Kristen Stewart saunters in, as insouciant as ever, and takes a seat at the centre table. She is followed by a stream of Lagerfeld muses: Vanessa Paradis in a shimmering 70s-style tunic-and-trouser combo; the statuesque Lara Stone; Rita Ora in a plunging metallic ensemble; Lily Collins and Lily-Rose Depp, striding arm-in-arm; and, finally, Julianne Moore, resplendent in an emerald-green gown. Each is wearing custom-designed Chanel couture, paired with platinum and diamond re-editions from Bijoux de Diamants, the first and only fine jewellery collection to be created by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, in the 1930s.
The gentleman sitting next to me reels off their names with relish. Only Karl Lagerfeld could amass so much star power – and then turn it into the backdrop for one of his shows.
“All of the people you see here are friends. They loved the idea,” the 81-year-old designer will later say of his celebrity-studded cast at the Tuesday show.
We are seated, shoulder-to-shoulder and rigid with anticipation, within the lofty main hall of the Grand Palais, Paris’s historic Beaux-Arts-style museum and cultural centre. A healthy dose of drama is a given at any Chanel presentation – the brand’s autumn/winter 2014 ready-to-wear show was set in a purpose-built Chanel superstore; for winter 2015, the Grand Palais was transformed into an elaborate pop-up restaurant, Brasserie Gabrielle. But two minutes in and the fashion house’s autumn/winter 2015-16 haute couture show is already shaping up to be something rather special.
The music builds slowly, a pulsing beat by sound stylist Michel Gaubert that hits you deep in the solar plexus. The models make their entrance, weaving their way past the star-studded centrepiece and up and around the two-level, art-deco, casino-themed room. Their hair is styled in futuristic-looking, razor-sharp “tomboy” bobs, and their faces are hardened with slashes of blusher, bright-red lips and strong eyebrows. Their dual-toned fingernails are painted in Chanel’s trademark black and white, and on their feet they wear angular slingback booties with a geometric heel. It’s not a look for the faint-hearted.
Look number one sets the tone for a collection that takes some of the fashion house’s best-known and most-loved pieces to a whole new dimension. Literally. A Chanel suit in a heart-stopping mix of red and midnight blue is the first to showcase so-called Selective Laser Sintering, a technique that is new to the Chanel repertoire, but promises to become as iconic as its trademark tweeds.
A highly technical and complicated Additive Manufacturing technology, SLS uses high-power lasers to fuse particles into three-dimensional shapes – in the case of Chanel’s haute couture pieces, introducing unexpected volume and three-dimensionality to the most traditional of silhouettes. The pieces are moulded, rather than sewn, and are seam-free, reflecting the light like iridescent honeycombs.
“The idea was to take the most iconic jacket from the 20th century and turn it into a 21st-century version, which was technically not possible at the time it was born,” Lagerfeld explains.
A melding of the old and the new, Chanel’s 3-D suits are sent down the catwalk in countless iterations – in glimmering black and silver, elegant ivory and multi-hued tweed versions. They are painted, edged with leather, inlaid with jewels and embroidered with beads.
Elsewhere, tweed dresses and suits are trimmed with the new “Chanel braid” and there is an underlying interplay between the feminine and the masculine, with simple pencil skirts cut just above the knee and then teamed with scoop necks, wide shoulders and turned-up cuffs draped like a rolled sleeve. Silhouettes are exaggerated and uncompromising, in a muted palette of black, grey, navy, white, gold, mauve, pink and green. There is one other pop of red that seems somehow misplaced.
It’s all quintessential Chanel, with the odd twist. Evening dresses have layered skirts and asymmetrical hems – short in the front and long in the back. The angles here are as extreme as those of the models’ bobs. The materials and finishes introduce a sense of softness, however: beautiful swathes of lace, faille, silk, raffia, tulle, organza, duchess satin, taffeta and chiffon, artfully adorned with countless applications of feathers, sequins and beads. Loose, long cocktail dresses with feather fringing, reminiscent of the flapper era, are set against stiff, structured, full-skirted gowns.
