In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, I wrote an article about Justin Bieber’s Crocs collaboration and its ensuing impact. It wasn’t just Bieber, of course, the likes of Christopher Kane and Balenciaga had feted the plastic clog, too. But this felt like something of a tipping point for fashion and, let’s be honest, humanity at large (I may have dramatically used the word apocalypse). In my defence, I had been left alone with my thoughts under Covid-19’s stay-home rules for far too long.
However, the fact remains that a new strain of luxury fashion and streetwear had emerged from the chaos.
It wasn’t like streetwear hadn’t been on the radar of luxury brands for decades by this point. The big houses had noted its rise with interest on America’s east coast and the emergence of surf culture on the west. As the style dust kicked up and swirled, new brands such as Stuussy emerged in the 1980s. Shawn Stussy’s skatewear business operated on the limited-drop model that eventually proved vital for brands such as A Bathing Ape and Supreme.
While some luxury brands dabbled – Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren’s preppy look found its way onto the street some years later – it was the rise of hip-hop that was integral to building a bridge between these worlds. By the 2000s, Ye was dropping Gucci in his lyrics, while Jay-Z rapped entire bars about his Hublot watch collection.
“The initial attraction of luxury brands to the streetwear scene was driven by a strategic need to refresh brand image and connect with a younger, more dynamic consumer base,” says Kate Hardcastle, global consumer expert and chief executive of Insight with Passion.
But while there was indeed a merging of brands and culture going on, there remained a disconnect with the majority of this nascent audience – more often than not seeking a lower price point. So, while fashion houses recognised a need to reframe their future market strategy, if they couldn’t somehow reframe their affordability, too, then nothing else would really matter. Enter the luxury-streetwear collaboration. Toes had been dipped in waters, of course – Jil Sander collaborated with adidas in 1998 – but it wasn’t until midway through the 2000s that things started heating up in the collaboration game.
First it was through partnerships with similarly aligned brands such as Supreme x Vans, but eventually with luxury houses, too. Along came Fila x Fendi, Sẗussy x Dior, A Bathing Ape x Comme des Garçons, Supreme x Louis Vuitton and more. Then there was the zeitgeist attraction of the many “cores” – blokecore, Barbiecore, gorpcore, normcore, the list goes on.
These collaborations might not have come cheap – especially once they hit the resale market – but they proved much more attainable than high fashion items ever were. Supreme x Louis Vuitton was also interesting in that it, perhaps, signposted fashion’s new direction. In 2000, Louis Vuitton sent a cease and desist letter to Supreme, after it mashed up the brand’s famous logo with that of their own. Seventeen years later, the skate crew had become a conduit, of sorts, to Louis Vuitton’s future market relevance.
For Dubai fashion director and stylist Kate Hazell, the newfound entry point to luxury was vital. “I actually think that it’s such a democratic way of introducing luxury to a wider audience,” she says.
“With price points that are a little lower, a pair of sneakers, for example, is a more accessible and versatile way of buying into a luxury brand.”
As high-low collaborations brought fire to the industry, internal moves were also made. The luxury houses pumped out lines including football shirts, varsity jackets and hoodies while, in a seismic change of mindset, streetwear founders were actually sought out by the brands to take them forward. From the likes of A Bathing Ape founder Nigo at Kenzo to Virgil Abloh – and now Pharrell Williams – at Louis Vuitton, the game was turned completely upside down.
“The success of streetwear icons at the helm of high-end houses proved that there was a hunger for some fresh perspective,” says Sandra Yeghiazarian, founder of the Mena lifestyle platform, Yung. “The lines between streetwear and luxury had long since merged, creating a space for these designers to be comfortable in both worlds and help redefine luxury fashion for the future. This isn’t just a fad. Get ready to see more streetwear designers leading the charge at luxury houses, continuing to break down barriers and rewrite fashion’s rules.”
While I’m not obsessed with Bieber, (I’d like to make that clear), this feels like a good time to reference his latest luxury streetwear flex, namely a host of super-inflated XXL fits. Recently, he was seen wearing some oversized Balenciaga jogging bottoms and a pair of puffed-up Louis Vuitton fur boots.
Bieber’s experimental outfits, in that respect, play more towards the wild lines of performative brands such as MSCHF, whose cartoonish Big Red Boots proved irresistible on social media last year, as they toyed with imaginative fashion both in the metaverse and real life. Now, that’s all well and good, but it does make it slightly disconcerting when trying to define what luxury actually means in 2024.
“[For me] it’s the craftsmanship, the attention to details, the materials used,” says Hazell. “The artisanal aspect of many luxury goods is what drives the price up. When it comes to a hoody from Balenciaga, however, I think it’s hard to justify the high price, other than that you’re paying for the name."
