The red carpet is usually the best place to see how seasonal trends work in real life. Yes, really. Although you wouldn't exactly call an occasion like the Golden Globe Awards ordinary (being an A-list actresses-only type gig), it does give an indication of what is to come - and I'm talking frocks, not Oscars.
Oddly enough, in a season where eye-popping kaleidoscopic colour worn top-to-toe is making a comeback, the trend that continues to drag its heels is the one for nude hues, blush tones and watery pinks; the kind of colour you get when you leave a red sock in an all-white wash.
Although Angelina's sparkling emerald Versace Atelier or the red-carpet rookie Mila Kunis's green Vera Wang and Catherine Zeta Jones's equally green Monique Lhuillier frock should have ticked all the right boxes and stolen the show, it was, in fact, the laundry-disaster hues - is it beige/pink/gold/cream? - that came out winners.
Pantone, the global authority on colour used by all design industries, especially fashion, seem to back up the nude mood. They name coral rose, honeysuckle and beeswax as their top three spring 2011 colours (pea-pod green, lavender, blue Curaçao and silver romp in at fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh place).
Last week's spectacular Christian Dior Haute Couture show, which reworked 1950s classic shades of ice apricot, "Dior" dove grey, duck egg, tea, pale lemon and pink, slips into the Pantone palette nicely.
The best-dressed women at the Golden Globes channelled these ballerina neutrals in particular, Olivia Wilde in her palest pink Marchesa tulle gown.
Other women who notched up style points as a result of their choice of colour of gown, more than style, included Dianna Agron from Glee, in J Mendel, and Leighton Meester in her Burberry Victoriana-style nude. Two thoughts struck me after the awards. The first being who'd have thought there could be quite so many variations on the non-colour nude theme, secondly, how come so few actresses were brave enough to embrace the imminent colour explosion that is limping into fashion stores now?
I am heartened by the number of super brights starting to filter into shops in shades of tangerine, mauve and fuchsia championed on the catwalks by Lanvin, Jil Sander, Prada, Gucci and Marc Jacobs. I love the idea of layering scarlet, electric blue and hot pink over eye-popping orange and cobalt on models at a fashion shoot. I'm thinking birds of paradise, Talitha Getty circa 1971. And yet it doesn't make me want to colour-up in real life.
The nude feast at the Golden Globes hasn't helped. When even Versace, a brand synonymous with Warholesque combinations (which Gianni Versace virtually single-handedly made compulsory for fashion followers in the early 1990s) can't entice some of the prettiest women on the planet into theirs, who can? As for "Angelina" green? Let's just say we know why Chanel stops at green nail polish.
What we need is a transitional trend that is both stylish, gives a nod to colour and yet is wearable (ie won't make you look like a clown).
I saw the perfect compromise a few months ago at the preview of Gap's spring collection. Here acid pastels in Helmut Lang-style shades had been washed out almost entirely (but not quite) to reach a shade that just resembled the original colour. Patrick Robinson, the vice president of Gap's design team, called them "make-up shades", "blush-coloured neutrals" and "worn brights", ("created for busy women who want clothes that can be worn to go out straight from work to dinner to parties"). Makes perfect sense to me.
Ask any red-carpet veteran and they will tell you the scary truth about wearing overtly bright colours that have a nasty habit of "wearing" you, not always that well.
In contrast, nudes, blush and dirty pinks give the effect of a canvas on which you can build your own style. Add that Mulberry bright handbag or Lanvin necklace for fabulosity.
Another designer who has solved the brights versus nudes dilemma is Isabel Marant, whose everyday pieces such as her coral pink blazer worn over washed-out pale pink jeans punch colour into your wardrobe. The London designer Felicity Brown is another.
With less than a month to go before the Oscars (February 27) it will be interesting to see if brights finally put in an appearance or if nudes remain - as in real life - the new black.
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F1 drivers' standings
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 281
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 222
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 177
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 138
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 93
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 86
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 56
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Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
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AVOID SCAMMERS: TIPS FROM EMIRATES NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
Race card
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m
6.05pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,400m
6.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 1,200m
7.50pm: Longines Stakes – Conditions (TB) Dh120,00 (D) 1,900m
8.25pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m
9pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 2,410m
9.35pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 2,000m
Most%20ODI%20hundreds
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
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Royal Birkdale Golf Course
Location: Southport, Merseyside, England
Established: 1889
Type: Private
Total holes: 18
Thanksgiving meals to try
World Cut Steakhouse, Habtoor Palace Hotel, Dubai. On Thursday evening, head chef Diego Solis will be serving a high-end sounding four-course meal that features chestnut veloute with smoked duck breast, turkey roulade accompanied by winter vegetables and foie gras and pecan pie, cranberry compote and popcorn ice cream.
Jones the Grocer, various locations across the UAE. Jones’s take-home holiday menu delivers on the favourites: whole roast turkeys, an array of accompaniments (duck fat roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in beef bacon, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots) and more, as well as festive food platters, canapes and both apple and pumpkin pies.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Address Hotel, Dubai. This New Orleans-style restaurant is keen to take the stress out of entertaining, so until December 25 you can order a full seasonal meal from its Takeaway Turkey Feast menu, which features turkey, homemade gravy and a selection of sides – think green beans with almond flakes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing – to pick up and eat at home.
The Mattar Farm Kitchen, Dubai. From now until Christmas, Hattem Mattar and his team will be producing game- changing smoked turkeys that you can enjoy at home over the festive period.
Nolu’s, The Galleria Mall, Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. With much of the menu focused on a California inspired “farm to table” approach (with Afghani influence), it only seems right that Nolu’s will be serving their take on the Thanksgiving spread, with a brunch at the Downtown location from 12pm to 4pm on Friday.
'The Sky is Everywhere'
Director:Josephine Decker
Stars:Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon
Rating:2/5