Blink and you would have missed it. That's how short the show by Lebanese designer Lama Jouni was at Dubai Fashion Week, which concludes this weekend.
To the pounding guitar of Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love, Jouni sent out her models in pairs, dressed in breezy, jersey separates that were a declaration of freedom. And it was all over and done with in less than two minutes.
“I don't want to bore my audience,” she laughed. “I like to, you know, make it strong, quick and efficient.”
With a decade of experience reworking wardrobe essentials, Jouni knows exactly what her clients want and this light, sassy collection of shorts, loose trousers and high-low hem dresses was aimed at women the designer describes as “young, vivacious and powerful” as well as something that they don't know they need.
The slogan T-shirts and baseball caps, worn with micro shorts and slinky dresses, are classic Jouni territory, now in super relaxed jersey and comfortable enough to take her customer from day to night. This kind of effortless living is what Jouni embraces. “Women should be more forward, take more risks and live life fully,” she said.
Her clothes, she explains, are there to enable women to live their best life and feel “strong, powerful and flirty at the same time”.
Jozeph Diarbakerli
Half-Syrian, half-Armenian designer siblings Jozeph and Cintia Diarbakerli made their runway debut at Dubai Fashion Week.
The pair, who founded the Jozeph Diarbakerli brand in Canada in 2024, brought their high-octane vision to the UAE with a high-octane show and booming techno soundtrack. Hollywood was the inspiration, drawing on the “aura of this persona, this celebrity, this woman”.
Cintia explained: “She has feelings, mysteries, rumours and everything is behind her facade. You saw them all on the runway tonight.”
The result was a riotous mix: it was upper-class Duchess meets Berlin's notorious Berghain nightclub. Models wore banded bodycon dresses, ostrich-tuffed mini dresses and a high-waisted hobble skirt or tailored trousers, with a sparkling bra top and opera gloves.
There were sheer lace body suits worn with black tights and second skin, kick-flare white dresses. Trouser suits came wide-legged and power-shouldered, or sheer and twinkling with sequins. Instead of the traditional white wedding gown that usually ends a couture show, the finale featured a dark, Victorian-inspired look: a bodysuit paired with a knee-length black lace veil
“We did that last minute, actually,” said Jozeph. “We didn't want to do the typical bride, so we went with our own twist.”
And the perfect finishing touch? Every look came with black ostrich-feather-covered shoes. It's a rebellious, decadent and fun look, and if the Diarbakerli duo can manage a show this assured after only one year, then they are definitely ones to watch.
XD Xenia Design
After her show, Croatian designer Xenia was in a sombre mood backstage due to the death of Giorgio Armani.
Her collection was pensive, drawing on the Japanese philosophy of kintsugi (in which things are repaired with gold). “It's a good life philosophy because we all make mistakes, but this does not mean it is bad,” she said. “Instead, from every mistake we learn something new and get better.”
Delivered as one of her couture collections, which she creates every two or three years, the clothes balanced the visible and the hidden through transparent devore fabrics and layers of plisse tops and jackets that became lightweight armour.
Dresses were cut with skirts made of huge squares of light gauze that hung in cascades at the sides. One trapeze dress, in the lightest of sheer, stiff chiffon, hung just so on the shoulders, seemingly held up by air.
Each look showcased Xenia's decades of experience, featuring complex and highly technical constructions. Ethereal in an unstructured way, the almost all-black collection was built in sheer layers to create countless tones of grey, broken with blasts of zesty green, silver, gold and vibrant red.
Coiled headpieces nodded to kanzashi, hair pins worn by Geisha, while shoes such as heels and chain looped biker boots were all elevated on blocks like wooden geta shoes.
“I love asymmetry, unusual silhouettes, and unusual cuts,” Xenia explained. “I think the signature of the future is not symmetry. In nature, there's always asymmetry, and I have been following the same principles while designing this collection.”
Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
MATCH INFO
Sheffield United 3
Fleck 19, Mousset 52, McBurnie 90
Manchester United 3
Williams 72, Greenwood 77, Rashford 79
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last-16, second leg:
Real Madrid 1 (Asensio 70'), Ajax 4 (Ziyech 7', Neres 18', Tadic 62', Schone 72')
Ajax win 5-3 on aggregate
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The years Ramadan fell in May
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)
Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
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
Zayed Sustainability Prize
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
