Dubai Fashion Week closed with a high-octane show by the Italian house of Roberto Cavalli. The Middle Eastern market is known for its love of occasionwear and no-holds-barred glamour so, naturally, Cavalli brought its A-game for the audience.
The most dazzling looks are more than the sum of their parts and the best are those that have tapped into a fleeting mood or an ephemeral moment. Here, The National rounds up some of the shows that have caught the eye during this season of Dubai Fashion Week.
Roberto Cavalli
Friday's finale – by the brand led by Sicilian designer Fausto Puglisi since 2020 – was brimming with the Cavalli aesthetic of glamour, confidence and independence, as the house presented an edit of its most recent resort collection.
To a pounding soundtrack of Blondie and Donna Summer, this was signature Cavalli but with a Puglisi update. Familiar patterns of flowers and animalia swept past, as halter-neck dresses covered in oversized florals and loose shirts with zebra print worn with bleached denim. The twist arrived as cowboy hats, fluid kaftans and plenty of modern attitude.
Cavalli has always had a sensual aesthetic and while Puglisi lived up to that reputation with some boundary-pushing looks, he also offered a host of powerfully modest outfits.
Speaking backstage after the show, Puglisi told The National of his delight at the multicultural feel of Dubai. “What I admire in Dubai is youth and that it's an international city,” he said. “Honestly, here in the tents [backstage] during Dubai Fashion Week, it looked like being in New York [for its fashion week], with so many different cultures dialling together, which for me is the most important thing.”
Rizman Ruzaini
The Malaysian design duo Rizman Ruzaini opened the week with a show called Mustika, inspired by the 1999 film Perempuan Melayu Terakhir (The Last Malay Woman). Having made a runway announcement that the brand is poised to open a boutique in Dubai, the label offered a collection that started with simple daywear looks in beige and denim blue, before shifting to a blue and white print across midi-length skirts and matching waisted jackets.
This in turn gave way to shimmering evening looks, notably a peplum top over a floor-grazing kick-flare skirt in sparkly denim blue and a pleated full skirt with wrap collar jacket in pale gold. The collection moved on to a series of metallic, deep sea blue fabrics cut to flow around the body in a way that was beautiful to behold. This was best seen on a long skirt, paired with a stiff, moulded green strapless top so sculptural it looked like it was carved from malachite.
The bride, the traditional finale to every women's collection, mirrored this carved shape, now in off-white, with the top and skirt traced with compact silver work.
Ihab Jiryis
The Palestinian designer Ihab Jiryis showed off his eveningwear in a collection called The Virgin Gown. Ethereal dresses made from sheer gauze were traced with beading in pale ivory, champagne, light grey and a ghostly shade of blue. They were finished with nature-inspired touches, such as a giant, hand-painted butterfly across the torso, a spidery web of silver handwork or a rumpled, metallic cape that looked like a cloud lit by the setting sun.
Jiryis's bride was a vision, in a backless delicate strap bodice set over light-as-air skirts, traced with diagonal icy tone-on-tone beadwork, coupled with a long veil.
Adolfo Dominguez
Spain's Adolfo Dominguez was perhaps the standout outlier at the event, with its ethos of offhand dressing told via unconventional touches. Using the unsung heroes of fashion, the calico and cotton fabrics normally used to make the first prototype of every design, were seen here as a classic men’s coat with a hem left unfinished; a colour-blocked wrap-front dress with loose threads around the hem and armholes; and a shirt cut with the selvedge at the hem and cuffs.
A woman’s white shirt came fastened with buttons haphazardly placed down the front, while a man’s jacket was stretched on one side to form a wrapped scarf. In a palette of sand, almond, grey and faded black, this offering was highly refined in a Rei Kawakubo, of Comme des Garcons fame, sort of way, that speaks of the deeper role of clothing over the fickleness of trends.
Weinsanto
Parisian designer Weinsanto conveyed theatrical flair with an off-the-shoulder top fashioned from cushiony folds and worn with a pair of black jeans laced up on the sides. Perhaps cut from a sleeping bag or some other cosy substance, it spoke of a need to sink ourselves into fashion and set up how this collection was a delve into the enduring allure of Parisian cool.
Explored via shrunken shirts worn with micro-mini skirts, capri pants and a Bardot top, or a delicate crochet top mixed with wide-legged, masculine trousers, Weinsanto focused on how the unexpected elements of dressing provide the most spectacular moments.
Heba Jasmi
Emirati design house Heba Jasmi presented evening gowns brimming with colour and decorated surfaces for spring/summer 2025, handled with a light touch for a soft, almost poetic mood. One white dress felt like it was knitted from gossamer threads, with tiers of swaying fringing layered hip to ankle, while another dress felt dip-dyed, but now the effect was achieved using hand-applied beads.
Offering looks that were both breezily short and elegantly long, this collection felt assured and decidedly grown up.
Michael Cinco
Michael Cinco – a veteran of the Dubai fashion scene – showed us all why he has enjoyed such longevity. After introducing an offshoot line of T-shirts decorated with real diamonds, the main show adopted a Roman theme.
A woman’s coat and mini dress were constructed from a fabric version of a mosaic, while men swept past in embroidered billowing capes. A woman's sheer jacket was covered in hand-applied silk petals, an effect that was also used to embellish a man's cream wool coat to sublime effect.
Grand ballgowns were worn with gladiatorial masks and were followed by a series of delicate column dresses in white and silver. With menswear growing in popularity with every season, a perfume line, ready-to-wear and his widely successful bridal line, Cinco is truly a force for fashion.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
}Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
Results
2pm: Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (Dirt) 1,200m, Winner: Mouheeb, Tom Marquand (jockey), Nicholas Bachalard (trainer)
2.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Honourable Justice, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Dahawi, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
3.30pm: Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Dark Silver, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash
4pm: Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Dark Of Night. Antonio Fresu, Al Muhairi.
4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Habah, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
South Africa v India schedule
Tests: 1st Test Jan 5-9, Cape Town; 2nd Test Jan 13-17, Centurion; 3rd Test Jan 24-28, Johannesburg
ODIs: 1st ODI Feb 1, Durban; 2nd ODI Feb 4, Centurion; 3rd ODI Feb 7, Cape Town; 4th ODI Feb 10, Johannesburg; 5th ODI Feb 13, Port Elizabeth; 6th ODI Feb 16, Centurion
T20Is: 1st T20I Feb 18, Johannesburg; 2nd T20I Feb 21, Centurion; 3rd T20I Feb 24, Cape Town
The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Read more about the coronavirus
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
INDIA SQUADS
India squad for third Test against Sri Lanka
Virat Kohli (capt), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Vijay Shankar
India squad for ODI series against Sri Lanka
Rohit Sharma (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The years Ramadan fell in May
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
The specs: 2018 Kia Picanto
Price: From Dh39,500
Engine: 1.2L inline four-cylinder
Transmission: Four-speed auto
Power: 86hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 122Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.0L / 100km
Racecard
6pm: The Pointe - Conditions (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m
6.35pm: Palm West Beach - Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (T) 1,800m
7.10pm: The View at the Palm - Handicap (TB) Dh85,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.45pm: Nakeel Graduate Stakes - Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
8.20pm: Club Vista Mare - Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,900m
8.55pm: The Palm Fountain - Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m
9.30pm: The Palm Tower - Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,600m
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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
Sri Lanka World Cup squad
Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Isuru Udana, Milinda Siriwardana, Avishka Fernando, Jeevan Mendis, Lahiru Thirimanne, Jeffrey Vandersay, Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
