Since he was a young boy, Sebastian Dollinger has been fascinated by the mysteries of ancient Egypt. From the sweeping structure of the Great Pyramid to life on the banks of the Nile, it's a place that always held a sense of wonder for Eton's creative director.
It’s that fascination that has inspired the latest collection from the Swedish shirt company, which pays homage to the colours, patterns and materials traditionally found in Egypt. The idea first came to Dollinger in 2014, as he browsed a small bookshop in the Italian lake town of Como. “I found a case study from the 1910s about the colours of Egypt, conducted by two French university professors,” he explains. “The authors had gone to great lengths to actually recreate the colour inside the pyramids to what it might have looked like when it was thriving.”
The vivid images stayed with him, and when he came across similar pictures in a bookstore in Milan four years later, he took it as a sign that the designs needed to be made. The result is Horizon, Eton's autumn/winter 2019 collection, which is one of its most extensive to date.
A mix of Egypt-inspired earthy and jewelled tones are apparent throughout the collection, which features the 100 per cent cotton, crease-resistant shirts that spawned Eton’s success in the early 1990s, as well as bold, statement pieces that tell the story of the country’s past.
Among the collection is a dress shirt decorated with a navy pyramid pattern and motif pocket square patterned to mimic traditional hieroglyphs. The standout piece is a bold statement shirt featuring Egyptian gods and scarabs, all hand-painted by the Eton design team.
A mixture of playful styles and quality staples is what has led to Eton's global success. The brand came from humble beginnings, started in 1928 by husband and wife David and Annie Pettersson at the kitchen table in their house in Ganghester, Sweden. The Great Depression forced the closure of David's sawmill, and Annie began to sew clothes for friends and family as a way to make ends meet. It slowly grew into a business and by the end of the Second World War, the Syfabriken Special (or the Special Sewing Factory) was thriving. But it was after visiting the English town of Eton that the pair's sons, Rune and Arne, helped transform the business into what it is today. There, they discovered an array of quality fabrics that they took back to their parents, alongside a new name, marking the start of a new entrant to the menswear segment. Today, Eton sells more than one million shirts worldwide each year.
Dollinger's own background at Eton dates back to his teens when he worked in the factory's stockroom – a job he got through his father, Jan Borghardt, who worked as the brand's sales and marketing director. That experience led Dollinger to enjoy a successful stint as an Eton sales associate at Harrods in London, before returning to Sweden in his twenties to continue his career at the company. After trying various roles in sales and marketing, he found his true flair in the design team and was appointed head of design at the age of 25. "I'm completely self-taught," he says. "Throughout the years I spent a lot of time in our factories to learn how things are made and to get a better understanding of the full process. I'm nerdy when it comes to learning and I want to know everything."
This drive caught the attention of the company's chief executive, Hans Davidson, who appointed Dollinger creative director just three years later, at the age of 28. Dollinger's creativity is visible in many of Eton's more flamboyant designs that, like the Egypt collection, are often inspired by travel. From the famous tiles of Lisbon to Japanese sumo wrestlers, each collection pays homage to a corner of the world that has left its mark on him. Next on the list for spring/summer 2020 is India, which is set to be one of the most colourful collections yet.
“Our design manager Nicoletta [Grazioli] and our master painter Anna [Canavesi] went on a five-day trip to stay with some friends of mine in Jaipur,” Dollinger tells me during the collection’s launch at Pitti Uomo in Florence. “We ended up categorising and taking a tonne of pictures of all the art that covers all the big trucks in India.” The team also visited the workshop of Brigitte Singh, who is famous for her reinterpretations of traditional Indian wood block fabric printing.
As well as being known for its quality, Eton has been at the forefront of the sustainable fashion movement even before it became a marketable catchphrase. Alongside ensuring the shelf life of its garments, Eton works hard to minimise its carbon footprint, ensuring its European facilities are within close proximity of each other, cutting out middle hands and third-party suppliers. "As a Scandinavian brand, sustainability has always been in our DNA; ever since the start in 1928, quality has been central to everything that we do," Dollinger says. "The quality and longevity of each garment is key when working towards a more sustainable clothing industry – an Eton shirt can almost last you a lifetime if you take good care of it."
He says he hopes Eton customers
"enjoy the efforts we put into our products and our obsession with every single detail", and that the Egypt designs spark the same level of interest with customers as the country's history does with him.
Eton is available in the UAE from luxury online retailer Ounass.ae, as well as at Bloomingdale’s and Harvey Nichols – Dubai.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
THE BIO
Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.
Regular contact with wildlife is the most appealing part of her role at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.
She loves to explore new destinations and lives by her motto of being a voice in the world, and not an echo.
She is the youngest of three children, and has a brother and sister.
Her favourite book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville helped inspire her towards a career exploring the natural world.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Top%2010%20most%20competitive%20economies
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Scores
Scotland 54-17 Fiji
England 15-16 New Zealand
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
Meghan%20podcast
%3Cp%3EMeghan%20Markle%2C%20the%20wife%20of%20Prince%20Harry%2C%20launched%20her%20long-awaited%20podcast%20Tuesday%2C%20with%20tennis%20megastar%20Serena%20Williams%20as%20the%20first%20guest.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20Duchess%20of%20Sussex%20said%20the%2012-part%20series%2C%20called%20%22Archetypes%2C%22%20--%20a%20play%20on%20the%20name%20of%20the%20couple's%20oldest%20child%2C%20Archie%20--%20would%20explore%20the%20female%20experience.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ELast%20year%20the%20couple%20told%20Oprah%20Winfrey%20that%20life%20inside%20%22The%20Firm%22%20had%20been%20miserable%2C%20and%20that%20they%20had%20experienced%20racism.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%22I%20don't%20ever%20remember%20personally%20feeling%20the%20negative%20connotation%20behind%20the%20word%20ambitious%2C%20until%20I%20started%20dating%20my%20now-husband%2C%22%20she%20told%20the%20tennis%20champion.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now
Company%20Profile
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England-South Africa Test series
1st Test England win by 211 runs at Lord's, London
2nd Test South Africa win by 340 runs at Trent Bridge, Nottingham
3rd Test July 27-31 at The Oval, London
4th Test August 4-8 at Old Trafford, Manchester
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Company%20profile
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If you go
Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
Aston martin DBX specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Top speed: 291kph
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: Q2, 2020
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
In numbers
- Number of children under five will fall from 681 million in 2017 to 401m in 2100
- Over-80s will rise from 141m in 2017 to 866m in 2100
- Nigeria will become the world’s second most populous country with 791m by 2100, behind India
- China will fall dramatically from a peak of 2.4 billion in 2024 to 732 million by 2100
- an average of 2.1 children per woman is required to sustain population growth