The traditional Emirati thawb has been given a contemporary makeover in the deft hands of five emerging fashion designers, as part of a competition and exhibition held in homage to the UAE’s golden jubilee celebrations. The shortlisted designs are on display at Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown until December 15.
Zay – The Art of UAE Dress was announced in August as a collaboration between the boutique art hotel and The Zay initiative, a non-profit organisation that celebrates the preservation of Arab heritage through the documentation and conservation of traditional costumes.
The thawb is a loose overgarment worn by women in the UAE and around the Arabian Peninsula. The five shortlisted entries incorporate a multitude of local elements in the form of Al Sadu fabric borders, Telli embroidery necklines and lantern-shaped sleeves.
Until the 1960s, thawbs were made from gauze cotton. By the 1980s, they were created from satin and chiffon silk. Today, women wear the thawb for weddings and other ceremonial occasions. They can be either bright and embellished, or all-black.
“Traditional dress is far from static,” says Dr Reem Tariq El Mutwalli, founder and chief executive of The Zay Initiative. "It is the result of centuries, weaving together foreign influences and adapting them to local norms to embody timeless societies. Through the competition, we wanted to stimulate participants’ creativity as they innovate to sustain the legacy."
Mutwalli was part of the jury alongside Patricia Millns, Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts; Feryal Al Bastaki, founder and designer of Feryal Albastaki Fashion Design; and Astrid Lesuisse, art manager at Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown.
The participants spent hours reading and researching several aspects of the garment as well as cultural metaphors to incorporate into their designs. For Pavwan Ahmad Malik, 22, a fourth-year fashion design student at Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation, inspiration lay in the UAE’s multicultural flavour. “I wanted to highlight the unity and diversity of people living here. My thawb is a tribute to Emirati hospitality and to the different cultures that co-exist here,” says Malik.
Accordingly, she stitched a variety of locally sourced fabrics for her patchwork thawb along with hand-painted cloth from Africa, embroidery sequins from India, Chinese silk, Emirati Al Sadu textile and brocade from her mother’s wedding ensemble.
Marwa BenSlil, 23, another shortlisted participant from Libya, and a student of fashion design at American University in the Emirates, has woven together motifs resembling petals of the desert rose, with the garment’s sleeves styled in the shape of traditional lanterns.
“This was a perfect opportunity for me to showcase the blending of modernity and heritage. I believe no matter how much we evolve, we still need to preserve our culture. I took cues from both the art-inspired hotel interiors as well as from the way the UAE has held on to the past [while still being part of] the present and future,” says BenSlil. It took her 12 days to stitch the outfit, which is largely made of black satin, with laser-cut fabric petals in hues of green, orange and blue added on either side.
Shaikha Al Gaithi, 43, the only Emirati among the five finalists, has laced together a range of adornments to create an orange and fuchsia-toned thawb and kandura. “The vibrant colours represent sunshine and happiness, symbolising the 50 glorious years of our nation. Everything is handmade, even the colours are from natural dyes drawn out of pomegranate and turmeric. On the sleeves is golden Telli embroidery, a very intricate craft, intrinsic to the region. I have also attached sequins, coin embellishments and pearls as a homage to the pearl driving culture of the UAE,” she says.
For some designers, being part of the competition was a way to show gratitude to a country they call home.
Hala Louca Bunni, 55, a Lebanese-Iraqi designer, says she wanted to shower goodwill and blessings on the Emirates celebrating its milestone year. “Golden stars on my ensemble represent the golden jubilee year of the country. I have also embroidered the national anthem Ishy Bilady, attached the colours of the national flag on the borders, and stitched dried painted date seeds on the shehla. I have named the outfit the Fifty Golden Stars in Zayed Al Khair’s Eyes, as a tribute to the Father of the Nation, Sheikh Zayed,” she explains.
Creating the thawbs gave some of the participants hands-on experience in putting together a dress from scratch. Sauda Akhlad, 20, the youngest among the participants, also a student at American University in the Emirates, is thrilled to see her sketch come alive. “I got a great platform to hone my design sensibilities. It taught me to embrace new techniques and ideas,” says the Indian-origin student.
“We received many interesting entries, which were selected for being out of the box and embodying originality and modernity,” says Lesuisse. "Through this competition [and exhibition], we also wanted to connect with the community allowing them to explore the allure of the UAE’s culture."
The winning design, as well as a Public Choice Award, will be announced on November 28.
Huddersfield Town permanent signings:
- Steve Mounie (striker): signed from Montpellier for £11 million
- Tom Ince (winger): signed from Derby County for £7.7m
- Aaron Mooy (midfielder): signed from Manchester City for £7.7m
- Laurent Depoitre (striker): signed from Porto for £3.4m
- Scott Malone (defender): signed from Fulham for £3.3m
- Zanka (defender): signed from Copenhagen for £2.3m
- Elias Kachunga (winger): signed for Ingolstadt for £1.1m
- Danny WIlliams (midfielder): signed from Reading on a free transfer
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
The biog
DOB: 25/12/92
Marital status: Single
Education: Post-graduate diploma in UAE Diplomacy and External Affairs at the Emirates Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: I love fencing, I used to fence at the MK Fencing Academy but I want to start again. I also love reading and writing
Lifelong goal: My dream is to be a state minister
No Shame
Lily Allen
(Parlophone)
if you go
The flights
Emirates fly direct from Dubai to Houston, Texas, where United have direct flights to Managua. Alternatively, from October, Iberia will offer connections from Madrid, which can be reached by both Etihad from Abu Dhabi and Emirates from Dubai.
The trip
Geodyssey’s (Geodyssey.co.uk) 15-night Nicaragua Odyssey visits the colonial cities of Leon and Granada, lively country villages, the lake island of Ometepe and a stunning array of landscapes, with wildlife, history, creative crafts and more. From Dh18,500 per person, based on two sharing, including transfers and tours but excluding international flights. For more information, visit visitnicaragua.us.
BRAZIL%20SQUAD
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THE DETAILS
Kaala
Dir: Pa. Ranjith
Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar
Rating: 1.5/5
Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
WHAT%20ARE%20THE%20PRODUCTS%20WITHIN%20THE%20THREE%20MAJOR%20CATEGORIES%3F
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAdvanced%20materials%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20specifically%20engineered%20to%20exhibit%20novel%20or%20enhanced%20properties%2C%20that%20confer%20superior%20performance%20relative%20to%20conventional%20materials%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAdvanced%20components%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20includes%20semiconductor%20components%2C%20such%20as%20microprocessors%20and%20other%20computer%20chips%2C%20and%20computer%20vision%20components%20such%20as%20lenses%20and%20image%20sensors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAdvanced%20products%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20includes%20personal%20electronics%2C%20smart%20home%20devices%20and%20space%20technologies%2C%20along%20with%20industry-enabling%20products%20such%20as%20robots%2C%203D%20printing%20equipment%20and%20exoskeletons%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%20Strategy%26amp%3B%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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.”
THE%20SWIMMERS
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Fight card
Preliminaries:
Nouredine Samir (UAE) v Sheroz Kholmirzav (UZB); Lucas Porst (SWE) v Ellis Barboza (GBR); Mouhmad Amine Alharar (MAR) v Mohammed Mardi (UAE); Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) v Spyro Besiri (GRE); Aslamjan Ortikov (UZB) v Joshua Ridgwell (GBR)
Main card:
Carlos Prates (BRA) v Dmitry Valent (BLR); Bobirjon Tagiev (UZB) v Valentin Thibaut (FRA); Arthur Meyer (FRA) v Hicham Moujtahid (BEL); Ines Es Salehy (BEL) v Myriame Djedidi (FRA); Craig Coakley (IRE) v Deniz Demirkapu (TUR); Artem Avanesov (ARM) v Badreddine Attif (MAR); Abdulvosid Buranov (RUS) v Akram Hamidi (FRA)
Title card:
Intercontinental Lightweight: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) v Angel Marquez (ESP)
Intercontinental Middleweight: Amine El Moatassime (UAE) v Francesco Iadanza (ITA)
Asian Featherweight: Zakaria El Jamari (UAE) v Phillip Delarmino (PHI)
