London Fashion Week is done and dusted. There was all the usual madness one expects from what is the smallest of the major fashion weeks, but also one of the loudest. One brave soul wore an actual suit of armour to attend the Burberry show, a feat that raises so many questions: how did he get there and how on Earth did he sit down?
On the more serious side of things, two Moroccan designers offered personal love letters to their homeland. Maison Sara Chraibi and Maison Artc, presented by the Morocco Kingdom of Light initiative that promotes the country's evolving fashion industry, both sent collections down the runway in the British capital.
Coming Home by Maison Artc
Designer and artist Artsi Ifrach is the talent behind Maison Artc, a label that blends traditional North African fabrics and garments with art photography. With a motto of “we move culture”, social media darling Ifrach presented a show titled Coming Home that was a weirdly beguiling mix of clashing vintage fabric.
Akin to the mix-and-match styling of Valentino's Alessandro Michele, Ifrach combined antique lace with beanie hats, mouzoun (traditional Berber sequins, thought to ward off the evil eye) with vintage velvet fedoras, and a floor-length embroidered smoking jacket with a skirt/coat made from what could have been a Japanese kimono.
Told via fragments, the references came layered one on top of the next: from Ancient Egypt, via an earth-coloured dress covered with an appliqué figure, worn under a fragile loose-spun cape; to the Banjara tribespeople of India, from whom a traditional embroidered panel was stitched to the torso of a golden brocade dress; to a striped Berber tunic repurposed with “Mashallah” embroidered across the chest.
A traditional Egyptian Assiut scarf was transformed into a men's sheer top and worn with cream trousers, while elsewhere metres of black taffeta became a men's flowing cape – with a sign reading Marrakesh worn as a necklace.
Thrifted from stores and hand-assembled in Marrakesh, this collection felt very personal and it was easy to see the care and vision used to bring the disparate elements together. As with all Ifrach's work, it leant strongly towards a theatricality that London, of all cities, will fully embrace.
The Heavens by Maison Sara Chraibi
Sara Chraibi is no stranger to delivering high-pressure shows, as a member of the Federation de la Haute Couture. Her work featured at Dubai Fashion Week almost exactly a year ago. In London, Chraibi unveiled her latest couture collection, called The Heavens.
Inspired by the very air around us, Chraibi drew on elements such as fluffy white clouds on a summer day – seen across a cape and a flowing kaftan – and the dense dark of the night, via figure-hugging midnight blue velvet, and even the twinkle of stars, as light-as-air silvery metallics and crystals stuck to the models' skin.
With one foot in North Africa and one in Europe, Chraibi is adept at mixing modern evening attire with traditionally modest wear, blurring where one ends and the other begins. The real point she makes, of course, is that there is no difference and long, roomy garments are both practical and chic, wherever you may be.
Under Chraibi's sure hand these looks were elegant and beguiling, sweeping past as a tailored top coat, sheer to the waist, in translucent cream organza and worn with a floor-length white silk skirt, or another sheer top layer, cut to hang in shredded twists from the waist of a pale dress.
Some dresses had giant petals sitting high around the neck and face, while others were loose and decorated with lines of beading that flowed to the floor. A deft mix of North African cuts – the loose, airy kaftan shapes and flowing top coats – and European sensibilities that arrived as fine-spun metallic fabrics that gleamed luxuriously, this show displayed why Chraibi is deserving of her haute couture status.
Able to make the most noble of fabrics wearable, and elevate simple cuts to extraordinary new heights, Chraibi is a designer who speaks to a wide and adoring audience.
MATCH INFO
Wales 1 (Bale 45 3')
Croatia 1 (Vlasic 09')
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The years Ramadan fell in May
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
The years Ramadan fell in May
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
The specs: 2019 Subaru Forester
Price, base: Dh105,900 (Premium); Dh115,900 (Sport)
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 182hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 239Nm @ 4,400rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.1L / 100km (estimated)
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Sui Dhaaga: Made in India
Director: Sharat Katariya
Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav
3.5/5
The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Asia Cup Qualifier
Venue: Kuala Lumpur
Result: Winners play at Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September
Fixtures:
Wed Aug 29: Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore
Thu Aug 30: UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman
Sat Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal
Sun Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore
Tue Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu Sep 6: Final
Asia Cup
Venue: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Schedule: Sep 15-28
Teams: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, plus the winner of the Qualifier
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
More on animal trafficking
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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How much of your income do you need to save?
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