way street, with designers drawing inspiration from and customising products for the region's inhabitants. With a rich cultural history and a contemporary appetite for design, the Middle East is fashion's new muse.
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.
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Drishyam 2
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Women%E2%80%99s%20T20%20World%20Cup%20Qualifier
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
West Indies v England ODI series:
West Indies squad: Jason Holder (c), Fabian Allen, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Oshane Thomas.
Fixtures:
1st ODI - February 20, Bridgetown
2nd ODI - February 22, Bridgetown
3rd ODI - February 25, St George's
4th ODI - February 27, St George's
5th ODI - March 2, Gros Islet
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Sam Smith
Where: du Arena, Abu Dhabi
When: Saturday November 24
Rating: 4/5
The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press
Summer special
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.”
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