There are 67 looks in total and each is meticulously crafted. For as much as the autumn/winter 2015-16 collection pays tribute to modern-day technologies, it is age-old craftsmanship that lies at the heart of Chanel’s haute couture offering.
The process starts with a Lagerfeld sketch, which is first produced in muslin and then presented to the designer on a mannequin. Next comes the selection of fabrics and tailoring techniques. The house’s two tailoring ateliers are home to 50 “petite mains” dedicated mainly to tweeds, wool and leather, and another 50 working with tulle, organza, muslin, crêpe, lace and other such delicate fabrics.
On average, a Chanel suit represents about 200 man-hours and a dress can involve between 300 and 600 hours of work. In some cases, bridalwear can take more than 1,000 hours to produce – although probably not in this instance.
Kendall Jenner closes the show, cementing her standing as the model of the moment. Barely recognisable beneath her razor-sharp bob and reiterating those masculine elements that have interspersed the show, Jenner sports a wide shouldered, double-breasted, white satin suit – complete with epaulettes, four pockets and two rows of buttons. The only nod to convention is a billowing tulle veil and a trademark Chanel camellia brooch on her lapel and in her hair. Lagerfeld’s tuxedo bride is a fitting synopsis of the collection as a whole – respectful of tradition, but only up to a certain point.
After the show, Chanel’s top clients would have been invited back to the brand’s Rue Cambon boutique for private viewings, and the stunning creations adjusted according to private preferences. The rest of us will have to be content with having witnessed a moment of celebrity-infused magic.
sdenman@thenational.ae
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
Keane on …
Liverpool’s Uefa Champions League bid: “They’re great. With the attacking force they have, for me, they’re certainly one of the favourites. You look at the teams left in it - they’re capable of scoring against anybody at any given time. Defensively they’ve been good, so I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t go on and win it.”
Mohamed Salah’s debut campaign at Anfield: “Unbelievable. He’s been phenomenal. You can name the front three, but for him on a personal level, he’s been unreal. He’s been great to watch and hopefully he can continue now until the end of the season - which I’m sure he will, because he’s been in fine form. He’s been incredible this season.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s instant impact at former club LA Galaxy: “Brilliant. It’s been a great start for him and for the club. They were crying out for another big name there. They were lacking that, for the prestige of LA Galaxy. And now they have one of the finest stars. I hope they can go win something this year.”
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes 58-10 Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers 5-39 Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons 16-56 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
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
A general guide to how active you are:
Less than 5,000 steps - sedentary
5,000 - 9,999 steps - lightly active
10,000 - 12,500 steps - active
12,500 - highly active
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
MATCH INFO
Hoffenheim v Liverpool
Uefa Champions League play-off, first leg
Location: Rhein-Neckar-Arena, Sinsheim
Kick-off: Tuesday, 10.45pm (UAE)
What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
The specs
Engine 60kwh FWD
Battery Rimac 120kwh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power 204hp Torque 360Nm
Price, base / as tested Dh174,500
Profile Box
Company/date started: 2015
Founder/CEO: Mohammed Toraif
Based: Manama, Bahrain
Sector: Sales, Technology, Conservation
Size: (employees/revenue) 4/ 5,000 downloads
Stage: 1 ($100,000)
Investors: Two first-round investors including, 500 Startups, Fawaz Al Gosaibi Holding (Saudi Arabia)
The schedule
December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club
December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq
December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm
December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition
December 13: Falcon beauty competition
December 14 and 20: Saluki races
December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm
December 16 - 19: Falconry competition
December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am
December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am
December 22: The best herd of 30 camels
Profile Idealz
Company: Idealz
Founded: January 2018
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Size: (employees): 22
Investors: Co-founders and Venture Partners (9 per cent)
The biog:
From: Wimbledon, London, UK
Education: Medical doctor
Hobbies: Travelling, meeting new people and cultures
Favourite animals: All of them
We Weren’t Supposed to Survive But We Did
We weren’t supposed to survive but we did.
We weren’t supposed to remember but we did.
We weren’t supposed to write but we did.
We weren’t supposed to fight but we did.
We weren’t supposed to organise but we did.
We weren’t supposed to rap but we did.
We weren’t supposed to find allies but we did.
