The world of haute couture is a strangely beautiful place. Clothes are spun from wisps of eye-wateringly expensive material into forms that are at times otherworldly or else entirely pragmatic, existing in a universe that is forever out of reach for the average fashion fan.
Yet despite the seeming contradiction, couture echoes human emotion like nothing else. With designers free from the constraints of production schedules and cost-per-metre, imaginations are allowed to soar. In searching for inspiration, those minds inevitably turn to the state of the world and the people in it.
Couture speaks to a clientele unconcerned by the rising cost of filling the car with petrol. Yet its themes tap into deeper sensitivities and somehow manage to hold an exquisite mirror up to our fears, joys and aspirations.
The pieces themselves are entirely handmade by ateliers who safeguard generations of expert knowledge and techniques. Haute couture is, in short, the absolute highest level of garment craftsmanship achievable and, as such, becomes a celebration, manifested by hands able to metamorphose a bead, sequin or piece of silk into an astonishing work of art.
As Paris Haute Couture Week draws to a close, we round up some of the key trends spotted on the runways.
Flowers
With the blooming of flowers usually linked to spring and summer, it is not difficult to see why so many designers chose such uplifting optimism for their autumn/winter collections. At Dior, Maria Grazia Chiuri opted for Ukrainian folklore florals, which also served as a show of support. Tightly packed, dense flowers were stitched in vivid greens, whites and cornflower blues into horizontal bands.
At Schiaparelli, meanwhile, creative director Daniel Roseberry fused entire bunches of flowers to dresses, with long stems rising from necklines to frame models' faces.
At Chanel, verdant leaves stitched in sequins were scattered across a simple full-white dress, while at Rahul Mishra, several looks of nude tulle arrived covered in oversized, exuberant poppies, beautifully rendered in thousands of stitches.
Over at Valentino creative director Pier Paolo Piccioli scattered flowers with a generous hand, including a puffed dress made entirely of red fabric flowers, and as a corsage on men's loose coats.
Precious metals
Notions of protective armour were rife at Schiaparelli. A sleek fitted dress seemingly made entirely of chains, with metallic flowers around the neck, raising high on one shoulder, was presented on the runway, while at Olivier Rousteing’s couture show as guest designer for Jean Paul Gaultier, he fashioned a look from the famous tin can perfume packaging Gaultier launched in 1993.
At Balenciaga, designer Demna Gvasalia kept it brief but impactful by sending actress Nicole Kidman down the runway swathed in metallic silver cloth. At Valentino, molten silver was cut into a long, side split dress, off-set with pops of teal as a train and feather headdress.
Giambattista Valli crafted a fitted slinky dress from sequins so densely packed, they gleamed like a mirror, while at Maison Rabih Kayrouz, a blissfully understated top and shorts co-ord seemed to be knitted from strands of real gold.
International Klein Blue
While couture and colour are close stablemates, one colour in particular was prominent this time around – the punchy tone of International Klein Blue, invented by French artist Yves Klein. Rami Al Ali offered it as a sassy mini dress hemmed with 3D flowers, and as an overskirt covering lilac sequins. Armani Prive used discreet pops of the hue as a ruffled corset belt, while Zuhair Murad embraced its richness with several gossamer organza dresses in the tone.
Pure white
After the heaviness of the past two years, it is little wonder so many houses opted for white this season, with its connotations of lightness and purity. At Chanel, the shade appeared as an ethereal full-skirted look. With a form-giving crinoline, it was topped with sequins stitched into a tweed pattern, and held between layers of organza. Giambattista Valli opened his show with five entirely crisp-white looks, while over at Dior, the first nine were white, or shades thereof.
Amorphous forms
With the world now almost reopen, the notion of freedom and escape arrived on the couture runways as fabric shifting away from the body. At Iris van Herpen — the queen of strange, hybrid forms — there was a shift towards something softer and less spikey, realised as folds of organza that flowed organically up and away from the body to beautiful effect.
