Edwina Ibbotson's elaborate bespoke creations are popular with the fashion set at major international race meetings.
Edwina Ibbotson's elaborate bespoke creations are popular with the fashion set at major international race meetings.

As hats go on parade at Meydan, function remains essential



Disney's latest 3D movie, Alice in Wonderland, left me with the feeling that Colleen Atwood, the multiple-Oscar-winning costume designer, had somewhat missed a golden opportunity. Sure, Alice and the Red Queen were given some delicious treats to wear from the neck down, but my take on Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter, or at least his hat? Not nearly mad enough. Ever since Lady Gaga appeared on the scene wearing spectacular lace and telephone creations by Philip Treacy, orbs by Nasir Mazhar and bunny ears veiled in black lace by the French millinery sensation Maison Michel, hats - the madder the better - have become a talking point.

There was headgear aplenty on the Paris catwalks last week. Despite a seeming return to utilitarian chic and a nod to sportswear at fashion week, trailblazing designers such as Hussein Chalayan and Comme des Garçons championed breathtaking headpieces. Jean Paul Gaultier did fur bonnets. Sonia Rykiel put giant pom poms on headbands and Stephen Jones's equestrian toppers for Dior ensured that hats will remain the crucial accessories for autumn/winter 2010/2011.

Just as they are now, in fact. Ever since cool girls such as Lou Doillon, Milla Jovovich, Anouck Lepere, Lara Stone and Erin Wasson vowed never to leave the house without plonking on lace fripperies designed by their chum Laetitia Crahay (who doubles as the head of accessories at Chanel and artistic director of the Parisien hat-makers Maison Michel), hats have been enjoying a fashion moment. With less than a week to go before one of the most important events of the millinery calendar, the Dubai World Cup, we can reveal that this season's racing colours are silver grey, blush pink, lavender and "greige" with flowers replacing feathers as the trimming du jour. And be warned: experts on the field say fascinators are a non-starter.

This year, the world's most extravagant horse-racing fixture, which takes place on Saturday, will require ladies' hats to be even more dazzling than usual, in keeping with the World Cup's enormous new venue, the state-of-the-art Meydan Grandstand. "I can't even bring myself to say the 'f' word," says the leading couture milliner Cozmo Jenks, about the feathers-stuck-in-a-cone style that has blighted millinery in recent seasons.

"When I'm asked for a fascinator, my heart sinks," agrees Edwina Ibbotson, whose elaborate bespoke creations are found at major race meetings worldwide. "There's a huge difference between what you can buy off the peg and creations that appear to be light as a feather but withstand a gusty course," says Ibbotson. Function, the historical reason for wearing a hat (to shield the head from sunlight and protect from branches/tumbles when riding), remains paramount to the racing set, she says.

"The horse-owners and trainers want something extravagant, beautiful and striking which won't blow away and isn't so big they can't see the horses. A see-through brim is just about doable, along with something classic they can pull out and wear again over the year." Ibbotson, who runs an international business from her atelier in West London, also reveals that this season's trimmings are romantic flowers rather than feathers, on wide saucer-shape brims and classic Chanel-like wide boaters.

"Hats complement this season's ultra-feminine feel. The palette is nude pink. Although for Dubai, I imagine clothes will be brighter, which works well with black and white, which are classic hat colours." (Think Cecil Beaton's designs in the iconic Ascot scene from the 1964 musical My Fair Lady.) "Philip Treacy started a trend for fascinators which dispensed with the traditional brim and crown," says Siegfried Hesbacher, the London-based, German-born hat-maker who has been the official milliner to Royal Ascot for the past three years, and whose brand, Siggi, is available in the UAE at Candella in the Village Mall, Dubai.

"Milliners like Philip Treacy have successfully secured a place for hats within contemporary society," agrees Chloe Scrivener, a millinery tutor at the London College of Fashion. This institution, along with the Royal College of Art, has been a launch pad for emerging stars such as Olivia Roat, whose work references Italian baroque and state-of-the-art 3D, and the 25-year-old Nasir Mazhar, who debuted recently at London Fashion Week and has collaborated with Gareth Pugh and Richard Nicoll and made hats for Madonna and Lady Gaga.

Scrivener is impressed by the fact that, as well as designing for pop stars, young milliners grasp the artisan heritage of the craft, which appeals to women of all ages. (Roat was recently commissioned by the mayoress of London to make several hats.) "Paris used to lead the world in hats; now London is a serious contender," says Sylvia Fletcher, the ladies milliner at James Lock & Co, London's oldest hat makers (est 1676), which holds several royal warrants for the British Royal Family.

