24 looks from Qasimi's spring / summer 2021 collection


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Fashion label Qasimi, under the new direction of Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, has released its spring / summer 2021 collection, with the addition of womenswear for the first time.

Sheikha Hoor is the sister of the late Sheikh Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi, the brand's founder.

With its clear but relaxed aesthetic, Qasimi is already well known for its referencing of architecture and its military flourishes, so it's no great surprise that for its spring / summer 2021 range, it looks to the Bedouins and their traditional tent-making and weaving techniques.

For the first time, womenswear was presented at Qasimi, for the spring summer 2021 collection. Courtesy Qasimi
For the first time, womenswear was presented at Qasimi, for the spring summer 2021 collection. Courtesy Qasimi

Known as Al Sadu, the distinctive geometric woven patterns of the Bedouin lend themselves well to menswear, and Sheikha Hoor has scattered them skilfully across collared bomber jackets, straight-cut trousers and even bucket hats, in a muted, weighty jacquard fabric.

To counter this heaviness, stripes lifted from the walls of Bedouin tents appear in shades of ochre, tobacco and metal grey, and are cut into roomy shirts and used as trouser edging. They appear echoed in subtle cable knits for him, and as Nehru collared, knee-length tunics and floor-length dresses for her.

Rather than straying too far from the Qasimi look, the familiar fluid silhouette has been transposed into womenswear, as oversized and drop-shouldered looks. The only real concession comes from carved dress hems that flatter the shape underneath, without compromising the upscale streetwear feel.

More tent inspiration crops up in curving seams that dissect bias-cut dresses and gathered elements that bring to mind traditional nomadic lifestyles, but also something fresher, and more modern, as if the wearer were heading to Burning Man.

With a palette that reflects the labels' desert origins, the collection moves through creamy limestone, desert rose and lilac ash, and then Persian plum and cumin, and into military khakis, but seen through a new prism. Sun-faded and muted, the colours are soft and intensely beautiful, offering a sense of calm in these troubled times.

Arabic embroidery at the Qasimi spring summer 2021 collection. Courtesy Qasimi
Arabic embroidery at the Qasimi spring summer 2021 collection. Courtesy Qasimi

Also woven through the collection is the work of Jamaican-born American artist Nari Ward, who challenges ideas of race and identity. Sheikha Hoor has taken the title of his 2018 work, We the People, and run it across bomber jackets, hoodies and shirts, the shoe laces that the original artwork is made from now echoed in the brand's long, trailing threads of embroidery.

Assured, considered and utterly wearable, this move into womenswear will allow females to embrace the Qasimi codes without having to steal their partners' clothes, as surely has been the case until now.

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Friday: First practice - 6am; Second practice - 10am

Saturday: Final practice - 7am; Qualifying - 10am

Sunday: Chinese Grand Prix - 10.10am

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Name: Airev
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Founder: Muhammad Khalid
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Generative AI
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Checks continue

A High Court judge issued an interim order on Friday suspending a decision by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to direct a stop to Brexit agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports.

Mr Justice Colton said he was making the temporary direction until a judicial review of the minister's unilateral action this week to order a halt to port checks that are required under the Northern Ireland Protocol.

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Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

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If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

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Test series schedule 1st Test, Abu Dhabi: Sri Lanka won by 21 runs; 2nd Test, Dubai: Play starts at 2pm, Friday-Tuesday

ODI series schedule 1st ODI, Dubai: October 13; 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 16; 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 18; 4th ODI, Sharjah: October 20; 5th ODI, Sharjah: October 23

T20 series schedule 1st T20, Abu Dhabi: October 26; 2nd T20, Abu Dhabi: October 27; 3rd T20, Lahore: October 29

Tickets Available at www.q-tickets.com

Stat Fourteen Fourteen of the past 15 Test matches in the UAE have been decided on the final day. Both of the previous two Tests at Dubai International Stadium have been settled in the last session. Pakistan won with less than an hour to go against West Indies last year. Against England in 2015, there were just three balls left.

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UAE
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7.45pm: CCI France UAE – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m 

8.20pm: Czech Business Council – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,400m 

8.55pm: Netherlands Business Council – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m 

9.30pm: Indian Business and Professional Council – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m  

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets