What a week it has been in Paris. Balmain bounced back from a robbery with a collection created from scratch in under two weeks, Stella McCartney celebrated all things sustainable, and two designers bowed out for the last time.
At Chloe, Gabriela Hearst delivered her final show, drawing to an end a chapter where her message of sustainability never quite connected with her audience. This did not dampen the designer’s spirits though, who ended her show by dancing on the runway.
At Alexander McQueen, creative director Sarah Burton also presented her final show after 26 years with the house – first alongside McQueen himself and then at its helm since 2011.
Delivered as a greatest hits of her work – and dedicated to the late founder, Lee Alexander McQueen – it revolved around sensual, brooding beauty with intricate gold work, shredded fabric and laser-sharp tailoring, showing off her skills and know-how.
Poignantly, Burton’s departure also marks the end of a direct connection to McQueen himself, quietly closing the door on a remarkable legacy. The new creative director, named by parent company Kering as Irish designer Sean McGirr, will now usher in a new era.
Across other shows, there was a notable leaning towards "sensible" dressing over trend-led pieces, evidenced by multiple houses doubling down on the idea of classic, wearable clothing that will remain relevant for years. This was shown as timeless separates and well-thought-out dresses over showy wear-it-once headline grabbers, continuing the mood seen in Milan of a quieter, less frantic approach to fashion.
Miu Miu's collection delivered this but with a twist that was expected as Prada's little sister brand. Well-cut polo shirts, jackets, pencil skirts, and long shorts were topped with embroidery, and teamed with drawstring pants and glasses for a snappy stylish update, while at Chanel, Virginie Viard dived further into casual dressing, with an understated collection of breezy separates pared with sandals and flip-flops that exemplified effortless French-holiday style.
Louis Vuitton held its show in an interior made to look like a hot air balloon, which was perfectly apt for a light, almost floaty collection of handkerchief-hemmed long skirts and roomy jackets that carried a 1980s vibe.
Over at Balenciaga, creative director Demna – who now goes by his first name only – called on his mother and friends to model his latest collection. In addition to another round of the oversized clothing he has made his own, the show announced a new in-house label. The closing look was a wedding gown made from multiple dresses taken apart and remade into a one-off by Balenciaga Atelier. The label will focus on one-of-a-kind pieces.
Meanwhile Mugler had the likes of Helena Christensen and actress Angela Bassett walk in a dazzling show that had models covered in ribbons of fabric that flowed horizontal down the runway behind them. Stella McCartney created her own universe this season with “Stella’s Sustainable Market” filled with brands pioneering new, animal-free materials to complement her runway collection that used family photographs as motifs.
The Hermes show was perfectly understated and built around the colours of leather used by the house. Crafted into top-to-toe looks of soft, belted house coats, simple skirts with chunky belts and fluid tailoring. The show was interrupted by Peta activists who stormed the runway to protest the company's continued use of exotic skins.
However, the biggest news out of Paris is the return of Phoebe Philo on October 30. Known for creating sleek, minimalist clothing that had women flock to buy her pieces when she headed Chloe and then Celine, the announcement that she will unveil her new eponymous label online ends months of speculation about when (and how) she would return.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
2024%20Dubai%20Marathon%20Results
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Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Read more about the coronavirus
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Racecard
5.25pm: Etihad Museum – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,200m
6pm: Al Shindaga Museum – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (Dirt) 1,200m
6.35pm: Poet Al Oqaili – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m
7.10pm: Majlis Ghurfat Al Sheif – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,600m
7.45pm: Hatta – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m
8.20pm: Al Fahidi – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m
8.55pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m
9.30pm: Coins Museum – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m
10.05pm: Al Quoz Creative – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
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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.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
THE DETAILS
Deadpool 2
Dir: David Leitch
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Justin Dennison, Zazie Beetz
Four stars
More from Neighbourhood Watch
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
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
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20Profile
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EVIL%20DEAD%20RISE
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In numbers
- Number of children under five will fall from 681 million in 2017 to 401m in 2100
- Over-80s will rise from 141m in 2017 to 866m in 2100
- Nigeria will become the world’s second most populous country with 791m by 2100, behind India
- China will fall dramatically from a peak of 2.4 billion in 2024 to 732 million by 2100
- an average of 2.1 children per woman is required to sustain population growth
The Outsider
Stephen King, Penguin
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
