If you hanker after high-level luxury, then Italy needs you now. There is the baroque romanticism of Dolce & Gabbana, the restrained, but oh-so polished elegance of Bottega Veneta and Jil Sander, the sparkle and exotic skins of Roberto Cavalli and the dark and moody glamour of Gucci. These are just some of the treats to emerge on the catwalk at Milan Fashion Week, which wrapped up on Monday.
The reason Italy needs you right now is because the economy is hurting. The fashion industry is worried by the tough new austerity measures being imposed by their government and there are fears of a decline in sales, which some analysts suggest might be as much as 5.2 per cent this year. So the Italian designers had to put on a good show to lure us into their stores. Ironically, not all saw it that way and it was notable over the course of the week that many collections were subdued and conservative in tone.
Not so at Dolce & Gabbana and Roberto Cavalli. Dolce & Gabbana was brimming with baroque excess and a joyous show it was for that. Domenico Dolce's Sicilian heritage inspired the severe but sumptuous capes and coats encrusted with gilded embroideries, the sensuous guipure lace dresses and the sweet, frilly white Confirmation dresses. This was familiar territory for the pair. Naturally, there was some of their signature nip 'n' tuck corsetry and some gorgeous bouquets of flower prints on dresses.
Dolce & Gabbana and Roberto Cavalli were the only ones to display pure Italian indulgence. Cavalli was totally de trop, presenting flashy little bubble dresses in shiny bright sequins and feathery fur that, along with the abundance of big cat prints and exotic skins, seem destined to be worn by party animals. It tested the boundaries of taste but after a week of sober presentations, it was a relief to see a designer having fun.
Miuccia Prada's presentation, on the other hand, was very restrained, aside from the extraordinary black and neon eye make-up. There was just one key silhouette, but it was a winning look. An elegant high-belted flaring coat or jacket slipped over cropped, flick-out trousers and quirky rubber-platform Mary Janes. It was very controlled, but Prada lavished her fabrics, whether plain black or retro geometric jacquards, with 3D plasticised embroideries that often echoed the patterns.
The spirit of dark romance seeped into several collections, most notably Gucci, Bottega Veneta and Pucci. Frida Giannini, Gucci's creative director, described the mood of her collection as having "a dark glamour", and the sensuous colours in opulent brocades and jacquards, the dark red lips and Pre-Raphaelite hair captured that point. Giannini is an accomplished horsewoman and her billowing highwayman's capes, loose jodhpurs tucked into knee-high crocodile riding boots and cravats tied over brocade jackets had the whiff of Victoriana about them, while the flame-haired singer Florence Welch must surely have inspired the bohemian, devoré velvet evening gowns that appeared in dark jewel colours.
Tomas Maier's vision is for restraint and elegance at Bottega Veneta, where his colours were rich and his coats were hand-painted with rubber while black dresses dripped with stripes of matching sequins and shreds of chiffon. The chic restraint was occasionally lifted with some stunning statement jewels.
Pucci's DNA is in print, but it is the tailoring that is performing for the house right now - somewhat astonishing when you consider how the London designers have made such a virtue of print. Nevertheless, designer Peter Dundas worked up some sober but sexy tailored dresses, slashed with chiffon inserts that contoured the body. The results could have walked straight out of a Helmut Newton shoot. In fact, several designers this season referenced the late photographer's love of severe but sexy clothes for his images. Pucci, nevertheless, has retired its flashy boho vibe and replaced it with a more rigorously grown-up look, in the form of tuxedo ensembles and sleek dresses.
Dundas is not the only designer to do this. Alberta Ferretti is not someone whose style you would associate with sobriety, but there it was. She replaced any reference to her vintage-y red-carpet look with a finely tailored businesslike collection in pinstripes, leather and wool, which in times of austerity she obviously believes will sell faster than those party dresses.
Giorgio Armani's style is inherently subtle and he focused on an androgynous look in a palette of greys for fall, but jazzed it up with pops of pink and orange on accessories, dresses and big faux furs. This was a collection about easy chic, for once there was nothing remotely red carpet about it (but it was the morning after the Oscars) save for an alluring black beaded jumpsuit that closed the show. There is a lot of emphasis placed on his accessories this season with two-tone patent brogues (black with pink or orange) and a vast range of clutch handbags to accessorise each outfit.
