I am sitting on the banks of the Seine with the Eiffel Tower in the background as Virginie Viard delivers her vision of Parisian chic for Chanel's autumn/winter 2023 haute couture collection.
The river has become something of a hotspot for hosting fashion and art shows, a reputation sealed by Chanel's revealing its exquisite haute couture on the storied banks.
Could this all be part of an orchestrated narrative ahead of Paris hosting the Olympic Games next summer? It certainly seems so.
Given that the world’s eyes will be on Paris next year, it feels entirely natural that for this couture offering – the highest iteration fashion can offer – Viard chooses to examine that fleeting je ne sais quoi of Frenchness: how to be a Parisian.
Lauded for her impeccable style and taste, the woman of Paris has long been regarded as the ultimate in chic. So, watching a show by Chanel, the house founded by the very woman – Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel – who helped embodies this mystique feels like coming full circle.
Watching too is Vanessa Paradis – returned once more to the Chanel spotlight – Kendrick Lamar, Lupita Nyong'o and Charlotte Casiraghi.
Walking past a few repurposed bouquinistes, Paris bookstalls now filled with postcards and sketches of friends of the house, model Caroline de Maigret opens the show.
A long-time Chanel ambassador known for her languid cool, de Maigret wears a full-length, double-breasted coat in dark blue navy, and shows precisely why the crowd has been advised to don flat shoes as she stumbles slightly on the pink-painted cobbles.
The 48 looks that follow take a very particular journey through the different facets of a French woman's wardrobe; a masterclass in grown-up nonchalance, if you will.
Filled with a lightness that will speak to the modern woman, this is not about heavy formality – save for a couple of weighty long skirts – but rather about clothes to be worn with ease and imbued with an unhurried effortless.
There is a parade of practical tweed looks, which come out as trouser suits, short coats and skirts, with the famous boucle coast scattered with loose sequins. From a sleeveless, fringed silk tank top with tweed patch pockets, to a waisted jacket and trousers, finished with a flurry of dip-dyed silk at the neck, cuff and ankle, Viard orbits around a notion that while couture offers unmatched luxury, it must remain wearable to be relevant.
Yet, such is the skill of haute couture that several looks that appear to be woven from tweed are in fact made from embroidered sequins, such as an iridescent jacket sculpted into the waist and a sharp-shouldered fitted jacket in a ghostly Prince of Wales check.
A strappy lace dress, meanwhile, turns out to be entirely embroidered and, worn with an overly long scarf, carries an air of Karl Lagerfeld's boho years. Also keeping to this mood is a golden tweed skirt with a breezy, bishop-sleeved top in shades of apricot and saffron.
As the models sweep past on the quay, as if on cue, a tourist boat drifts along the river, filled with waving visitors. And with embroidery this good, it's a shame they're so far away.
Swirls of blue on a cropped top (worn with a boucle skirt with shredded hem) and a scooped neck top is worn with high-waisted belted trousers.
One dress, which comes with a slip of silk showing at the bottom, is made up of three layers of embroidered sequin flowers. After seeing a trio of initial samples by Montex, Viand was apparently so enamoured, she decided to use them all. The most beautiful, however, was a floor-length dress covered in flowers, draped in a layer of fine tulle.
Aside from the gold-tipped Mary Janes worn with many looks, there is a conspicuous absence of accessories on this runway, save for baskets of flowers carried by several models, plus a real dog that walks with a red-jacketed look.
As the show draws to a close and the looks tilt to eveningwear, one dress arrives as an off-the-shoulder, slim-cut gown in richly gathered velvet and finished with a bow. Another is a sheath of fragile chiffon caped around the arms. A double-layered skirt in cady silk is matched with a sheer chiffon top and followed by a cloud of delicate smoke grey silk caught in loose ruffles around the neck. American model Quannah Chasinghorse also wears a floor-length caped look, a delicate strata of sheer silk so fine, she seems to float as she walks.
The final look is perhaps the most telling of all, aimed at the most modern of brides. In ivory, the drop-waisted, knee-length dress has a smocked top and sheer sleeves, and it mixes romance with modernity in a way that is both fresh and delightful.
For the finale, the models reappear, this time in pairs, threes and even fours offering a better insight into Viard's vision. Seen grouped together, the message is clear; the collection proposes a shorthand that will carry its clients through any occasion.
After the show-stopping theatrics of Lagerfeld, Viard's work can seem unprepossessing in comparison. Yet it is under her guiding hand that Chanel is catering to the demands of busy women who need exquisite yet practical clothes over grand ballgowns.
After the show ends, I am taken to Lesage and Montex, two of the many ateliers housed within Chanel's seven-storey 19M complex, which are responsible for creating the wealth of detailing that is haute couture.
Here, I am granted a sneak peek at the extraordinary work each produced for the collection. Montex created shimmering flowers from tiny snippets of tulle and sequins a mere 3mm in diameter, in greys, pinks and blues, then hand-stitched into 3D petals. Lesage, meanwhile, wove shimmering tweeds from 20 different yarns and ribbons of lace by hand.
This, arguably, is the true essence of haute couture: the artisanal craft of clothing that takes hundreds of hours to create. Inside Gabrielle Chanel's apartment on Rue Cambon, there is a small silver box that, while pretty, is entirely unremarkable until it's opened and its golden interior revealed. Chanel, apparently, used it to explain her vision of luxury, of the joy of discreet details only the wearer is aware of. Viard's collection is very much in keeping with this philosophy of creating clothes that are quiet, yet quietly extraordinary.
As the crowd jumps to its feet in applause, joined by the tourists on the opposite bank, this is Viard's moment and her most effortless show to date.
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Company profile: buybackbazaar.com
Name: buybackbazaar.com
Started: January 2018
Founder(s): Pishu Ganglani and Ricky Husaini
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech, micro finance
Initial investment: $1 million
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Scores
Scotland 54-17 Fiji
England 15-16 New Zealand
Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Various Artists
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The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
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Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
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If you go
The flights Etihad (www.etihad.com) and Spice Jet (www.spicejet.com) fly direct from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Pune respectively from Dh1,000 return including taxes. Pune airport is 90 minutes away by road.
The hotels A stay at Atmantan Wellness Resort (www.atmantan.com) costs from Rs24,000 (Dh1,235) per night, including taxes, consultations, meals and a treatment package.
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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