This has been a difficult year for the fashion industry. There was the closure of Christian Lacroix, the deaths of models Tom Nicon and Daul Kim and - probably the most shocking of all - the loss of Alexander McQueen. People love to ridicule designers and the pomp that surrounds fashion, but no one who ever attended a McQueen show could ever again believe that fashion is unimportant. His clothes had the ability to divide a crowd in the manner of Marmite because of their, at times, shocking aesthetics. Yet his technical genius, eclectic choices and admirable eccentricity were undeniable.
His sudden death in February at 40 left the future of the fashion house in doubt. Following in his footsteps was never going to be easy. This week, Sarah Burton, McQueen's right-hand woman for the past 15 years(the only hire he ever made from an internship), revealed her first collection for the label since becoming creative director. I used to work for Burton, and when I heard she was taking over, my first thought was, "If anyone can continue his legacy, she can". But even though she worked with McQueen for so many years, trying to fill his shoes is a huge and brave move that could mean a career setback.
The press has been hungry to watch her fall and McQueen's loyal fans made it clear it was inappropriate to launch a collection while the wounds from his untimely death were still so raw. But last week in Paris she proved them wrong, or at least appeased them for now, with a collection that put the label exactly where it needs to be - still McQueen but a new, softer version. While she may have lacked the angst and raw aggression that was unmistakably McQueen, Burton did the perfect job of continuing to deliver some wonderfully eclectic showpieces (the house speciality) - including a structured dress made from hand-made, painted, feather butterflies, and another made from leather that resembled falling ivy leaves - while managing to put her own feminine and ethereal stamp on things. The general feeling of the collection, whose theme was decay, followed the standard McQueen silhouette - the strong shoulder, the exaggerated hips and the sheer volume - but there was a transition towards moving McQueen's original vision into something more commercially viable.
Burton achieved something outstanding with her first collection. There is no doubt she has given herself a safe benchmark from which to develop, and perhaps even give herself a name under the cloud of McQueen that will of course remain for some time to come. And as the models lined up for the finale to a soundtrack of The Jackson 5's I'll Be There, I thought: You know what? You just might be.
Global institutions: BlackRock and KKR
US-based BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with $5.98 trillion of assets under management as of the end of last year. The New York firm run by Larry Fink provides investment management services to institutional clients and retail investors including governments, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, banks and charitable foundations around the world, through a variety of investment vehicles.
KKR & Co, or Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, is a global private equity and investment firm with around $195 billion of assets as of the end of last year. The New York-based firm, founded by Henry Kravis and George Roberts, invests in multiple alternative asset classes through direct or fund-to-fund investments with a particular focus on infrastructure, technology, healthcare, real estate and energy.
Company%20profile
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Naga
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
Company%20Profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20Profile
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'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Results
ATP Dubai Championships on Monday (x indicates seed):
First round
Roger Federer (SUI x2) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bt Thomas Fabbiano (ITA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Marton Fucsovics (HUN) bt Damir Dzumhur (BIH) 6-1, 7-6 (7/5)
Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) bt Karen Khachanov (RUS x4) 6-4, 6-1
Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) bt Milos Raonic (CAN x7) 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
The flights: South African Airways flies from Dubai International Airport with a stop in Johannesburg, with prices starting from around Dh4,000 return. Emirates can get you there with a stop in Lusaka from around Dh4,600 return.
The details: Visas are available for 247 Zambian kwacha or US$20 (Dh73) per person on arrival at Livingstone Airport. Single entry into Victoria Falls for international visitors costs 371 kwacha or $30 (Dh110). Microlight flights are available through Batoka Sky, with 15-minute flights costing 2,265 kwacha (Dh680).
Accommodation: The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel by Anantara is an ideal place to stay, within walking distance of the falls and right on the Zambezi River. Rooms here start from 6,635 kwacha (Dh2,398) per night, including breakfast, taxes and Wi-Fi. Water arrivals cost from 587 kwacha (Dh212) per person.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
