The Central Saint Martins graduate fashion show in London – an annual hot ticket thanks to alumni such as Alexander McQueen and John Galliano – was fraught with tension this year. Sponsored by L’Oréal, whose links to Israel have drawn criticism, the show attracted protests outside the venue.
Inside, Palestinian student Ayham Hassan sent out his graduation collection, Im-Mortal Magenta: The colour that doesn’t exist. Exploring the reality of being a Palestinian under occupation, the looks were bound by a punchy magenta tone, with patterns and motifs from traditional tatreez, hand-embroidered by women in the West Bank.
Speaking by phone from London weeks later, he explains the title. “Magenta is a very happy colour. It’s a colour our mind makes up. It literally doesn’t exist.” A light wavelength anomaly, according to The Royal Institution, magenta appears when red and blue cones fire, but green does not.
For Hassan, this peculiarity felt like an apt metaphor for the Palestinian state, existing yet denied. “For me, [magenta] became like a shield, a protection or a second skin, and these beautiful embroideries and motifs are a second skin to protect you in this horrible war.”
Born in Ramallah, Hassan says his path to London had a touch of kismet. His flair was spotted by a tutor at Birzeit University, who urged him to apply to Central Saint Martins. Despite the odds – only 50 students chosen from more than 3,000 – he won a place.
Then came the battle to raise the fees. A crowdfunding plea was reshared by model Bella Hadid, picked up by Dazed magazine, and drew a brand sponsor to cover part of his costs. Grateful for the kindness of strangers, Hassan is also painfully aware of the disconnect between studying fashion amid Israeli violence.
“How can I talk about a genocide in a fashion collection? How can I approach such a thing? You can imagine how frustrating and sad it is to be a Palestinian experiencing it in London. I could not be creative. We all thought it would finish after three months,” he says. Only by channelling his fury and helplessness into design did something shift. “I realised that history repeats itself, and I need to look at the past and address it in reality, as well as this whole concept of modern displacement.”
His work became a broadcast of “our reality as Palestinians, the genocide and ethnic cleansing, as well as the horrific things that happen to us on a daily basis”. Strong silhouettes mixed with vibrant pink became metaphors for hope. “I don’t need to do claustrophobic clothes, I don’t need to do sad things,” he says. “I need to show the beauty of Gaza, of Palestinians, and the beauty of just the fact that we are resilient and resistant to this horrific thing.”
Raw and powerful, his final collection tackled identity head-on. A lightweight magenta top with extra-long sleeves is knotted at the sternum, paired with a full skirt layered under gossamer netting and finished with a head covering banded in pink – inspired by lost Palestinian majdal silk, its know-how erased by the Nakba. Protective motifs, hand-embroidered by women in Ramallah, edge the scarf.
Elsewhere, a glossy cerise dress ties at the hip, its stiff collar covered in geometric designs. A chunky pink and grey scarf knitted by Hassan’s mother carries motifs of bullets and flowers, worn over a shredded, shroud-like dress.
Another knitted piece is made of 500,000 rubber bands, nodding to slingshots once used by Palestinian children against tanks. An oversized quilted jacket covered in tatreez patterns offers both armour and embrace, paired with an asymmetric crinolined skirt that keeps the viewer literally and figuratively at arm’s length.
This final look was chosen for Thread Memory: Embroidery from Palestine at the V&A Dundee, curated by Rachel Dedman to mark Dundee’s 45-year twinning with Nablus. Hassan’s graduation show went viral, covered by British versions of i-D and Vogue.
The buzz endures. “It was a beautiful way for me to end this journey, and it was incredible to see British Vogue unapologetically mention Palestine and genocide without censoring. It’s just a huge, huge achievement for me as a designer.”
Now seeking investors, Hassan also won the British Fashion Council x Net-a-Porter and Mr Porter Education Fund award, which he hopes will help him establish a London studio and create more work for women in the West Bank.