While you might assume that only the brands that have fully embraced streetwear have made it a central part of their business, the reality is actually more nuanced than that. “Is a T-shirt or denim considered streetwear?” continues Hazell. “I think both come under the broader streetwear umbrella, in which case I’d say it would be hard to find a luxury brand that has managed to survive in 2024 without introducing streetwear into their collections in some way.”
Streetwear has introduced a more relaxed approach to collection releases and has encouraged luxury brands to adopt a more fluid, responsive model of fashion presentation
Kate Hardcastle,
global consumer expert and chief executive of Insight with Passion
What’s certain is that streetwear is now seen as something of a core pillar of luxury in one way or another. Its parameters may shift, but its ethos remains embedded in the reworked DNA of the world’s fashion houses. “What started as a mere dalliance with streetwear has morphed into a foundational element for many luxury brands,” says Hardcastle.
“This isn’t just a passing phase; it’s a transformative shift in the fashion landscape. Streetwear has introduced a more relaxed approach to collection releases and has encouraged luxury brands to adopt a more fluid, responsive model of fashion presentation. This ongoing integration has influenced everything from design philosophy to marketing strategies, ensuring that streetwear remains a vital, vibrant part of the luxury fashion ecosystem.”
Speaking of the many lives of the luxury fashion ecosystem, you might recently have heard about yuppiecore (yes, another core). Here, more sedate style is the order of the day – shirts, ties, blazers – with subtle flexes that come by way of an expensive watch or some jewellery. Think A$AP Rocky’s recent outfits if you need a mental image. In the most meta way possible, that means we now have luxury houses embracing streetwear that imitates luxury houses. Get your head around that, and you realise fashion’s no-rules era remains a key marker for greatness.
“I believe streetwear’s success [in working with] luxury brands is all about freedom,” concludes Yeghiazarian. “It gives them a choice, it lets them ditch stuffy traditions while sifting through the brand’s core values, experiment with bold new designs and, most of all, reach new audiences. For customers, it’s the freedom to mix high-end with every day and express their own unique style. It’s win-win-win: luxury gets playful, streetwear gets new audiences and we all get more fashion freedom.”
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
SUE%20GRAY'S%20FINDINGS
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
RESULT
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai 0 Al Ain 6
Al Ain: Caio (5', 73'), El Shahat (10'), Berg (65'), Khalil (83'), Al Ahbabi (90' 2)
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,600hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.4seconds
0-200kph in 5.8 seconds
0-300kph in 12.1 seconds
Top speed: 440kph
Price: Dh13,200,000
Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,500hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.3 seconds
0-200kph in 5.5 seconds
0-300kph in 11.8 seconds
Top speed: 350kph
Price: Dh13,600,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures:
Monday, 1st 50-over match
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
A German university was a good fit for the family budget
Annual fees for the Technical University of Munich - £600
Shared rental accommodation per month depending on the location ranges between £200-600
The family had budgeted for food, books, travel, living expenses - £20,000 annually
Overall costs in Germany are lower than the family estimated
As proof that the student has the ability to take care of expenses, international students must open a blocked account with about £8,640
Students are permitted to withdraw £720 per month
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Read more from Johann Chacko
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World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
Results
4pm: Maiden (Dirt) Dh165,000 1,600m
Winner: Moshaher, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer).
4.35pm: Handicap (D) Dh165,000 2,200m
Winner: Heraldic, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
5.10pm: Maiden (Turf) Dh165,000 1,600m
Winner: Rua Augusta, Harry Bentley, Ahmad bin Harmash.
5.45pm: Handicap (D) Dh190,000 1,200m
Winner: Private’s Cove, Mickael Barzalona, Sandeep Jadhav.
6.20pm: Handicap (T) Dh190,000 1,600m
Winner: Azmaam, Jim Crowley, Musabah Al Muhairi.
6.55pm: Handicap (D) Dh190,000 1,400m
Winner: Bochart, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
7.30pm: Handicap (T) Dh190,000 2,000m
Winner: Rio Tigre, Mickael Barzalona, Sandeep Jadhav.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20DarDoc%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Samer%20Masri%2C%20Keswin%20Suresh%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%24800%2C000%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Flat6Labs%2C%20angel%20investors%20%2B%20Incubated%20by%20Hub71%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi's%20Department%20of%20Health%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2010%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
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
About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Last five meetings
2013: South Korea 0-2 Brazil
2002: South Korea 2-3 Brazil
1999: South Korea 1-0 Brazil
1997: South Korea 1-2 Brazil
1995: South Korea 0-1 Brazil
Note: All friendlies
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EHayao%20Miyazaki%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%C2%A0Soma%20Santoki%2C%20Masaki%20Suda%2C%20Ko%20Shibasaki%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Azerbaijan 0
Wales 2 (Moore 10', Wilson 34')
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
