Mademoiselle C is a reference to Carine Roitfeld, the fashion magazine editor who is France’s equivalent of Anna Wintour. For a decade, Roitfeld was the editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris and then in 2011 she decided to quit to set up her own magazine in New York, simply titled CR. Fabien Constant’s revealing documentary covers the production and launch of the first issue.
It seems that the director approached the fashion editor at exactly the right time. “I was starting this new adventure with the magazine and I thought that anything that will be good to help the magazine I would do,” says Roitfeld. “I know Fabien and he came to me and he proposed a film that would follow me, like a September Issue, about this first issue.”
What she did not envisage was that over the seven months she was followed by Constant, he would make such a personal and intimate portrait, much more so than the 2009 documentary on American Vogue Roitfeld refers to. During the filming, Roitfeld became a grandmother for the first time. She is also shown practising ballet, at home with her husband Riccardo and interacting with a host of her friends, such as Karl Lagerfeld and Tom Ford. It is a life full of glamour.
Even with a sensitive and friendly director at the helm, it was tough to have a documentary crew follow her around. “To live with a microphone and camera is very difficult, not just for me, but for my team,” says the 59-year-old. “We were a very small team creating the magazine and, apart from the editor Stephen Gan, we didn’t know each other really well, so they were very nice to accept this idea.”
It turns out that big companies aren’t necessarily happy when their star editor leaves. As Roitfeld starts putting the new magazine together, she discovers that a number of the photographers she likes to employ for shoots have been warned that the Vogue publisher Condé Nast might not look too kindly on them working on the new magazine. “I was a bit surprised,” says Roitfeld. “But I also knew that was the price to pay for being free. I know some photographers and, of course, they have contracts. Mario Testino is my oldest friend and he cannot work for me. It’s business.”
She has kind words to say about her former employers, too. “I don’t have any regrets. I had 10 amazing years with Vogue. It was very fun and I tried to make the best of it. But Vogue existed before me, and it will exist after me, that’s for sure. Vogue is a bigger name than my name.”
Becoming a grandmother was a pivotal moment for her. “I think when I became a grandmother my life changed a lot and I think I changed personally. You have to open your eyes in a different way and I think I’m very grateful. In fashion, people say we’re very superficial and we just think about the clothes and, in a way, it’s true. I think the baby gave me a lot of oxygen. It took me back to reality and that’s very important.”
After the launch of CR, Roitfeld was approached by Harper’s Bazaar to work on its magazine and to the surprise of many, she accepted a position. “It took me a long time to accept, because I said: ‘Hmm, I want my freedom.’ But ultimately it is freedom, because I don’t have any boss. I don’t have an editor-in-chief, it’s just a contract with me as a big president. I’ll always follow the advice of Karl [Lagerfeld] when he says: ‘Everything that you’re doing, do it in a style that no one else has done it before you.’”
Mademoiselle C screens on Wednesday at 9pm in Vox 3 and on Thursday at 3.45pm in Vox 1
artslife@thenational.ae
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
The biog
Hobbies: Writing and running
Favourite sport: beach volleyball
Favourite holiday destinations: Turkey and Puerto Rico
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Ain Issa camp:
- Established in 2016
- Houses 13,309 people, 2,092 families, 62 per cent children
- Of the adult population, 49 per cent men, 51 per cent women (not including foreigners annexe)
- Most from Deir Ezzor and Raqqa
- 950 foreigners linked to ISIS and their families
- NGO Blumont runs camp management for the UN
- One of the nine official (UN recognised) camps in the region
Haemoglobin disorders explained
Thalassaemia is part of a family of genetic conditions affecting the blood known as haemoglobin disorders.
Haemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that carries oxygen and a lack of it triggers anemia, leaving patients very weak, short of breath and pale.
The most severe type of the condition is typically inherited when both parents are carriers. Those patients often require regular blood transfusions - about 450 of the UAE's 2,000 thalassaemia patients - though frequent transfusions can lead to too much iron in the body and heart and liver problems.
The condition mainly affects people of Mediterranean, South Asian, South-East Asian and Middle Eastern origin. Saudi Arabia recorded 45,892 cases of carriers between 2004 and 2014.
A World Health Organisation study estimated that globally there are at least 950,000 'new carrier couples' every year and annually there are 1.33 million at-risk pregnancies.
Company%20Profile
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Race card for Super Saturday
4pm: Al Bastakiya Listed US$250,000 (Dh918,125) (Dirt) 1,900m.
4.35pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $200,000 (D) 1,200m.
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Conditions $200,000 (Turf) 1,200m.
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 $200,000 (D) 1,600m.
6.20pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 $300,000 (T) 1,800m.
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Group 1 $400,000 (D) 2,000m.
7.30pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 $250,000 (T) 2,410m.
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
Series result
1st ODI Zimbabwe won by 6 wickets
2nd ODI Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets
3rd ODI Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets
4th ODI Zimbabwe won by 4 wickets
5th ODI Zimbabwe won by 3 wickets
