Paris is fairly jaded by fashion week, which is no surprise given the whole wondrous circus descends a minimum of six times a year — twice for women's ready-to-wear, twice for the men's and then two rounds of haute couture.
As a city used to statuesque models striding its streets and roads clogged with cars ferrying fashion editors, buyers and influencers from show to show, Paris has mastered how to retain its identity while playing host to the biggest style personalities. This means the magic can be felt throughout the city, on the metro and in the cafes as it embraces the craziness that is fashion week.
At the Dior show on Tuesday, for example, held at the Jardin des Tuileries, hundreds of people turned out to catch a glimpse of Natalie Portman, Jisoo and Alexandra Daddario, roaring their approval when they finally arrived. With Parisians normally so reserved, this felt like a seismic shift.
Scroll through the gallery below to see photos from the Dior and Saint Laurent shows
A few streets away, meanwhile, on Rue Saint-Honore, the Italian house of Valentino celebrated the arrival of its autumn/winter 2022-2023 collection, called Pink PP, by wrapping its offices in shocking pink fabric, giving the normally elegant building the look of a giant bouncy castle.
The streets feel pleasantly crowded, suggesting things have returned to a pre-pandemic normal, and the queues are back outside the Chanel and Louis Vuitton stores, despite the frequent rain.
Men stroll past in purple suits and coats worn hanging off shoulders just-so, and every third woman seems to be wearing a trench coat, neatly belted or left trailing in the wind. There are plenty of little dogs being carried, and a surprising number of people are wearing fur — a material said to be relegated to the back of the wardrobe long ago.
As it rains, people mill about without coats, a sure sign you're in the presence of one of the fashion pack, who, travelling in cars, don't have to worry about sensible layers and footwear.
One look that seems to be having a real moment is dresses over trousers, last seen in the 1990s. Now updated, trend followers are wearing loose, roomier dresses, a la Cecilie Bahnsen — at whose show it was spotted several times — finished with trainers for a carefree attitude.
At Bahnsen's show held in the historic quadrant of the Monnaie de Paris, once the French mint, the looks unfolded in the pouring rain, which felt strangely apt considering the show was called "we are water". As the rain fell, the press sat with coats on their heads until umbrellas were handed out.
Nearby on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore, Wes Gordon, the creative director of Carolina Herrera, was in town to show off the spring/summer 2023 collection he recently debuted in New York. In bright summery colours such as primrose yellow, cherry pink and cornflower blue, and a riot of tweeds, florals and beautiful draping, it felt like a blast of summer against the grey skies outside.
Around the show locations, which are scattered throughout the city, legions of supermodels can be spotted, towering over the rest of us, clad in all manner of boots, long socks, mini skirts and combat trousers. Clearly used to the spectacle, most Parisians barely seem to notice.
It's difficult not to notice the countless jewellery stores, however, offering every bauble imaginable in both new and antique. One highlight of the week is that jewellery house Terzihan is revealing its latest creation — a one-of-a-kind necklace in rose gold, diamonds, lapis and matt onyx. Reticulated to flow around the neck, and having taken a team of six more than two months to create, it seems a perfect metaphor for the city: beautiful, unique and deeply complicated.
Welcome to Paris Fashion Week.
Scroll through the gallery below to see celebrities at the Saint Laurent show
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ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Warlight,
Michael Ondaatje, Knopf
The 10 Questions
- Is there a God?
- How did it all begin?
- What is inside a black hole?
- Can we predict the future?
- Is time travel possible?
- Will we survive on Earth?
- Is there other intelligent life in the universe?
- Should we colonise space?
- Will artificial intelligence outsmart us?
- How do we shape the future?
The biog
Name: Ayisha Abdulrahman Gareb
Age: 57
From: Kalba
Occupation: Mukrema, though she washes bodies without charge
Favourite things to do: Visiting patients at the hospital and give them the support they need.
Role model: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.
The rules of the road keeping cyclists safe
Cyclists must wear a helmet, arm and knee pads
Have a white front-light and a back red-light on their bike
They must place a number plate with reflective light to the back of the bike to alert road-users
Avoid carrying weights that could cause the bike to lose balance
They must cycle on designated lanes and areas and ride safe on pavements to avoid bumping into pedestrians
'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'
Director:Michael Lehmann
Stars:Kristen Bell
Rating: 1/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday Valladolid v Osasuna (Kick-off midnight UAE)
Saturday Valencia v Athletic Bilbao (5pm), Getafe v Sevilla (7.15pm), Huesca v Alaves (9.30pm), Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid (midnight)
Sunday Real Sociedad v Eibar (5pm), Real Betis v Villarreal (7.15pm), Elche v Granada (9.30pm), Barcelona v Levante (midnight)
Monday Celta Vigo v Cadiz (midnight)
