In the new topsy-turvy world of fashion, one side effect of the pandemic is that the once rigid diary of runway shows has seen the rule book thrown out of the window, freeing designers to show what they want, when they want.
Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs has just returned to the fashion runway for the first time in a year, showing his autumn/winter 2021 collection to a live audience in New York. Totally disjointed from the rest of the fashion schedule – as everyone else is busy unveiling menswear spring/summer 2022 – Jacobs gave us the wintery clothes he wanted us to see.
No doubt inspired by the almost primeval need to cocoon thanks to the pandemic, Jacobs presented not only clothes to wrap up in, but also to have fun with, bringing some much needed joy back into the world.
With supersized logos running down the arms and legs of models, Jacobs offered pieces that were either skintight or hugely oversized. Trousers came as skinny leggings ending in platform shoes, or as flares wide enough to swallow feet. Tops and jackets stopped short at the waist, or stretched past hips, while sleeves continued to a mid-point between wrist and floor.
Dresses and coats were fit to burst, padded with cosy down, and there were clashing patterns of pink and mulberry, while fluffy blanket stoles finished the looks, creating outlandish proportions reminiscent of the children's character Barbapapa.
Moschino
Meanwhile, at Moschino, designer Jeremy Scott was equally playful for spring/summer 2022, delivering a co-ed collection built around the Americana cartoons and all-day-diner food. Men came dressed in all manners of lime and pink, with cartoon stripped suits, shirts and coats, broken up with looks of head-to-toe sequins.
The women were dressed in themes of an Americana diner – meaning caped dresses that looked like hot dogs, and hats that resembled cakes.
For all his craziness, however, Scott’s pieces were well cut, so that the 1980s frilled, sparkly, lilac dress, worn by model Karen Elson would fit any summer party – ice cream sundae hat optional.
Another dress was cut to hug curves, as well as look like melted ice cream cones, while those with more savoury tastes can appreciate the dress and skirt outfit that looked like burgers, or the buttons that are fried eggs, sunny side up.
Calorie-filled madness aside, the best moments in any Scott collection is always the details, seen here as fabulous two-toned wingtip shoes for men, in raspberry, blue and white, with a clutch that is modelled after a soft drink cup with straw, or a tiny bag that is topped with chocolate sauce.
Qosty Byogaani
Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny
Four stars
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
RACECARD%20
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Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
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)
Disability on screen
Empire — neuromuscular disease myasthenia gravis; bipolar disorder; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Rosewood and Transparent — heart issues
24: Legacy — PTSD;
Superstore and NCIS: New Orleans — wheelchair-bound
Taken and This Is Us — cancer
Trial & Error — cognitive disorder prosopagnosia (facial blindness and dyslexia)
Grey’s Anatomy — prosthetic leg
Scorpion — obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety
Switched at Birth — deafness
One Mississippi, Wentworth and Transparent — double mastectomy
Dragons — double amputee
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
The view from The National
Afghanistan fixtures
- v Australia, today
- v Sri Lanka, Tuesday
- v New Zealand, Saturday,
- v South Africa, June 15
- v England, June 18
- v India, June 22
- v Bangladesh, June 24
- v Pakistan, June 29
- v West Indies, July 4
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
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
