To celebrate its pre-autumn 2021 capsule collection, the Italian house of Salvatore Ferragamo reached out to six artists around the world.
Called Tuscan Wildflowers, the collection is based on the flowers of the Italian region of Tuscany, of which Florence is the capital. It is an area close to the heart of the brand, as it was in Florence that the company was founded in 1927.
Ferragamo approached French painter Lucas Beaufort, Spanish sculptor Diego Cadezas, and Brazilian painter and illustrator, Marina Papi. Also involved was Boree Hur, the South Korean painter, and the Italian collective Art Media Studio.
The final name on that list was Los Angeles fashion illustrator and artist with the poetic moniker of Bijou Karman.
Named after the French word for jewellery ("my parents wanted a unique name and went into a French dictionary and landed on Bijou," she explains) it seems fitting that Karman would have an eye for design. And her colourful, vintage-inspired images are both exuberantly upbeat and beautifully executed.
The project Ferragamo enlisted the artists for is called Dream to Travel. Hatched during the most static days of the pandemic lockdown, Ferragamo decided that if we could not travel in body, we could certainly travel in mind, and asked the artists to pay homage to eight locations scattered across the globe.
Capri, Forte dei Marmi, Marbella, Cannes, Miami, Las Vegas, Hawaii and Rio de Janeiro were all chosen, and each artist was assigned one or more places as a theme. To showcase each location, Ferragamo also created a limited edition series involving its Studio Bag, now covered in illustrations of wildflowers, and with a strap spelling out a place.
While the French artist Lucas Beaufort was given Cannes, and Brazilian Papi was given Rio de Janeiro, as the sole American in the group, it was only logical that Karman was handed Miami, the desert town of Las Vegas and the island of Hawaii.
“We each did different pieces, so we weren’t collaborating with each other, but I think we all brought our own distinctive style to the piece, in terms of different elements and different concepts," Karman explains over Zoom from Los Angeles.
“Ferragamo assigned me the three locations, but I did my own research on the local wildflowers in each, which is something I was already interested in. I have done a series of wildflowers local to California before, so I already have my websites and references I can look at and find that sort of thing. And it’s always really interesting to me, I just love to know about that sort of thing and I love to see how distinct how each places plants are, they are also different.”
With research in hand, Karman began sketching out ideas, sharing them with the fashion label as she went.
“I always sketch digitally, but in my overall work process as an artist I do paint by hand as well as on paper and canvas," she explains. "But on something like this with such a quick turnaround, I need to have flexibility with the client, to change things. It is really helpful to be able to work digitally.”
Although Karman works as both an illustrator and a painter, this project called only for her drawing skills. She captured a range of flowers from each location that she placed alongside images of the Studio Bags.
“I specifically was drawing a couple of the handbags so mine are very much fashion illustrations, while some of the other [artists' works] are a bit more abstract, capturing the mood and spirit of the collection," she explains.
"For Miami, I did yellow daisies, and for Vegas, because it is a desert, I did cactus blossoms mixed with some thistle plants, these spikey, beautiful purple plants. For Hawaii, I did hibiscus flowers. They are really specific, and the locations have really different climates so I really wanted to represent each one as if it were a postcard for that location, to really entice you to go there."
For Hawaii, Karman's postcard has a lilac background, on to which she added blowsy yellow and red hibiscus flowers. The yellow bloom, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, the state flower, is synonymous with the island, while the red flower, called Kokio Ula, is native to the region.
For Miami, meanwhile, Karman chose Helianthus debilis, a cheery yellow daisy, that is also known as the beach daisy for its ability to grow in dry, sandy conditions. A native to the region, Karman paired it with another Miami treasure, the palm tree. Karman also added an orange and black tote bag from the collection, with its orange tones echoed in the sunset behind.
For the desert city of Las Vegas, she chose the pink flower of the beavertail cactus, teamed with the long, spiky lilac petals of the Mojave thistle, Cirsium mohavense.
“Ferragamo also brought in the element of the local wild flowers from each location. So it was up to me to do that research and find which beautiful flowers I wanted to draw, and incorporate into Tuscan Wildflowers. I presented my sketches, and then we decided which would represent them best, and then I painted them digitally.”
She also added retro style signs, reworked to read "Welcome" and "Dream to travel", drawn from Karman's exhaustive bank of imagery gathered over the years.
"I have my personal archive of books that I am always referencing [for inspiration], and vintage patterns, vintage quilts, and digital imagery, that I really draw on a lot."
Surprisingly, despite the scale of the project and the amount of work involved, from research to final images, the whole process was crammed into just a few days.
“This was actually a pretty fast turnaround. About a week, or slightly less, from concept to finish," she says. "Working with fashion clients is always a really quick turnaround as there is always so much going on with the seasons and the campaigns."
Despite the long hours, Karman enjoys these kind of assignments, and now adds Ferragamo to a portfolio that already includes the other Italian houses of Prada and Giorgio Armani.
When asked if such high-profile projects are daunting, she is forthright.
“As a fashion illustrator, it means a lot to be able to work with an amazing, globally recognised brand like Ferragamo. It's always intriguing to work with high fashion clients, and with the beautiful inspiration that comes from that. Also to be featured on their platform is really exciting for me."
