Pitti Uomo, the world’s foremost menswear trade show, concluded this weekend in Italy. This year’s event featured a record number of brands – 1,219 displayed their wares in 59,000 square metres of floor space. The show was attended by 36,000 people – almost a quarter of whom travelled from outside of Italy.
First staged in the early 1950s, Pitti Uomo is where obscure brands grow into household names and the forthcoming season’s trends are set. Here is our pick of the highlights.
Most promising
The menswear final of the International Woolmark Prize took place as part of this year’s Pitti Uomo. India’s Suket Dhir scooped the prestigious crown, which was first won by Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent in 1954.
From 70 international nominees, a shortlist of six competed in Florence for the US$70,000 (Dh256,900) cash prize as well as retail space in international luxury department stores.
Dhir, based in Delhi, won judges over with a collection that featured hand-dyed yarn and woven wool from southern India. The stars of the show were the loose trousers, which Dhir says were “a homage to my grandfather and a rebellion against all the skinnies”.
Best collection
Breakout star Vittorio Branchizio delivered the week’s highlight collection, presenting unconventional yet wearable garments that were tailored to perfection.
Favourites included the wool hats, abstract textiles and geometric print outerwear that looked like armour. The colour palette of blues, pinks and greys was charming, too.
Most inspired
Juun.J’s debut in Florence was memorable for its voluminous clothing, which the Korean designer says was inspired by a fusion of Parisian cosmopolitanism, his Asian roots and the military aesthetic. We adored the oversized coats and the oh-so-Tron footwear.
Best presentation
Ever-reliable sportswear label Adidas Originals was reinterpreted by Yosuke Aizawa, the esteemed designer behind the Japanese brand White Mountaineering.
Imaginatively staged in an empty warehouse, where models stood still amid wan installation of triangular lighting fixtures, the collection featured athletic garments that combined traditional tailoring with technical materials, design and functionality.
Best trend
Shorts for playing hoops these definitely are not. Tailored pairs with a fixed waist and billowing legs were all over the catwalks, notably in Agi & Sam, Munsoo Kwon and Adidas Originals by White Mountaineering. They were all worn over tight trousers.
Best accessory
At the runways of designers Siki Im and Ikiré Jones, we loved the jumbo silk scarves that casually hung on the right shoulders of the models. Honourable mention goes to Jonathan Christopher, who cleverly covered a model’s head with a royal blue knit scarf.
Most conscious
Design school the European Institute of Design (IED) in Florence collaborated with Save the Duck – a label that produces ultralight and dapper down jackets without using goose down – to produce 10 artworks created by its students.
They reinterpreted the Italian brand’s wares by enhancing them with innovative products, drawing inspiration from ecology and recycling.
Now seven years old, the IED plans to launch its own fashion label in the next 12 months, possibly becoming the first school in the world to do so. For more, visit www.ied.edu.
Best combination
Federico Curradi demonstrated how seemingly clashing textiles and colours could complement each other. The key lies in the interplay between tight and loose-fitting pieces.
Best look
South African designers Lukhanyo Mdingi and Nicholas Coutts collaborated for a collection that combined Mdingi’s minimalism with Coutts’s signature weaving.
The standout was a slightly zany all-green knit ensemble that managed to exude high style and high comfort.
artslife@thenational.ae
Dunki
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Taapsee Pannu, Vikram Kochhar and Anil Grover
Rating: 4/5
Messi at the Copa America
2007 – lost 3-0 to Brazil in the final
2011 – lost to Uruguay on penalties in the quarter-finals
2015 – lost to Chile on penalties in the final
2016 – lost to Chile on penalties in the final
Specs
Price, base: Dhs850,000
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 591bhp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.3L / 100km
Company Profile
Company name: Namara
Started: June 2022
Founder: Mohammed Alnamara
Based: Dubai
Sector: Microfinance
Current number of staff: 16
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Family offices
What to watch out for:
Algae, waste coffee grounds and orange peels will be used in the pavilion's walls and gangways
The hulls of three ships will be used for the roof
The hulls will painted to make the largest Italian tricolour in the country’s history
Several pillars more than 20 metres high will support the structure
Roughly 15 tonnes of steel will be used
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kinetic 7
Started: 2018
Founder: Rick Parish
Based: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Industry: Clean cooking
Funding: $10 million
Investors: Self-funded
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder
Transmission: CVT
Power: 119bhp
Torque: 145Nm
Price: Dh,89,900 ($24,230)
On sale: now
MATCH INFO
West Ham United 2 (Antonio 73', Ogbonna 90+5')
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 36', Moura 42', Kane 49')
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Student Of The Year 2
Director: Punit Malhotra
Stars: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey, Aditya Seal
1.5 stars
SUCCESSION SEASON 4 EPISODE 1
Created by: Jesse Armstrong
Stars: Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, Nicholas Braun
Rating: 4/5
Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
Fixtures:
Wed Aug 29 – Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore
Thu Aug 30 - UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman
Sat Sep 1 - UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal
Sun Sep 2 – Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore
Tue Sep 4 - Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu Sep 6 – Final
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
What is the Supreme Petroleum Council?
The Abu Dhabi Supreme Petroleum Council was established in 1988 and is the highest governing body in Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas industry. The council formulates, oversees and executes the emirate’s petroleum-related policies. It also approves the allocation of capital spending across state-owned Adnoc’s upstream, downstream and midstream operations and functions as the company’s board of directors. The SPC’s mandate is also required for auctioning oil and gas concessions in Abu Dhabi and for awarding blocks to international oil companies. The council is chaired by Sheikh Khalifa, the President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi while Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, is the vice chairman.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champioons League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
Civil War
Director: Alex Garland
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Cailee Spaeny, Wagner Moura, Nick Offerman
Rating: 4/5
TYPES OF ONLINE GIG WORK
Design, multimedia and creative work: Logo design, website design, visualisations
Business and professional management: Legal or management consulting, architecture
Business and professional support: Research support, proofreading, bookkeeping
Sales and marketing support: Search engine optimisation, social media marketing
Data entry, administrative, and clerical: Data entry tasks, virtual assistants
IT, software development and tech: Data analyst, back-end or front-end developers
Writing and translation: Content writing, ghost writing, translation
Online microtasks: Image tagging, surveys
Source: World Bank