With all the buzz around Pharrell Williams's debut for Louis Vuitton last week, it is easy to forget that his was only the opening show of a very busy week in Paris
While Williams pulled out all the stops for his presentation – which featured a gospel choir, performance by Jay-Z and endless Damier checks – other brands went relatively low-key for their shows. With a far more muted palette than the eye-popping colours seen at Vuitton, other men's labels delivered decidedly easy-going propositions.
With an overall mood of grown-up gentle elegance, the collections offered a dressier yet truly wearable alternative to streetwear.
Dior
To mark his fifth anniversary at the maison, Kim Jones delivered a show that featured models rising up from the floor on platforms like beautifully dressed statues. Not only was it hauntingly lovely to witness, this cinematic opening set a tone of quiet wonder, told out in the detailing of Jones' collection.
Having delved into the haute couture side of Dior a few seasons ago, here he returned to that treasure trove again, adding floral brooches to suit jackets, scattering loose jewels across masculine tops and cardigans, as well as tracing the house cannage patterning in beading.
The famous cross-hatched, stitched Dior cannage pattern is more typically seen on women’s pieces, such as the Lady Dior bag, but Jones reworked it for men this season, as a running theme tying the collection together.
He offered it as chunky knitted jumpers run through with pink, boxy suits and shorts in slubby tweed in shades of blues and greys, and as round-shouldered overcoats in apricot tweed. It even appeared on the frames of sunglasses and running across heavy-soled loafers.
Givenchy
Over at Givenchy, designer Matthew Williams also delved into the tailoring history of the house, opening his show with four beautifully roomy suits. Cut oversized – either in breadth or length, and with trousers that pooled at the shoes (also seen at the Louis Vuitton show) – these were followed with simple separates, which were anything but.
Having struggled to find his feet at Givenchy at times, here Williams kept things simple by reworking everyday pieces that populate every man's wardrobe, with each given a light twist. Wool overcoats, anoraks and eyelet-decorated tops were elongated and expanded, while bomber jackets, tank tops and leather gillets had a shrunken fit. A boxy military jacket evolved into a sleeveless jumpsuit, while an evening jacket arrived snatched in at the waist.
Loewe
On the runway, Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson once again offered his unique perspective. This arrived as trousers worn almost comically high, while a suede tunic top was also a bag.
And this skewed viewpoint is absolutely Anderson's. Never afraid to add a dash of humour to his work, this outing saw two looks as giant fabric swatches, complete with oversized pins and a cream cardigan extended to the floor like a dressing gown – it was even belted the same way. There were double-collared knit jumpers, and what looked like flared denim jeans, but were actually made from thousands of blue crystals.
Notably, Williams sat front row at this show, clutching a Vuitton bag worth about €1 million. Lifted straight from his collection, the bright yellow Speedy, made from crocodile leather, came with a solid gold chain and a gold and diamond lock.
Hermes
At Hermes, meanwhile, creative director Veronique Nichanian is the master of understatement. Having helmed the menswear division for 35 years – making her the longest-serving name at any label – she has created her own lexicon for men’s dressing, built around polished ease and meticulous detailing.
With this collection, she delivered her trademark languid calm, run through with racy elements. Featuring shorts cut from butter-soft calf skin and roomy trousers turned up at the ankle, she added sheer layers that offered breezy comfort for the wearer. As mesh shirts, singlets and zip-through tops, the effect was deliriously light and sensual.
However, the real star of the runway was the company's original bag, the Haut a Courroies, originally conceived to carry riding gear. Now reworked, it arrived in burgundy, burnt chocolate and in ecru canvas.
All you need to know about Formula E in Saudi Arabia
What The Saudia Ad Diriyah E-Prix
When Saturday
Where Diriyah in Saudi Arabia
What time Qualifying takes place from 11.50am UAE time through until the Super Pole session, which is due to end at 12.55pm. The race, which will last for 45 minutes, starts at 4.05pm.
Who is competing There are 22 drivers, from 11 teams, on the grid, with each vehicle run solely on electronic power.
Salah in numbers
€39 million: Liverpool agreed a fee, including add-ons, in the region of €39m (nearly Dh176m) to sign Salah from Roma last year. The exchange rate at the time meant that cost the Reds £34.3m - a bargain given his performances since.
13: The 25-year-old player was not a complete stranger to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool this summer. However, during his previous stint at Chelsea, he made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of which were off the bench, and scored only twice.
57: It was in the 57th minute of his Liverpool bow when Salah opened his account for the Reds in the 3-3 draw with Watford back in August. The Egyptian prodded the ball over the line from close range after latching onto Roberto Firmino's attempted lob.
7: Salah's best scoring streak of the season occurred between an FA Cup tie against West Brom on January 27 and a Premier League win over Newcastle on March 3. He scored for seven games running in all competitions and struck twice against Tottenham.
3: This season Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the player of the month award three times during a term. He was voted as the division's best player in November, February and March.
40: Salah joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players in Liverpool's history to have scored 40 times in a single season when he headed home against Bournemouth at Anfield earlier this month.
30: The goal against Bournemouth ensured the Egyptian achieved another milestone in becoming the first African player to score 30 times across one Premier League campaign.
8: As well as his fine form in England, Salah has also scored eight times in the tournament phase of this season's Champions League. Only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 15 to his credit, has found the net more often in the group stages and knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More on Quran memorisation:
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Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Race results:
1. Thani Al Qemzi (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi: 46.44 min
2. Peter Morin (FRA) CTIC F1 Shenzhen China Team: 0.91sec
3. Sami Selio (FIN) Mad-Croc Baba Racing Team: 31.43sec
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