A self-confessed shoe addict – a recurring theme in her personal work – it is tempting to see this as a natural coming of a full circle. Karman loves shoes and lives in Los Angeles, while Ferragamo founded its name on making shoes for Hollywood stars.
“I love drawing them, and it was such a dream to work with Ferragamo for that reason. I wasn’t drawing shoes specifically as part of this collection, but to be part of their world was really great for me."
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Read more:
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Who is Mowalola? The 26-year-old Nigerian designer hand-picked by Kanye West to head up Yeezy Gap
Qasimi takes inspiration from Syrian poet Adunis for spring / summer 2022 collection
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ELECTION%20RESULTS
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Who are the Soroptimists?
The first Soroptimists club was founded in Oakland, California in 1921. The name comes from the Latin word soror which means sister, combined with optima, meaning the best.
The organisation said its name is best interpreted as ‘the best for women’.
Since then the group has grown exponentially around the world and is officially affiliated with the United Nations. The organisation also counts Queen Mathilde of Belgium among its ranks.
The%20Little%20Mermaid%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rob%20Marshall%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHalle%20Bailey%2C%20Jonah%20Hauer-King%2C%20Melissa%20McCarthy%2C%20Javier%20Bardem%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Fight card
1. Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) v Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
2. Featherweight: Hussein Salim (IRQ) v Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
3. Catchweight 80kg: Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Khamza Yamadaev (RUS)
4. Lightweight: Ho Taek-oh (KOR) v Ronald Girones (CUB)
5. Lightweight: Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) v Damien Lapilus (FRA)
6. Bantamweight: Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) v Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
7. Featherweight: Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
8. Flyweight: Shannon Ross (TUR) v Donovon Freelow (USA)
9. Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Dan Collins (GBR)
10. Catchweight 73kg: Islam Mamedov (RUS) v Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM)
11. Bantamweight World title: Jaures Dea (CAM) v Xavier Alaoui (MAR)
12. Flyweight World title: Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
You Were Never Really Here
Director: Lynne Ramsay
Starring: Joaquim Phoenix, Ekaterina Samsonov
Four stars
FIVE%20TRENDS%20THAT%20WILL%20SHAPE%20UAE%20BANKING
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20The%20digitisation%20of%20financial%20services%20will%20continue%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Managing%20and%20using%20data%20effectively%20will%20become%20a%20competitive%20advantage%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Digitisation%20will%20require%20continued%20adjustment%20of%20operating%20models%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Banks%20will%20expand%20their%20role%20in%20the%20customer%20life%20through%20ecosystems%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20The%20structure%20of%20the%20sector%20will%20change%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog
Most memorable achievement: Leading my first city-wide charity campaign in Toronto holds a special place in my heart. It was for Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women program and showed me the power of how communities can come together in the smallest ways to have such wide impact.
Favourite film: Childhood favourite would be Disney’s Jungle Book and classic favourite Gone With The Wind.
Favourite book: To Kill A Mockingbird for a timeless story on justice and courage and Harry Potters for my love of all things magical.
Favourite quote: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill
Favourite food: Dim sum
Favourite place to travel to: Anywhere with natural beauty, wildlife and awe-inspiring sunsets.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule
Thursday December 27
Men's quarter-finals
Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm
Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm
Women's exhibition
Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm
Friday December 28
5th place play-off 3pm
Men's semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm
Saturday December 29
3rd place play-off 5pm
Men's final 7pm
Company name: Farmin
Date started: March 2019
Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: AgriTech
Initial investment: None to date
Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Company%20Profile
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
T20 SQUADS
Australia: Aaron Finch (c), Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa.
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Hussain Talat, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan Shinwari, Hassan Ali, Imad Wasim, Waqas Maqsood, Faheem Ashraf.
Mrs%20Chatterjee%20Vs%20Norway
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Bio:
Favourite Quote: Prophet Mohammad's quotes There is reward for kindness to every living thing and A good man treats women with honour
Favourite Hobby: Serving poor people
Favourite Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite food: Fish and vegetables
Favourite place to visit: London
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Qosty Byogaani
Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny
Four stars
'I Want You Back'
Director:Jason Orley
Stars:Jenny Slate, Charlie Day
Rating:4/5
Jawan
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAtlee%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shah%20Rukh%20Khan%2C%20Nayanthara%2C%20Vijay%20Sethupathi%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5-litre%204-cylinder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20101hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20135Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Six-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh79%2C900%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Previous men's records
- 2:01:39: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) on 16/9/19 in Berlin
- 2:02:57: Dennis Kimetto (KEN) on 28/09/2014 in Berlin
- 2:03:23: Wilson Kipsang (KEN) on 29/09/2013 in Berlin
- 2:03:38: Patrick Makau (KEN) on 25/09/2011 in Berlin
- 2:03:59: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 28/09/2008 in Berlin
- 2:04:26: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 30/09/2007 in Berlin
- 2:04:55: Paul Tergat (KEN) on 28/09/2003 in Berlin
- 2:05:38: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 14/04/2002 in London
- 2:05:42: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 24/10/1999 in Chicago
- 2:06:05: Ronaldo da Costa (BRA) 20/09/1998 in Berlin
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
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
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
