Michelle Obama learnt the first lesson of being a first lady on the stage at Grant Park in Chicago on election night: do not wear high fashion in front of the eyes of the world.
Having pulled off a nearly faultless election wardrobe bursting with colour (which is current), classic tailoring (equally so) and some punchy gimmicks such as gobstopper pearls and bold prints, the fashionista-elect blew it overnight.
Instead of sticking to the upmarket dressmaker Maria Pinto, who created Obama's classiest frock to date - the sleeveless purple silk crepe shift worn to accompany her husband to mark his victory over Hillary Clinton - Mrs O chose an artsy "experiment" by an edgy young designer renowned for his must-see catwalk shows but not always for his frocks.
The visually arresting red and black tube dress, despite being a "standout" at Narciso Rodriguez's spring/summer 2009 New York show, did Mrs Obama no favours; certainly not with fashion critics.
It revealed not only how poorly a runway size zero scales up to a more realistic size - especially from the rear - but also that Mrs Obama, unlike her husband, might not be the snappy dresser we thought she was.
At 44 and the youngest wife of a president since Jacqueline Kennedy, Obama was sure to draw comparisons. The new first lady even flirted with them, wearing style details made famous by her predecessor - Peter Pan collars, pearls, three-quarter length sleeves, A-line dresses and so on.
What the next first lady needs to do now is put her own stamp on the new Camelot, starting with her image. She has demonstrated over the past 18 months how extraordinarily glamorous her athletic build and curvy shape can look. And as any woman with hips will tell you, this is not easy. It does not necessarily mean giving up entirely on fashion, just fashion with a capital "f".
A lesson she can learn from Jackie Kennedy, the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is this: set your own style, then you create the fashion.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)
TV: Abu Dhabi Sports
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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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
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
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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Scores in brief:
Day 1
New Zealand (1st innings) 153 all out (66.3 overs) - Williamson 63, Nicholls 28, Yasir 3-54, Haris 2-11, Abbas 2-13, Hasan 2-38
Pakistan (1st innings) 59-2 (23 overs)
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Story of 2017-18 so far and schedule to come
Roll of Honour
Who has won what so far in the West Asia rugby season?
Western Clubs Champions League
Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners up: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons
Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership Cup
Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners up: Dubai Exiles
Fixtures
Friday
West Asia Cup final
5pm, Bahrain (6pm UAE time), Bahrain v Dubai Exiles
West Asia Trophy final
3pm, The Sevens, Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Sports City Eagles
Friday, April 13
UAE Premiership final
5pm, Al Ain, Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
