The big ticket show on day three of Milan Fashion Week was undoubtedly Gucci — the house's first since the shock departure of creative director Alessandro Michele in November — and celebrity fans were out in full force in a show of support.
American rapper A$AP Rocky, Italian band Maneskin and Chinese actor Xiao Zhan were among those in attendance — the latter even drew in his own crowd of admirers, with some holding welcome banners outside.
In a space transformed into a 1960s-style pad, with sunken seating and ceiling windows, Gucci presented a collection that was light and bohemian.
Michele’s presence was felt throughout the collection (he would have been halfway through creating it when he left). A coat covered in swaying fringes of silver beads, a bright pink faux fur coat and a sheer lace dress worn with neon underwear had his famed touch, but the overall collection signalled a simpler, lighter direction for the house. Gone were the heavy pattern clashing and jewellery looks that Michele pioneered, replaced instead with block colours, simple separates and classic masculine suiting. The collection felt like a midpoint between Michele’s past and Gucci’s future, under the new leadership of soon-to-arrive creative director Sabato De Sarno.
In the absence of a creative head to lead the customary bow, all 30 members of the design studio appeared on the runway, and if the thunderous standing ovation was anything to go by, things are looking good for the days ahead at Gucci.
Loro Piana
At Loro Piana, changes were afoot as the Italian luxury house showed its men’s and women's collections together for the first time. In a presentation, rather than a show, it allowed visitors to get up close and personal with the clothes on offer. Piana is hailed for its use of the finest cashmere, vicuna and wool in the world, and the showcase allowed for these materials to be appreciated in all their glory.
The clothes were soft and enveloping, such as a wrap-fronted shearling jacket with an oversized collar, or a double-faced wool coat that flowed from the shoulders, mixed in with relaxed tailoring. There were suits in slate grey and rich chocolate, the latter with wide legs that pooled around the shoes, while pleated dresses arrived worn with matching leggings underneath. More leggings appeared in ribbed wool as loose as pantaloons, before snatching in around the calves, worn with soft polo necks under exquisite coating. Laid-back, languid, and beautiful, this is how winter dressing is meant to be.
Sportmax
At Sportmax, there was more tailoring by way of oversized suits in creamy buttermilk, contrasted against skirts, dresses and tops that seemingly twisted around the body.
Draping and knotting was a clear theme, with the asymmetric neck of a cream leather mini dress extended and flung over one shoulder like a scarf, while other dresses were made of pieces of fabric held together with knots. A metallic gold dress, meanwhile, came with a draped front.
A moment of rigidity came via a starched corset holding up a fluid skirt with the clips normally seen on men’s braces. Meanwhile, sleeves were elongated, at times almost to the floor, and long fringing ran down the backs of sleeves and hems. The collection was a bit mismatched at times, however, what came through was the skill and technique of the house (this is a little sister to Max Mara, after all), which was flawless.
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Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, John Oliver
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
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The years Ramadan fell in May
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
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)
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
MO
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Brief scores:
Pakistan (1st innings) 181: Babar 71; Olivier 6-37
South Africa (1st innings) 223: Bavuma 53; Amir 4-62
Pakistan (2nd innings) 190: Masood 65, Imam 57; Olivier 5-59
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2015%20PRO%20MAX
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
