Abu Jani, left, and Sandeep Khosla took inspiration from the 1970s and 80s for their opening show. Courtesy Lakmé Fashion Week
Abu Jani, left, and Sandeep Khosla took inspiration from the 1970s and 80s for their opening show. Courtesy Lakmé Fashion Week
Abu Jani, left, and Sandeep Khosla took inspiration from the 1970s and 80s for their opening show. Courtesy Lakmé Fashion Week
Abu Jani, left, and Sandeep Khosla took inspiration from the 1970s and 80s for their opening show. Courtesy Lakmé Fashion Week

Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla take a trip down memory lane for their opening show at Lakmé Fashion Week


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Disco and Bollywood glamour joined forces for the opening show at Lakmé Fashion Week, which kicked off in Mumbai on Tuesday evening with gold sequins, elegant kaftans and modern saris dominating the catwalk.

The show, by the Indian designer duo Abu Jani and Sandeep ­Khosla, was presented as an ode to the “21st-century diva” and “retro chic”. The theme went back to the 1970s and 80s for its inspiration. It marked the beginning of Lakmé Fashion Week winter/festive, which is celebrating its 15th year.

Bollywood actresses Sonali Bendre, Dimple Kapadia and Jaya Bachchan watched from the front row, all dressed in outfits in shades of gold, in keeping with the colour scheme of the collection.

They frequently applauded the designs as the models sauntered and danced their way down the catwalk to retro hits, including I Will Survive and Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You, and Bollywood beats.

Gowns and capes were among the silhouettes, with glitzy silver and gold embroidery, sequins and ruffles also on display. The base colours underneath all the sparkle were off-whites, creams and beiges. The collection was called Jawani Jaaneman. The male models were very much a background feature of the show, wearing see-through shirts and sparkling jackets.

The designers’ outfits are ­popular among Bollywood stars including Amitabh Bachchan, as well as Hollywood A-listers.

Other celebrities who attended the opening event included Sussanne Khan, who used to be married to the actor Hrithik Roshan, and Nita Ambani, the wife of India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani.

Abu Jani, speaking after the show, said that after working together for almost three decades, the idea for the collection came when Sandeep Khosla suggested going back to their “disco years and disco dance”.

“This is what came up – contemporary disco,” he said. “It’s contemporary India, moving on with the arts and craft and a new take on it. You constantly have to reinvent yourself.”

Sandeep Khosla said it had been a “great experience” and that they had “wanted to do something young, something funky”.

The duo are well known for their regal bridal wear and this marked something of a departure from their previous collections.

“It was very different from what they usually do,” said Sasha Sharma, the editor-in-chief of Hoture, an Indian online fashion ­magazine.

“This is more blingy, probably because of the festive season, which is why they’ve used a lot sequins, and a lot of metallic fabrics. I feel it’s also because of the disco theme.”

She said she preferred their bridal wear, which they recently showcased, to the clothing on display for the opening show, but nevertheless enjoyed the event.

“The choice of songs, the way the models were dancing on the ramp – it was more like a dance sequence and it was entertaining. I really liked a few outfits from this collection. The ones with ruffles were my favourite.”

Rukhsana Eisa, a grooming and etiquette expert who was in the audience, was impressed by the event.

“I just thought it was a fantastic show,” she said. “The music, the clothes, the choreography – everything was perfect.”

Highlights of Lakmé Fashion Week this season include Manish Malhotra’s first-ever menswear show, The Gentleman’s Club, with Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor as the showstopper.

The Delhi-based designer ­Gaurav Gupta will present his collection for the grand finale on Sunday, with Kareena Kapoor Khan set to walk the runway as the showstopper.

More than 100 designers will be showcasing their work at the Lakmé Fashion Week, which is held at the Palladium Hotel, Mumbai. Some of the prominent names include Ritu Kumar, Tarun Tahiliani, Namrata Joshipura, Anita Dongre, Narendra Kumar, Neeta Lulla and Kallol Dutta.

artslife@thenational.ae

If you go

The flights

The closest international airport for those travelling from the UAE is Denver, Colorado. British Airways (www.ba.com) flies from the UAE via London from Dh3,700 return, including taxes. From there, transfers can be arranged to the ranch or it’s a seven-hour drive. Alternatively, take an internal flight to the counties of Cody, Casper, or Billings

The stay

Red Reflet offers a series of packages, with prices varying depending on season. All meals and activities are included, with prices starting from US$2,218 (Dh7,150) per person for a minimum stay of three nights, including taxes. For more information, visit red-reflet-ranch.net.

 

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THE BIO:

Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.

Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.

Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.

Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.8-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C200rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%20from%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh111%2C195%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
RESULTS

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,200m
Winner: Shafaf, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Ahmed Al Mehairbi (trainer)
5,30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
Winner: Noof KB, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: The President’s Cup Listed (TB) Dh380,000 1,400m
Winner: Taamol, Jim Crowley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
6.30pm: The President’s Cup Group One (PA) Dh2,500,000 2,200m
Winner: Rmmas, Tadhg O’Shea, Jean de Roualle
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Listed (PA) Dh230,000 1,600m
Winner: Ihtesham, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Mekhbat, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel

Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5

SUE%20GRAY'S%20FINDINGS
%3Cp%3E%22Whatever%20the%20initial%20intent%2C%20what%20took%20place%20at%20many%20of%20these%20gatherings%20and%20the%3Cbr%3Eway%20in%20which%20they%20developed%20was%20not%20in%20line%20with%20Covid%20guidance%20at%20the%20time.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%22Many%20of%20these%20events%20should%20not%20have%20been%20allowed%20to%20happen.%20It%20is%20also%20the%20case%20that%20some%20of%20the%3Cbr%3Emore%20junior%20civil%20servants%20believed%20that%20their%20involvement%20in%20some%20of%20these%20events%20was%20permitted%20given%20the%20attendance%20of%20senior%20leaders.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%22The%20senior%20leadership%20at%20the%20centre%2C%20both%20political%20and%20official%2C%20must%20bear%20responsibility%20for%20this%20culture.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%22I%20found%20that%20some%20staff%20had%20witnessed%20or%20been%20subjected%20to%20behaviours%20at%20work%20which%20they%20had%20felt%20concerned%20about%20but%20at%20times%20felt%20unable%20to%20raise%20properly.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%22I%20was%20made%20aware%20of%20multiple%20examples%20of%20a%20lack%20of%20respect%20and%20poor%20treatment%20of%20security%20and%20cleaning%20staff.%20This%20was%20unacceptable.%22%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

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

At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

Brief scoreline:

Wolves 3

Neves 28', Doherty 37', Jota 45' 2

Arsenal 1

Papastathopoulos 80'

GOLF’S RAHMBO

- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)