Austere chic is frequently the default setting of Milan's autumn/winter collections: perhaps it is the Italians' love (and craftsmanship) of leather and a rigorously fitted silhouette. However, Versace and Fendi's medieval warrior women certainly encapsulated the general defensive mood.
Karl Lagerfeld's complex layering of fur, leather, stingray and wool at Fendi had a primal feel about it. Lagerfeld spoke of the "shapes clean as cut-outs" and "razor sharp lines", but this was more a show about the interplay of texture and fabric and an image of warrior women. It was a theme that tied in with Donatella Versace, who had already explored the concept with her red-carpet couture collection in January.
It has now evolved into shiny chain mail and studded leather coats and armour-like cutting on skintight dresses. The models with their gothic haircuts and make-up looked pretty fierce as well - not the kind of ladies you would mess with. Nevertheless, there was poignancy to this collection, for the Byzantine crosses printed on velvet coats and dresses was a motif used by Donatella's brother Gianni in his final collection before his death in 1997.
As fashion week in Milan closed, there was the shocking news that Stefano Pilati is leaving Yves Saint Laurent in Paris and the former Dior menswear designer Hedi Slimane is the front-runner to replace him. Milan Fashion Week had opened with the equally startling revelation that Raf Simons is departing Jil Sander to make way for Sander herself - who will be returning to her namesake brand for the third time.
Sander will have big shoes to fill. Innovative and provocative, Raf Simons' collections have been critically acclaimed since his arrival seven years ago, and his collections will be sorely missed. His gorgeous pale coloured double-faced cashmere blanket coats oozed with quiet luxury. They were clasped shut by models wearing sculpted skirts and graceful lingerie-style dresses in powdery make-up shades. It had the air of 1950s couture: the ampleness of the coats contrasting the fragility of the finely knitted dresses.
The melancholic soundtrack to his calm and beautiful finale for the label left one hoping that this "Arrivederci Milano" is only temporary and that in the fashion world's frequent spurt of designer musical chairs his fashion vision will pop up somewhere else - maybe Paris.
artslife@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter and keep up to date with the latest in arts and lifestyle news @LifeNationalUAE
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 LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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.”
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
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
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
The bio
Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district
Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family
His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned
Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Jawan
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RESULTS
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Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The specs: 2019 BMW X4
Price, base / as tested: Dh276,675 / Dh346,800
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 354hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,550rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.0L / 100km
How%20to%20avoid%20getting%20scammed
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3ENever%20click%20on%20links%20provided%20via%20app%20or%20SMS%2C%20even%20if%20they%20seem%20to%20come%20from%20authorised%20senders%20at%20first%20glance%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAlways%20double-check%20the%20authenticity%20of%20websites%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EEnable%20Two-Factor%20Authentication%20(2FA)%20for%20all%20your%20working%20and%20personal%20services%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EOnly%20use%20official%20links%20published%20by%20the%20respective%20entity%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EDouble-check%20the%20web%20addresses%20to%20reduce%20exposure%20to%20fake%20sites%20created%20with%20domain%20names%20containing%20spelling%20errors%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2-litre%204-cylinder%20petrol%20(V%20Class)%3B%20electric%20motor%20with%2060kW%20or%2090kW%20powerpack%20(EQV)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20233hp%20(V%20Class%2C%20best%20option)%3B%20204hp%20(EQV%2C%20best%20option)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20350Nm%20(V%20Class%2C%20best%20option)%3B%20TBA%20(EQV)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMid-2024%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETBA%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
FIXTURES
All games 6pm UAE on Sunday:
Arsenal v Watford
Burnley v Brighton
Chelsea v Wolves
Crystal Palace v Tottenham
Everton v Bournemouth
Leicester v Man United
Man City v Norwich
Newcastle v Liverpool
Southampton v Sheffield United
West Ham v Aston Villa
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
