Models walk the runway during the finale at the Louis Vuitton show during Paris Fashion Week. Getty Images
Models walk the runway during the finale at the Louis Vuitton show during Paris Fashion Week. Getty Images
Models walk the runway during the finale at the Louis Vuitton show during Paris Fashion Week. Getty Images
Models walk the runway during the finale at the Louis Vuitton show during Paris Fashion Week. Getty Images

Will Paris be the last city standing on the fashion week calendar?


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One of the strangest fashion months has drawn to a close. Covid-19 wreaked havoc on schedules in Milan and Paris. Asian media and buyers were already absent for the season, and many Americans left Paris early to start their 14-day self-quarantine after the outbreak in Milan. Now news has emerged of the cancellation of the cruise shows in May, including Giorgio Armani's trip to Dubai for his hotel opening and fashion event.

This season has disrupted the way fashion does its business, and low turnouts in New York and London illustrated how those fashion weeks are struggling to maintain their position in the four-week calendar. Paris is the city where the real business of fashion is done. Although designers present their collections on the US and UK runways, many open showrooms during Paris Fashion Week to capture business from the Asians, Arabs and Americans who send their buying directors to all four cities.

'Paris is perfect'

“We have tried Milan and New York, but the biggest pool of buyers come to Paris, and it is more suited to our customers,” says designer Rami Al Ali, who has taken a showroom in Paris for the past five years for his evening wear. Each fashion week has its DNA, he declares, “New York is about the front row, Milan is more commercial, London has its ups and downs, while Paris is perfect”.

A design by Rami Al Ali, who prefers to display his couture and pret-a-porter collections in Paris rather than New York, London or Milan
A design by Rami Al Ali, who prefers to display his couture and pret-a-porter collections in Paris rather than New York, London or Milan

The French capital has long been a honeypot for designers: the Japanese, including Issey Miyake and Comme des ­Garcons's Rei Kawakubo, arrived in the 1980s as there was no equivalent platform in Asia; the Belgians came later that decade; and British labels such as McQueen, Westwood and McCartney arrived in the early 2000s. Chinese designer Uma Wang showed her romantic silhouettes in Milan for many seasons, but moved to Paris about three years ago. "I love my Italian customers and showing there," says Wang, who produces some of her collection in Italy, "but 70 per cent of my business is international, and I have a lot of retailers in the US, who only come to Paris to buy."

The British Fashion Council established the London Showrooms in Paris in 2008, attracting more than 500 buyers each season, looking for fresh new talent, such as Nabil Nayal and Supriya Lele. "We started the Showrooms because of the financial recession, as not all the buyers and media were getting to London," says BFC's strategic consultant Anna Orsini. Mary Katrantzou, Erdem and Marc Quinn are among the designers who started under this umbrella before moving on to set up their own Paris salerooms. "Also, we've found buyers like to see what is happening in Milan and Paris, and confirm trends before allocating their budgets," adds Orsini.

Danish designer Cecilie Bahnsen believes Copenhagen Fashion Week gives store buyers an early advantage to understand the season’s inspiration “and work on key looks and merchandising ahead of time”. Copenhagen’s showcase was held in January and the city an important part of Bahnsen’s collection. However, she says: “When it comes to sales, we know there are many more buyers in Paris, and after seeing all the fashion weeks, [they] have a better understanding of what they want.”

Too many shows, too little time

It is not just the catwalk collections (scheduled each March and October in Paris); there are also pre-collections held around the same time as the menswear shows in January and June – another event on a buyer's already crowded calendar. New Yorker Tommy Ton showed his Deveaux menswear and women's pre-collection in Paris in January, and so took a step back from New York in February. "I like the romance of shows, but you can't always stage one," admits Ton, whose collection has the cool minimalism of The Row but at friendly luxury prices. "I miss those days when trends could simmer, now everything is so instant, but I don't think doing four weeks of shows can be sustainable." Paris gives him the opportunity to see his European customers and, in normal circumstances, the American stores. However, they cancelled and are now rescheduling in New York, "which has stretched the season further".

Alice Temperley, who recently just opened a new Temperley London store in The Dubai Mall, doesn’t think all the travel is sustainable. “Paris has the magic, and you can guarantee getting everybody there, but isn’t presenting four collections [including cruise and pre-fall] needing a rethink?”

