Not so long ago, if it wasn't ethically sourced, organically grown or fairly traded, it wasn't interesting. Few self-respecting businesses hadn't considered a line in 'eco'. But in the current economic crisis, Tracy Nesdoly asks whether such concerns are the first luxury to bite the dust.
For a while it seemed that "green" was the only way to go.
Fashion companies were weighing in with eco-conscious clothing - using bamboo fibre (less particular a crop than cotton and needing far fewer pesticides and fertilisers to thrive) or non-toxic dyes; yarn made of recycled plastic bottles; or simply clothes with a conscience, with some of the proceeds going to something worthy.
Fashion loves a trend, but what has happened to this one? In the current economic downturn, have they stuck to their principles?
According to the trend-watcher Faith Popcorn, we are in a "Bermuda Triangle" of culture. "Ethics, the environment and the economy are all failing at the same time," she says. Consumers, cutting back on spending as never before, need additional reasons to buy - they need to see the value of design and workmanship, though "sustainable" often means simply that the garment is "classic" enough to last a few seasons.
According to new research from the British market research firm Mintel, "sales of ethical clothing have more than quadrupled in the past five years to reach £175 million [Dh995m] in 2009". "Ethical" here means anything organic, green or responsibly made. It is a growth area, and Mintel suggests the economic downturn is likely to have only a slight effect on the ethical clothing sector.
And yet the marketplace for eco- or ethical-fashion is something of a niche business - it is confined mostly to small companies, accessories and casual clothes rather than the luxury end of high fashion.
"We support both established and emerging brands but ultimately it is down to the design, quality and how it fits in with our brand portfolio that determines whether a brand will work in the stores," says Hannah Lawton, spokeswoman for the Matches chain of fashion boutiques. Fashion may win out over green, but Hannah points out that Stella McCartney is one of their best-selling collections. "She creates a fabulous range of accessories from non-animal sources that are very fashion-forward and covetable. She also sources brilliant leather and fur substitutes for her clothing line - this year she has created a great pair of long Ugg boots in non-animal sheepskin, which our fashion and buying director feels very strongly about."
In fact, Stella McCartney is a notable exception to the "nice to have, not need to have" rule on ecological and ethically sound sourcing. A harbinger of "green", the brand uses fine fabrics like any other, but the company itself is carbon-neutral and all UK operations are powered by Ecotricity, which invests in clean forms of power such as wind. And, an organic capsule collection available in the US will soon be available in Britain and, hopefully, elsewhere.
Rumours have circulated about the luxury monolith LVMH possibly buying Edun, the organic clothing line created in 2005 by the U2 frontman Bono and his wife Ali Hewson, and much is made of the fact that LVMH pursues ecologically sound farming in sourcing ingredients for its alcoholic drinks. But, thus far, the impulse does not extend to its big brands. Dior and Louis Vuitton aren't producing eco-clothes, at least not yet.
"We are a fashion company, and product quality and style have to be of utmost importance. Fashion definitely comes first," says Timothy Elliott, a spokesperson from the high-end retailer Barneys New York, which has been a pioneer in eco-chic. "We had a leg up on this, as we have always been known for our love of artisanal work." He says that the company's fashion director, Julie Gilhart, is a passionate advocate of green and ethical sourcing and has actively pursued "good" brands. She works closely with vendors and has helped source "sustainable" or ecological products in all categories, including homeware.
Where "eco" really kicks in is beauty. While Dubai's Boutique 1 currently carries none of the so-called "green" lines in fashion, it does have a wide assortment of organic, good-for-you beauty ranges.
"Our customers are always telling us that beauty is a lot more than skin-deep, and this is why we've been stocking more and more beauty ranges that are eco-friendly and organic," says Rima Mirsaidova, cosmetics director for the Boutique 1 Group. "People are very conscious of what they put on their bodies and where the product has originated, or how it has been made."
It recently launched the Tilia & Finn spa at its flagship location at The Walk at Jumeirah Beach Residence that uses Jurlique products - the company uses ingredients grown on its own certified organic and biodynamic farms.
Does the customer care whether the gorgeous jacket is made of totally organic fabric or was sewn in a wind-powered factory? "I think it's definitely a movement in our industry," says Elliott, and may in fact be one more incentive to buy an item. Brands such as Loomstate are proving popular, but again, this is a range limited to jeans and T-shirts for the most part - by far the dominant category in the "green" world.
"Sometimes you just can't make something organic because it will lack structure or the materials simply won't support the integrity of the design," says Elliott. "However, we can hope that the building it's made in is sustainable, or the workers are treated fairly. There are all different shades of green."
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Defined benefit and defined contribution schemes explained
Defined Benefit Plan (DB)
A defined benefit plan is where the benefit is defined by a formula, typically length of service to and salary at date of leaving.
Defined Contribution Plan (DC)
A defined contribution plan is where the benefit depends on the amount of money put into the plan for an employee, and how much investment return is earned on those contributions.
Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5
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Types of fraud
Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
* Nada El Sawy
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