At Maison Margiela, creative director John Galliano presented a themed dance piece that included a look brimming with the theatricality he is famous for, while at Rahul Mishra, exaggerated gilded caged forms enclosed the models.
Balenciaga opened and closed the show with strange new silhouettes, starting with models encased in neoprene and with faces obscured, to a finale of gowns of almost cartoonish proportions.
At Jean Paul Gaultier meanwhile, guest designer Rousteing referenced Tanzanian pregnant body sculptures - now moulded from leather, while Valentino offered a new shape entirely, with a lime skirt given feather "wings" at the waist, as an updated, landbound Icarus.
New beginnings
For all of its rarity, couture is perhaps the most reactive of the fashion disciplines, since designers, free to set their own rules, can plug into the zeitgeist.
Notably, after the difficulties of recent years, two Lebanese designers chose to face resolutely forward. Case in point: Georges Hobeika welcomed his son, Jad, into the maison. His arrival brought a lighter, breezier touch that will appeal to a younger client.
Elie Saab, meanwhile, welcomed in a new era with the addition of men's couture, showcased as eight decadent, bohemian looks of gilt-edged capes, razor-sharp tuxedos and fluid silk shirts.
Over at the Spanish house of Balenciaga, designer Gvasalia dragged couture into the here and now by putting Kim Kardashian and Nicole Kidman on his runway.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
Race card:
6.30pm: Maiden; Dh165,000; 2,000m
7.05pm: Handicap; Dh165,000; 2,200m
7.40pm: Conditions; Dh240,000; 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap; Dh190,000; 2,000m
8.50pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed; Dh265,000; 1,200m
9.25pm: Handicap; Dh170,000; 1,600m
10pm: Handicap; Dh190,000; 1,400m
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
A meeting of young minds
The 3,494 entries for the 2019 Sharjah Children Biennial come from:
435 – UAE
2,000 – China
808 – United Kingdom
165 – Argentina
38 – Lebanon
16 – Saudi Arabia
16 – Bangladesh
6 – Ireland
3 – Egypt
3 – France
2 – Sudan
1 – Kuwait
1 – Australia
PRO BASH
Thursday’s fixtures
6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors
10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters
Teams
Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.
Squad rules
All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.
Tournament rules
The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
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
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 390bhp
Torque: 400Nm
Price: Dh340,000 ($92,579
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
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Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
LIGUE 1 FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday
Nice v Angers (9pm)
Lille v Monaco (10.45pm)
Saturday
Montpellier v Paris Saint-Germain (7pm)
Bordeaux v Guingamp (10pm)
Caen v Amiens (10pm)
Lyon v Dijon (10pm)
Metz v Troyes (10pm)
Sunday
Saint-Etienne v Rennes (5pm)
Strasbourg v Nantes (7pm)
Marseille v Toulouse (11pm)
MATCH INFO
Argentina 47 (Tries: Sanchez, Tuculet (2), Mallia (2), De La Fuente, Bertranou; Cons: Sanchez 5, Urdapilleta)
United States 17 (Tries: Scully (2), Lasike; Cons: MacGinty)
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
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Day 3 stumps
New Zealand 153 & 249
Pakistan 227 & 37-0 (target 176)
Pakistan require another 139 runs with 10 wickets remaining
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Game is on BeIN Sports
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
AGL AWARDS
Golden Ball - best Emirati player: Khalfan Mubarak (Al Jazira)
Golden Ball - best foreign player: Igor Coronado (Sharjah)
Golden Glove - best goalkeeper: Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah)
Best Coach - the leader: Abdulaziz Al Anbari (Sharjah)
Fans' Player of the Year: Driss Fetouhi (Dibba)
Golden Boy - best young player: Ali Saleh (Al Wasl)
Best Fans of the Year: Sharjah
Goal of the Year: Michael Ortega (Baniyas)
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
