In July, Rami Al Ali made history. After years of showing off-calendar in Paris, the Syrian designer was formally invited by the Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode to join the official haute couture schedule. In doing so, he became the first Syrian fashion designer to claim the rarest of titles: haute couturier.
For Al Ali, sending his looks down the runway in Paris was both triumphant and unnerving. “I have always looked at the official calendar and the names on it and thought: ‘This is an institution, these old brands, it’s farfetched.’” While “proud and happy” to be included, he admits to being “a bit intimidated that the work now is going to be seen more widely. It’s a bigger audience and my work is going to be examined thoroughly.”
If there is a theme to Al Ali’s career, it is careful, deliberate progress. “Whatever I’ve done with the brand since its start, I’ve always progressed forward. Small steps, very carefully chosen,” he explains. “From now on, the plan and the strategy need to be studied really well.”
But the newfound recognition does not mean he’s in a rush to get anywhere. “Moving forward is going to be still as careful, cautious and smart as it was before,” he says, assuring both himself and his audience.
Al Ali first arrived in Dubai in 1996, intending to stop over in the city before continuing his studies in the United States. “I was working on the internship and the paperwork and all of that. I took a temporary job in one of the old fashion houses in Dubai,” he says, “and that gave me a bit of confidence to stay a little bit longer.” Decades later, he is part of the beating heart of the city’s creative scene.
What kept him here was timing. The city was just beginning its evolution into a global fashion hub, with luxury brands setting up a regional presence and international editors flying in. “The clients became jet-setters and most of the fashion press and international brands started coming to the region,” he says of Dubai’s emerging status as a hub. The market was hungry for a potential entrepreneur to start something. There was high demand, but there was not enough supply. By 2001, he had opened his own atelier in the city.
About two and a half decades later, with his new title comes responsibility. “When you say ‘the first Syrian designer’, it is already a responsibility that you’re going to present the creative industry of a whole country,” he says. “It makes you feel proud.”
It also means he joins the exclusive club of Arab couturiers – such as Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad, Georges Hobeika and Mohammed Ashi of Ashi Studio – who, by carving out global recognition, created a lineage where none existed. “Graduating in 1995 and looking at the international landscape, I didn’t find an ideal who came from the same background. Someone who would give me hope to adjust my dreams to,” Al Ali remembers. “It was a low ceiling.”
Now, he hopes his own success can be the blueprint he once longed for. “It would give not only hope, but also a kind of manual for younger entrepreneurs, younger brands to look up to. And they will probably raise the bar.”
Al Ali knows better than to assume the role of gatekeeper. “Every day there’s younger talent that comes along that is cooler, edgier and more relevant.” But he believes the job of those who make it is to open doors. “I think it is our duty, when we get to certain places, to open those doors to the younger generation to make their dreams bigger.”
For Al Ali, couture is not only clothes, it is culture. “It’s a lifestyle. It is the ultimate luxury in the fashion industry. It represents the elite – not in terms of lifestyle, but in terms of taste.”
His latest collection draws directly from Syria – its crafts, its geometry and its overlooked history. “As always in my work, I go back to the craft, the artisan, the heritage. It is a permanent source of inspiration,” Al Ali explains. This season, however, he came with a special collaboration – a partnership with a Syrian organisation dedicated to archiving and restoring traditional craft.
“It is not only nostalgic, warm and very personal, but also a documentation of the identity that was lost and neglected over the past 12 or 13 years. Now we’re trying to restore it,” he says.
As we tour Al Ali’s Dubai atelier, the couture designer points to a look, with its geometric shapes inspired by Syrian mosaic and woodwork, punctuated with tassels for movement and modernity.
“It became a very strong reference. When you see it, immediately, you relate it to where it belongs,” he says.
As they say, you work for years and suddenly you’re an overnight success. Al Ali’s slow, steady and perfectly planned career means he now finds his name written beside Dior, Chanel and Balenciaga. A fact he finds surreal.
When asked if he has broken down some sort of gate that others can now get through behind him, Al Ali says: “I don’t think I’m the one who broke the gate, it’s my work. The creativity and authenticity of the work is what got their attention to put us next to those names.”
But this is only the beginning, the designer insists. “This is probably one of the major columns in building the brand globally. It’s a major one, but there are definitely still many other columns that need to come along with it to support going to the second floor, third floor and fourth floor in this high-rise building that we’re working in.”
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dubai Rugby Sevens
November 30-December 2, at The Sevens, Dubai
Gulf Under 19
Pool A – Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jumeirah College Tigers, Dubai English Speaking School 1, Gems World Academy
Pool B – British School Al Khubairat, Bahrain Colts, Jumeirah College Lions, Dubai English Speaking School 2
Pool C - Dubai College A, Dubai Sharks, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Al Yasmina
Pool D – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Deira International School
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Project Power'
Stars: Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dominique Fishback
Director: Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman
Rating: 3.5/5
HEADLINE HERE
- I would recommend writing out the text in the body
- And then copy into this box
- It can be as long as you link
- But I recommend you use the bullet point function (see red square)
- Or try to keep the word count down
- Be wary of other embeds lengthy fact boxes could crash into
- That's about it
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 3 (Kroos 4', Ramos 30', Marcelo 37')
Eibar 1 (Bigas 60')
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Result
Arsenal 4
Monreal (51'), Ramsey (82'), Lacazette 85', 89')
West Ham United 1
Arnautovic (64')
if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
Omar Yabroudi's factfile
Born: October 20, 1989, Sharjah
Education: Bachelor of Science and Football, Liverpool John Moores University
2010: Accrington Stanley FC, internship
2010-2012: Crystal Palace, performance analyst with U-18 academy
2012-2015: Barnet FC, first-team performance analyst/head of recruitment
2015-2017: Nottingham Forest, head of recruitment
2018-present: Crystal Palace, player recruitment manager
Villains
Queens of the Stone Age
Matador
Squad: Majed Naser, Abdulaziz Sanqour, Walid Abbas, Khamis Esmail, Habib Fardan, Mohammed Marzouq (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai), Khalid Essa, Muhanad Salem, Mohammed Ahmed, Ismail Ahmed, Ahmed Barman, Amer Abdulrahman, Omar Abdulrahman (Al Ain), Ali Khaseif, Fares Juma, Mohammed Fawzi, Khalfan Mubarak, Mohammed Jamal, Ahmed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Ahmed Rashid, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Wahda), Tariq Ahmed, Mahmoud Khamis, Khalifa Mubarak, Jassim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Yousef Saeed (Sharjah), Suhail Al Nubi (Baniyas)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
Film: Raid
Dir: Rajkumar Gupta
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D'cruz and Saurabh Shukla
Verdict: Three stars
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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
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