It’s no secret that modest-wear is currently one of the big trends in fashion. Or that global retailers and designers are increasingly recognising the spending power of the Middle East market. New York-based designer Carolina Herrera recently designed a capsule collection of abayas just for this region, following in the steps of fashion houses like Dolce and Gabbana.
With Ramadan only a week away, it's natural for brands and retailers to heavily market their modest-wear collections and campaigns. Subscribers to newsletters from UK-based luxury e-tailer Netaporter.com recently received emails about the website's Ramadan Edit, all available to shop now on the website. And yesterday, May 16, Net-a-Porter unveiled its new summer campaign for the Middle East, timely coinciding with the start of the Holy Month.
Model Blanca Padilla stars in the campaign, which Net-a-Porter says is a story about “demure dressing”. Brands like Chloé, Prada, Ganni, Marques Almeida, The Row and Aquazzurra are pictured in the shoot, which highlights dramatic, flared trousers, bold pinstriped tunics, stylish robes, crisp whites and touches of glamorous metallics. In one image, Padilla is styled with a loose headscarf.
The campaign, which hones in on an overall neutral palette with a handful of bold monochromes, isn’t in any way limited to a Middle East client — while it will definitely appeal to the region’s style-savvy online shoppers, it could equally impress customers in other parts of the world, especially since modesty, chic layering and subtle glamour are the global trends of the moment. Hopefully, their relevance won’t be short-lived.
hlodi@thenational.ae
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
Saturday
Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Sunday
Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Soldier F
“I was in complete disgust at the fact that only one person was to be charged for Bloody Sunday.
“Somebody later said to me, 'you just watch - they'll drop the charge against him'. And sure enough, the charges against Soldier F would go on to be dropped.
“It's pretty hard to think that 50 years on, the State is still covering up for what happened on Bloody Sunday.”
Jimmy Duddy, nephew of John Johnson
