Despite the conspicuous absence of the Kardashian clan at Paris Fashion Week this season, there has still been plenty of glitz and glamour surrounding shows in the French capital. Pret-a-porter presentations kicked off in style on February 28 and the last model will take a turn on the runway on Wednesday, March 8.
Of the designers that have unveiled new collections so far, the emphasis has been on high-shine fabrics, polished and patent leathers. From tiaras to toeless booties, fall apparel and accessories feature intricate jewelling and sparkling galactic imagery. Even make-up has been given the ‘all that glitters’ treatment with gold leaf smudges appearing on the lips of models.
From Cavalier boots and fringed bags to the enduring popularity of the humble choker, Rebecca McLaughlin-Duane shortlists what’s hot-to-trot for autumn.
Saint Laurent
Anthony Vaccarello made a sure-footed start to Paris Fashion Week for Saint Laurent with an alfresco show. Sparkling as the drizzle came down were rhinestones on boxy fall shifts and sequin trims and ruffles on cocktail dresses of a 1980s vein. Fun and flirty, the show was legs eleven heaven and a top seasonal splurge at the maison would be Vaccarello’s leather micro-mini dresses in caramel, classic black or electric blue patent. Meanwhile accessories to covet include shearling-lined shrugs and slouched knee-length boots.
Lanvin
Creative director Bouchra Jarrar came up trumps for Lanvin with her second show for the house. The collection was balanced and consistent in its romantic theme with ethereal, fluid dresses shown alongside coquettishly frilled lace shirts.
Fall pieces were highly wearable and didn’t stray far from in shades of charcoal, cream, blush and black — with monochrome knits lifted with gold. Standout styling came courtesy of python skin belts, postage-stamp size bags and statement feather neckpieces.
Chloe
It was with a fond farewell that Clare Waight Keller sent her final collection for Chloe down the ramp at PFW.
Pretty pelts, belted at the waist, were fit for a princess, contrasting with billowing plaid overcoats and fur bombers.
Loyal to the codes of the house, girlie bohemian shifts featured conversational prints overlaid on mint green and baby blue. While nods to the 1970s and The Beatles film Yellow Submarine included pinafore dresses and “psychedelic” star detailing.
Interspersed with softly structured trousers were boxy caped dresses and suit separates — most successfully in rich peacock blue.
Balmain
Olivier Rousteing let the rock and roll cat out of the bag at Balmain’s show. In a vast and detailed collection, tiger prints adorned zip-backed suede sheath dresses and glinting lion heads were pictorial tropes on lame gowns. To the beat of Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit, models stomped the runway in morning coats and evening dresses fashioned from alligator skin. Rousteing’s calling card of heavily beaded shimmering mini dresses and angular jackets were also in abundance. Corsets were cropped, suede pants were skintight and skirts were shredded in a myriad of fabrics from tweed to soft yarns. Styling played out in skinny chokers, obi belts and gold lacquer pendants.
Christian Dior
All eyes were on Maria Grazia Chiuri in Paris as she sent her second ready-to-wear collection as Dior’s first female creative director before clients and press.
An army of beret clad beauties strode out in utilitarian denim, powder blue jumpsuits, tonal indigo check trenches and ink-hued wide-leg pants. The theme was one of female empowerment with a T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan “We Should All be Feminists”.
There were pleasingly modern takes on Dior’s Bar jacket — including a hooded version. Dresses of tulle and nylon were pleated and ruffled, contrasting with velvet gowns sprinkled with stars and planetary scenes.
The lasting impression, however, was Chiuri’s exploration of one of Christian Dior’s most trusted palettes.
“Among all the colours, navy blue is the only one which can ever compete with black,” he famously said.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.
The trip
The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.
The hotel
There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
SRI LANKS ODI SQUAD
Perera (capt), Mendis, Gunathilaka, de Silva, Nissanka, Shanaka, Bandara, Hasaranga, Udana, Dananjaya, Dickwella, Chameera, Mendis, Fernando, Sandakan, Karunaratne, Fernando, Fernando.
Juliot Vinolia’s checklist for adopting alternate-day fasting
- Don’t do it more than once in three days
- Don’t go under 700 calories on fasting days
- Ensure there is sufficient water intake, as the body can go in dehydration mode
- Ensure there is enough roughage (fibre) in the food on fasting days as well
- Do not binge on processed or fatty foods on non-fasting days
- Complement fasting with plant-based foods, fruits, vegetables, seafood. Cut out processed meats and processed carbohydrates
- Manage your sleep
- People with existing gastric or mental health issues should avoid fasting
- Do not fast for prolonged periods without supervision by a qualified expert