Fashion roots 

Oscar de la Renta sees 60 per cent of its wholesale accounts in Paris – buyers from Europe, the Middle East and Asia – and, as CEO Alex Bolen says, “it’s critical for Oscar to have the visibility”. However, the team don’t have plans to show the collection anywhere but New York.

A look from the Oscar de la Renta New York Fashion Week runway
A look from the Oscar de la Renta New York Fashion Week runway

“The design and development teams as well as our ateliers are all in New York. These are critical to our seasonal presentations and it would be difficult, costly and disruptive to move our operation to Paris for a fashion show. While we cannot speak for the industry, we are a proud New York-based company and plan to show our collections first where we live and work,” says Bolen.

Fashion forward

The industry, however, may start looking at other business models. The world got a taste of what an entirely virtual fashion week might look like through a digital buying tool called Joor and virtual showrooms. But whether VR could replace the experience a buyer has of touching the clothes, seeing them on models and engaging with the brand's vision remains to be seen, as does the willingness of media and buyers to spend longer in Paris to see more designers migrate to the city from other fashion capitals.

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Price, base: Dh1,731,672

Engine: 6.5-litre V12

Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm

Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm

Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km

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

Federer's 19 grand slam titles

Australian Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Marat Safin; 2006 bt Marcos Baghdatis; 2007 bt Fernando Gonzalez; 2010 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Rafael Nadal

French Open (1 title) - 2009 bt Robin Soderling

Wimbledon (8 titles) - 2003 bt Mark Philippoussis; 2004 bt Andy Roddick; 2005 bt Andy Roddick; 2006 bt Rafael Nadal; 2007 bt Rafael Nadal; 2009 bt Andy Roddick; 2012 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Marin Cilic

US Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Lleyton Hewitt; 2005 bt Andre Agassi; 2006 bt Andy Roddick; 2007 bt Novak Djokovic; 2008 bt Andy Murray

Army of the Dead

Director: Zack Snyder

Stars: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera

Three stars

House-hunting

Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove

  1. Edinburgh, Scotland 
  2. Westminster, London 
  3. Camden, London 
  4. Glasgow, Scotland 
  5. Islington, London 
  6. Kensington and Chelsea, London 
  7. Highlands, Scotland 
  8. Argyll and Bute, Scotland 
  9. Fife, Scotland 
  10. Tower Hamlets, London 

 

While you're here
Analysis

Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.

The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement. 

We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment. 

 

The biog

Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi

Favourite TV show: That 70s Show

Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving

Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can

Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home

Favourite dog breed: I love them all - if I had to pick Yorkshire terrier for small dogs and St Bernard's for big

MATCH INFO

What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany

Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)

If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
BOSH!'s pantry essentials

Nutritional yeast

This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.

Seeds

"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."

Umami flavours

"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".

Onions and garlic

"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."

Your grain of choice

Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."

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
Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Day 2, stumps

Pakistan 482

Australia 30/0 (13 ov)

Australia trail by 452 runs with 10 wickets remaining in the innings

Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
%3Cp%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%201.9km%20King%20Salman%20Boulevard%2C%20a%20Parisian%20Champs-Elysees-inspired%20avenue%2C%20is%20scheduled%20for%20completion%20in%202028%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20Royal%20Diriyah%20Opera%20House%20is%20expected%20to%20be%20completed%20in%20four%20years%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%20first%20of%2042%20hotels%2C%20the%20Bab%20Samhan%20hotel%2C%20will%20open%20in%20the%20first%20quarter%20of%202024%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20On%20completion%20in%202030%2C%20the%20Diriyah%20project%20is%20forecast%20to%20accommodate%20more%20than%20100%2C000%20people%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20%2463.2%20billion%20Diriyah%20project%20will%20contribute%20%247.2%20billion%20to%20the%20kingdom%E2%80%99s%20GDP%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20It%20will%20create%20more%20than%20178%2C000%20jobs%20and%20aims%20to%20attract%20more%20than%2050%20million%20visits%20a%20year%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20About%202%2C000%20people%20work%20for%20the%20Diriyah%20Company%2C%20with%20more%20than%2086%20per%20cent%20being%20Saudi%20citizens%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

LILO & STITCH

Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders

Director: Dean Fleischer Camp

Rating: 4.5/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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