Roat and Mazhar can hope their careers mirror the success of the legendary Stephen Jones, the champion of modern hatters, whose Paris catwalk collaborations with John Galliano have helped return the hat to the fashion lexicon. His retrospective, Hats, an Anthology by Stephen Jones, which began in London in 2009, is soon to be rolled out into a world tour lasting six years. Next stop: Brisbane, Australia.

"I think hats for racing are always about dressing up and having fun," says Jones, just back from the prêt-à-porter shows in Paris and en route to Belgium, where a show of his work will be staged at MoMu in Antwerp from September 8. "You should go for something flamboyant and a conversation-starter. I like fascinators, but for the races you want something a little bit more substantial. You don't want to look like a chicken has just landed on your head," says the milliner, whose hats can be found at Saks Fifth Avenue and at the three Dior boutiques in Dubai.

"In Dubai there is a sense of decorum. The World Cup is an elegant affair. You mustn't look like you are going to a cocktail party wearing a strapless dress and strappy shoes. I think flowers go with dresses and feathers go with suits because they give movement and lightness to tailored shoulders. "It's a little bit more about dresses this season, but if you are channelling that Balmain square-shouldered look, you should go for something dramatic - not fussy feathers.

"We have some strong lavender-coloured race hats which have a 1950s couture feel at Dior. The leopard-skin print stops them being grandmotherly lavender," says Jones. Also, just in time for the World Cup, it's possible for the first time to purchase hats by Philip Treacy from the online boutique Net-a-Porter, which ships to the UAE, and Boutique 1 is stocking a selection of his designs too. "The headpieces trend which began last season looks set to continue," says Holli Rogers, the buying director at Net-a-Porter. "So we are delighted to be offering six styles by a milliner synonymous with luxurious statement hats, whose designs have adorned the heads of the rich and famous at events across the social calendar.

"Any one of these styles would make the perfect addition to your race-day outfit, but if I had to choose, I would either go for the beautiful sculptural bow headpiece in fuchsia, or for a more neutral colour palette, the silver sculptural bow headpiece with a crest of crystal-embellished feathers. My advice would be keep the rest of your outfit pared down and let your headpiece do the talking," says Rogers.

Fletcher adds: "I think there is a fine line between a hat that is extreme or simply silly. Hats in the shape of football pitches or ice cream cones aren't good for the race image." "What you wear to a race meeting depends on where you are going to be standing," says Jenks, the official milliner to the 2010 Goodwood season in the UK, who has visited the World Cup. Judy Bentinck, who trained under Rose Cory, the milliner to the late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, expands on this: "If you are wearing a hat in the royal enclosure at Ascot or are among racehorse owners at the Dubai World Cup, you should cover as much of your head as possible," she advises. "Hats are about a sense of occasion. The most important thing to consider when you are choosing a hat is: where are you going to wear it?"

If the occasion is the Dubai World Cup, just make sure your hat is utterly spectacular. You'd be mad not to.

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.

Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

'Of Love & War'
Lynsey Addario, Penguin Press

Sri Lanka squad for tri-nation series

Angelo Mathews (c), Upul Tharanga, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Janith Perera, Thisara Perera, Asela Gunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Dushmantha Chameera, Shehan Madushanka, Akila Dananjaya, Lakshan Sandakan and Wanidu Hasaranga

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed

Based: Muscat

Launch year: 2018

Number of employees: 40

Sector: Online food delivery

Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception 

Company Profile 

Founder: Omar Onsi

Launched: 2018

Employees: 35

Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)

Investors: B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners

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

Thank You for Banking with Us

Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

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
SEMI-FINAL

Monterrey 1 

Funes Mori (14)

Liverpool 2

Keita (11), Firmino (90 1)

Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
  1. Join parent networks
  2. Look beyond school fees
  3. Keep an open mind
SPECS
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Married Malala

Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.

The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.

Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.

Ready Player One
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Rylance

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Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

Rating: 3.5/5

THE SPECS

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Price: From Dh1,350,000

On sale: Available for preorder now

Pari

Produced by: Clean Slate Films (Anushka Sharma, Karnesh Sharma) & KriArj Entertainment

Director: Prosit Roy

Starring: Anushka Sharma, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Ritabhari Chakraborty, Rajat Kapoor, Mansi Multani

Three stars

Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

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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.”

A MINECRAFT MOVIE

Director: Jared Hess

Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa

Rating: 3/5

In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

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
The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

Drishyam 2

Directed by: Jeethu Joseph

Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy

Rating: 4 stars

US PGA Championship in numbers

Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.

To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.

Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd.

4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.

In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.

For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.

Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.

Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.

Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.

10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.

11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.

12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.

13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.

14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.

15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major.

16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.

17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.

18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).

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