He was also awarded the L’Oréal Prize, but declined it on moral grounds. “I cannot have this on my conscience,” he says. It was bittersweet. “Do you know who was picking the people? Daniel Lee, creative director of Burberry. So it was incredible to be recognised.”
His collection, Hassan hopes, reframes a wider narrative. “It was questioning the whole fashion education system. It was questioning everything. I mean, I was the only Arab, Muslim and Palestinian student in the whole year of 140 students. It was very major to get accepted, but it has been a really, really difficult journey.”
At the degree show, as protests raged outside, Hassan’s models – many from the Palestinian diaspora – spontaneously wrote “Free Palestine” and “Divest Now” on their hands, raising them as they walked the runway. “It wasn’t planned,” Hassan says. “It was something they wanted to do. That moment turned the show into something far bigger than fashion.”
The specs: 2018 Kia Picanto
Price: From Dh39,500
Engine: 1.2L inline four-cylinder
Transmission: Four-speed auto
Power: 86hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 122Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.0L / 100km
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
As You Were
Liam Gallagher
(Warner Bros)
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2
Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')
Barcelona 0
Ad Astra
Director: James Gray
Stars: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones
Five out of five stars
Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Company Profile
Founder: Omar Onsi
Launched: 2018
Employees: 35
Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)
Investors: B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group H
Juventus v Valencia, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Scores
Day 2
New Zealand 153 & 56-1
Pakistan 227
New Zealand trail by 18 runs with nine wickets remaining
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV
Power: 360bhp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh282,870
On sale: now
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Samaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
The five pillars of Islam
Company%20profile
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ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Brief scores:
Barcelona 3
Pique 38', Messi 51 (pen), Suarez 82'
Rayo Vallecano 1
De Tomas Gomez 24'
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Fixtures
Wednesday
4.15pm: Japan v Spain (Group A)
5.30pm: UAE v Italy (Group A)
6.45pm: Russia v Mexico (Group B)
8pm: Iran v Egypt (Group B)
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
SPECS%3A%20Polestar%203
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THE LOWDOWN
Romeo Akbar Walter
Rating: 2/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Robby Grewal
Cast: John Abraham, Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff and Sikandar Kher
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
TEAMS
US Team
Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth
Justin Thomas, Daniel Berger
Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler
Kevin Kisner, Patrick Reed
Matt Kuchar, Kevin Chappell
Charley Hoffman*, Phil Mickelson*
International Team
Hideki Matsuyama, Jason Day
Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen
Marc Leishman, Charl Schwartzel
Branden Grace, Si Woo Kim
Jhonattan Vegas, Adam Hadwin
Emiliano Grillo*, Anirban Lahiri*
* denotes captain's picks
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
US tops drug cost charts
The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.
Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.
In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.
Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol.
The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.
High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Racecard:
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah (PA) | Group 2 | US$55,000 (Dirt) | 1,600 metres
7.05pm: Meydan Sprint (TB) | Group 2 | $250,000 (Turf) | 1,000m
7.40pm: Firebreak Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,600m
8.15pm: Meydan Trophy | Conditions (TB) | $100,000 (T) | 1,900m
8.50pm: Balanchine | Group 2 (TB) | $250,000 (T) | 1,800m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (D) | 1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,410m.
TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS
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The%20Sandman
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The biog
Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives.
The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast.
As a child, he loved the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau
He also led a team that discovered the long-lost portion of the Ines oil tanker.
If you are interested in diving, he runs the XR Hub Dive Centre in Fujairah
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Mission to Seafarers is one of the largest port-based welfare operators in the world.
It provided services to around 200 ports across 50 countries.
They also provide port chaplains to help them deliver professional welfare services.
BRIEF SCORES:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Lecce v SPAL (6pm)
Bologna v Genoa (9pm)
Atlanta v Roma (11.45pm)
Sunday
Udinese v Hellas Verona (3.30pm)
Juventus v Brescia (6pm)
Sampdoria v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sassuolo v Parma (6pm)
Cagliari v Napoli (9pm)
Lazio v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
Monday
AC Milan v Torino (11.45pm)
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
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