These days fewer than half of the houses unveiling their new spring collections on the Parisian haute couture catwalks are French. Italian couturiers Valentino, Armani and Versace are correspondent members with an established couture clientele.
The new kids on the block at last week’s Paris Haute Couture Week were the Chinese, while Middle East designers, led by Lebanon’s Elie Saab, are now an integral part of the schedule.
Saab and fellow Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad, who are guest members of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, would have to relocate their main ateliers to Paris to qualify for full membership, but their sparklingly dressed clientele illustrates the huge international demand for their work.
Other big regional names include Georges Hobeika, also Lebanese, and Dubai’s Syrian designer, Rami Al Ali, who show their designs off-schedule.
The emphasis as always is on evening wear from Saab, Murad, Hobeika and Al Ali, especially with the Oscars only a few weeks away. Saab, who recently dressed actresses Emily Blunt, Rachel McAdams and Eva Green, and Hobeika who dressed Eva Longoria, offer plenty for the stars to choose from. Saab’s spring collection is inspired by India’s Edwardian female explorers, and featured scores of high-neck, long-sleeved silhouettes in white and grey lace with raindrop crystals and pretty tiaras.
There was a strong narrative to this collection, with tabards over silk trousers that were tucked into trekking boots, and luxurious leather binoculars and saddlebags. However, there were many red-carpet dresses in silk and organza, with one gown featuring a big white tulle princess skirt.
Al Ali thinks big skirts are making a comeback, as he explained during his presentation at the Le Meurice Hotel Paris: “Fashion is more dressed up with big skirts of the 1940s and 1950s, I think we are going back to that feminine era, with lots of volume and fabric.”
He backed this theory up with a rich blue strapless gown and sculpted 1950s-style dresses, their skirts belling out from high waistlines.
Murad similarly focused on a bell-shaped skirt, sometimes shown as a mini-crini with corsetry and embroidered flowers meandering over the trellis-like construction. The alternative was ball dresses: short at the front and swooping down into long trains at the back. There was plenty of volume in the princess skirts and lots of feminine embroidery that’s bound to attract attention on the red carpet.
A relative newcomer is Yacine Aouadi, a Marseille-raised Algerian who worked with Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy before starting his own couture collection last season. Aouadi’s 1920s theme has historic references but a modern silhouette – a buff suede tunic with a racerback is layered with silicon mesh lace and crystal embroidery.
“Handmade craftsmanship is very important to me, so my priority is haute couture,” says Aouadi when asked why he didn’t start with ready-to-wear, like most designers – an exquisite tweed coat constructed from feathers that took 1,500 hours to make is a big investment for a young couturier.
Highlights
Giambattista Valli showed five spectacular tulle ball gowns, but also some enchanting little dresses with lots of dainty daisy and blossom embroideries.
Ralph & Russo similarly had a 1950s vibe for their collection, but that is the default setting for this house with big glamorous gowns in pastels with exquisite embroideries. Craftsmanship is the defining factor of haute couture these days.
Karl Lagerfeld concentrated on a few key silhouettes, mostly 1920s-inspired, and a dreamy palette of cream bamboo and mahogany, and then let loose on the super craftsmanship of Chanel’s Métiers d’Art ateliers. His Eco-Luxe collection unveiled dresses decorated with wood mosaic and wood-shaving embroideries, paillettes, feathers and fine pleating.
Valentino’s artisans are equally as gifted, producing antique gold-printed velvet tabards, Delphic white dresses and embroidered kimonos that could take 2,000 hours or more each to make.
It was a romantic and wonderfully lyrical collection from designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli, who were inspired by the Venetian textile alchemist Mariano Fortuny and Byzantium this season.
artslife@thenational.ae
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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WHAT%20IS%20THE%20LICENSING%20PROCESS%20FOR%20VARA%3F
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Kamindu Mendis bio
Full name: Pasqual Handi Kamindu Dilanka Mendis
Born: September 30, 1998
Age: 20 years and 26 days
Nationality: Sri Lankan
Major teams Sri Lanka's Under 19 team
Batting style: Left-hander
Bowling style: Right-arm off-spin and slow left-arm orthodox (that's right!)
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E456hp%20at%205%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E691Nm%20at%203%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E14.6L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh349%2C545%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,470,000 (est)
Engine 6.9-litre twin-turbo W12
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 626bhp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,350rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.0L / 100km
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Masters%20of%20the%20Air
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Company%20Profile
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The biog
Prefers vegetables and fish to meat and would choose salad over pizza
Walks daily as part of regular exercise routine
France is her favourite country to visit
Has written books and manuals on women’s education, first aid and health for the family
Family: Husband, three sons and a daughter
Fathiya Nadhari's instructions to her children was to give back to the country
The children worked as young volunteers in social, education and health campaigns
Her motto is to never stop working for the country
The specs
BMW M8 Competition Coupe
Engine 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8
Power 625hp at 6,000rpm
Torque 750Nm from 1,800-5,800rpm
Gearbox Eight-speed paddleshift auto
Acceleration 0-100kph in 3.2 sec
Top speed 305kph
Fuel economy, combined 10.6L / 100km
Price from Dh700,000 (estimate)
On sale Jan/Feb 2020
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
25-MAN SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Daniel Akpeyi
Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina, Abdullahi Shehu, Chidozie Awaziem, William Ekong, Leon Balogun, Kenneth Omeruo, Jamilu Collins, Semi Ajayi
Midfielders: John Obi Mikel, Wilfred Ndidi, Oghenekaro Etebo, John Ogu
Forwards: Ahmed Musa, Victor Osimhen, Moses Simon, Henry Onyekuru, Odion Ighalo, Alexander Iwobi, Samuel Kalu, Paul Onuachu, Kelechi Iheanacho, Samuel Chukwueze
On Standby: Theophilus Afelokhai, Bryan Idowu, Ikouwem Utin, Mikel Agu, Junior Ajayi, Valentine Ozornwafor
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
Saturday
Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Sunday
Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
Everybody%20Loves%20Touda
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Company%20profile
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The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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.
WWE Evolution results
- Trish Stratus and Lita beat Alicia Fox and Mickie James in a tag match
- Nia Jax won a battle royal, eliminating Ember Moon last to win
- Toni Storm beat Io Shirai to win the Mae Young Classic
- Natalya, Sasha Banks and Bayley beat The Riott Squad in a six-woman tag match
- Shayna Baszler won the NXT Women’s title by defeating Kairi Sane
- Becky Lynch retained the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair in a Last Woman Standing match
- Ronda Rousey retained the Raw Women’s title by beating Nikki Bella
Match info
Who: India v Afghanistan
What: One-off Test match, Bengaluru
When: June 14 to 18
TV: OSN Sports Cricket HD, 8am starts
Online: OSN Play (subscribers only)