We weren’t supposed to grow communities but we did.
We weren’t supposed to return but WE ARE.
Amira Sakalla
INDIA SQUAD
Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Scores:
Day 4
England 290 & 346
Sri Lanka 336 & 226-7 (target 301)
Sri Lanka require another 75 runs with three wickets remaining
The%20pillars%20of%20the%20Dubai%20Metaverse%20Strategy
%3Cp%3EEncourage%20innovation%20in%20the%20metaverse%20field%20and%20boost%20economic%20contribution%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20outstanding%20talents%20through%20education%20and%20training%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20applications%20and%20the%20way%20they%20are%20used%20in%20Dubai's%20government%20institutions%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAdopt%2C%20expand%20and%20promote%20secure%20platforms%20globally%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20the%20infrastructure%20and%20regulations%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
In the Restaurant: Society in Four Courses
Christoph Ribbat
Translated by Jamie Searle Romanelli
Pushkin Press
Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: India, chose to bat
India (1st innings): 215-2 (89 ov)
Agarwal 76, Pujara 68 not out; Cummins 2-40
MATCH INFO
Sheffield United 3
Fleck 19, Mousset 52, McBurnie 90
Manchester United 3
Williams 72, Greenwood 77, Rashford 79
England's lowest Test innings
- 45 v Australia in Sydney, January 28, 1887
- 46 v West Indies in Port of Spain, March 25, 1994
- 51 v West Indies in Kingston, February 4, 2009
- 52 v Australia at The Oval, August 14, 1948
- 53 v Australia at Lord's, July 16, 1888
- 58 v New Zealand in Auckland, March 22, 2018
The biog
Occupation: Key marker and auto electrician
Hometown: Ghazala, Syria
Date of arrival in Abu Dhabi: May 15, 1978
Family: 11 siblings, a wife, three sons and one daughter
Favourite place in UAE: Abu Dhabi
Favourite hobby: I like to do a mix of things, like listening to poetry for example.
Favourite Syrian artist: Sabah Fakhri, a tenor from Aleppo
Favourite food: fresh fish
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Huddersfield Town permanent signings:
- Steve Mounie (striker): signed from Montpellier for £11 million
- Tom Ince (winger): signed from Derby County for £7.7m
- Aaron Mooy (midfielder): signed from Manchester City for £7.7m
- Laurent Depoitre (striker): signed from Porto for £3.4m
- Scott Malone (defender): signed from Fulham for £3.3m
- Zanka (defender): signed from Copenhagen for £2.3m
- Elias Kachunga (winger): signed for Ingolstadt for £1.1m
- Danny WIlliams (midfielder): signed from Reading on a free transfer
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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RESULTS
5pm: Maiden | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF Al Moreeb, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF Makerah, Adrie de Vries, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap | Dh80,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Hazeme, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle
6.30pm: Handicap | Dh85,000 | 2,200m
Winner: AF Yatroq, Brett Doyle, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Shadwell Farm for Private Owners Handicap | Dh70,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Nawwaf KB, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh100,000 | 1,600m
Winner: Treasured Times, Bernardo Pinheiro, Rashed Bouresly
The biog
Date of birth: 27 May, 1995
Place of birth: Dubai, UAE
Status: Single
School: Al Ittihad private school in Al Mamzar
University: University of Sharjah
Degree: Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Hobby: I enjoy travelling a lot, not just for fun, but I like to cross things off my bucket list and the map and do something there like a 'green project'.
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 310hp
Torque: 366Nm
Price: Dh200,000
The biog:
Favourite book: The Leader Who Had No Title by Robin Sharma
Pet Peeve: Racism
Proudest moment: Graduating from Sorbonne
What puts her off: Dishonesty in all its forms
Happiest period in her life: The beginning of her 30s
Favourite movie: "I have two. The Pursuit of Happiness and Homeless to Harvard"
Role model: Everyone. A child can be my role model
Slogan: The queen of peace, love and positive energy
Don't get fined
The UAE FTA requires following to be kept:
- Records of all supplies and imports of goods and services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents related to receiving goods or services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents issued
- Records of goods and services that have been disposed of or used for matters not related to business
