“Virginie incarnates what Chanel is today,” Bruno Pavlovsky says of Virginie Viard, the creative director of Chanel’s ready-to-wear and haute couture collections.
As the president of Chanel's fashion activities and of the Federation de la Haute Couture, Pavlovsky is uniquely placed to understand what does, and what does not, encapsulate the house of Chanel.
Viard, the right hand to late designer Karl Lagerfeld for nearly three decades, has embraced a softer, more relaxed silhouette, in response to the demands of real women's lives.
Yet her greatest skill, fuelled by her almost encyclopedic knowledge of the fashion house, is referencing her ideas to those of the two designers who preceded her – Coco Chanel, the original disrupter who launched the maison in 1910 and Lagerfeld, under whom Chanel grew into a global fashion titan.
To help explain the complex aesthetic that underpins Chanel's continued success, the brand is hosting an exhibition titled Chanel – A Journey into the Allure, that opens this week in Dubai.
The show examines the unique creative dialogue that lies at the heart of the house, with its unique style codes, and an indefinable “something” that Chanel chooses to call allure.
“It's always good to engage, or re-engage, our customers on this very unique and specific Chanel point of view. We call it 'allure', but it's kind of style, a way of understanding ready-to-wear and how to wear it,” Pavlovsky tells The National.
Described by the brand as more installation than conventional exhibition, the 10-day immersive event offers a unique opportunity to deep dive into Chanel’s impeccable universe, where masculine tailoring meets feminine chic.
Highlighting the extraordinary DNA of the house, one that has evolved for over a century, work by all three designers will be shown side by side to demonstrate how unified Chanel's lexicon is. This is a fashion house with a crystal clear identity, Pavlovsky says, from the little black dress and tweed to the camelia, ruffles, bows and chiffon that collectively make up Chanel’s design language.
These codes, he says, are key to the house itself. “It's a red thread running through all our collections, and that we are trying to capture and to engage our customer with. If we look at the connection between Karl and Virginie, it is the signature [of the house], but also we see, and understand Mademoiselle Chanel. Allure is easy to show, but not so easy to explain,” he says.
As well as the looks from the archive, including originals by Coco Chanel, there are photographs and footage from the 1961 film Last Year at Marienbad in the installation.
Chanel created the costumes for the film's lead actress Delphine Seyrig, a fact that has been a constant source of reference ever since, including for Viard's spring/summer 2023 collection. Together, Pavlovsky says, they offer a “lens of reference” into Chanel's timeless appeal.
“You know it's all about style, it’s about allure and how to wear the pieces. The same dress can be worn very differently depending on your day, or the time, or what you want to do, and that's something that we have tried to capture in this installation. This is part of the Chanel signature, and there is a lot of modernity, including the way to put everything together.”
First staged in Hong Kong, the installation has been reworked to create a new version, yet remains an exhibition, not a place to push product.
“I think it's always good to have some time with the customer which is not about trying to sell the new collection. It's easy to engage with some commercial target such as the launch of a collection, but here it's a kind of break, and to take some time to better understand what Chanel is about.”
This journey of discovery, Pavlovsky says, highlights the beautiful dichotomy that is Chanel – namely of having a strong, recognisable aesthetic that transcends time, yet needing to offer enough newness each season to keep customers coming back for more. “We need to keep customers surprised, because we want them to be surprised. But what we like [at Chanel] is continuity, the consistency of what we are doing. And it's not easy to surprise by being consistent.”
The installation itself invites viewers to linger rather than rush through, a reflection of Chanel's preference to not be trend-based but timeless. “We are not in a hurry,” Pavlovsky says. “It's not an exhibition where you come and go, it's not a short 20-minute film. It's a time to immerse in the brand and into what Chanel is today.”
Notably, the emirate was chosen as the second location for this show. “Dubai is a key destination for us. We have about 15 cities in the world at the heart of our activities and Dubai is one of them,” Pavlovsky says.
At the very heart of this exhibition is the woman currently leading the house and, as Pavlovsky explains, it was Viard who wanted to open the dialogue in the installation to include Chanel and Lagerfeld.
“She herself likes to explain that her expression of style is coming from her 30 years of collaboration with Karl, and today, she's probably one of the leading experts on Mademoiselle Chanel's work. Today, she is the best expression of this, and at the same time she is able to bring modernity, and a touch of her own to this legacy. And it's exactly what we are looking for.”
Viard is able to speak to a new audience of women, offering clothes imbued with all the codes of Chanel, yet are updated and fresh. “She has a kind of simplicity in the way she designs, and the way to wear, which makes it attractive for a lot of women. Her strength is as a woman designing for women, but also as a woman for Chanel.
“I think that Chanel and allure are bigger and stronger than only one designer, but at the same time, the job of each designer is to bring modernity – it's about tomorrow.”
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 4 (Mount 18',Werner 44', Hudson-Odoi 49', Havertz 85')
Morecambe 0
Company%20Profile
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
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
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Slow loris biog
From: Lonely Loris is a Sunda slow loris, one of nine species of the animal native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore
Status: Critically endangered, and listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list due to growing demand in the global exotic pet trade. It is one of the most popular primate species found at Indonesian pet markets
Likes: Sleeping, which they do for up to 18 hours a day. When they are awake, they like to eat fruit, insects, small birds and reptiles and some types of vegetation
Dislikes: Sunlight. Being a nocturnal animal, the slow loris wakes around sunset and is active throughout the night
Superpowers: His dangerous elbows. The slow loris’s doe eyes may make it look cute, but it is also deadly. The only known venomous primate, it hisses and clasps its paws and can produce a venom from its elbow that can cause anaphylactic shock and even death in humans
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
KYLIAN MBAPPE 2016/17 STATS
Ligue 1: Appearances - 29, Goals - 15, Assists - 8
UCL: Appearances - 9, Goals - 6
French Cup: Appearances - 3, Goals - 3
France U19: Appearances - 5, Goals - 5, Assists - 1
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Avatar%20(2009)
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The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
