September is always a good month for us here at H&H. The start of a new season means the introduction of new trends and looks and the launch of plenty of products for us to ogle and covet.
In terms of key looks this autumn, muted colours predominate; the vivid primary hues that were everywhere this summer now replaced by powder blues, moss greens and soft greys and purples.
Picking up on this, Ikea have temporarily diverted their attentions away from white MDF to produce the rather elegant Isala range of tables and cabinets (from Dh895, Ikea Yas Island). A contemporary take on Swedish Gustavian style (the Swedes' simplified, pared-down interpretation of 18th-century French design) they're available in soft mauve and grey.
Ikea have also produced a cool new range of
postcards and posters
, including these of old
wooden printing blocks
. I'm not really a fan of shop-bought, mass-produced art, but framed and grouped, these are a cheap, simple and stylish way to perk up a blank bit of wall space.
Staying with Scandinavian designers,
BoConcept's
latest collection (
www.boconcept.ae
) of accessories includes the lovely
applique cushions
, again in muted shades of purples, grey and greens. I really like the one with the
bird-motif
(Dh219, Bo Concept, Dubai Mall and Khalidiya, Abu Dhabi).
Birds remain a popular design in home accessories, and you can also expect to see plenty of
applique and embroidered
in the coming months.
The One
in particulalr have gone big on applique this season, with pieces such this
folksy floral cushion
(Dh199) illustrating the trend.
European folk traditions are the main inspiration of the London designer
Becky Baur
www.beckybaur.co.uk
), whose fantastic orginal print cushions and ceramics is now available through
Hunkydory Home
,
www.hunkydoryhome.co.uk
one the best international online retailers around. Great finishing touches for nurserys and children's rooms, the 'Red Riding Hood' and 'Fox' feather cushions are £45 (Dh268 plus shipping) each.
As a side note, Hunkydory say their hugely popular
Rabbit Lamp
(£4.99, Dh30 plus shipping) is now back in stock after demand outstripped their supply. They're not strictly new but they are pretty great and also ideal for kids's rooms (they're perfect as a night light), and it's a good excuse to post a picture of one here...
Finally, new at
Harvest Home
(Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai, 04 342 0225) is this fun range of washing up accessories (well, as much as much as anything to do with washing up could ever be fun). And though she's far too pretty to be let near any dirty plates, shouldn't
every draining board be graced with a
Kimono Doll Dish Brush set
, complete with kimono dish cloth?
•
Premier dolls dish brush, Dh65 each
• Dog dish brush with tin, Dh72 each
•
Kimono Girl dish brush set, Dh68
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
RESULT
Arsenal 0 Chelsea 3
Chelsea: Willian (40'), Batshuayi (42', 49')
If%20you%20go
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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.”
HIV on the rise in the region
A 2019 United Nations special analysis on Aids reveals 37 per cent of new HIV infections in the Mena region are from people injecting drugs.
New HIV infections have also risen by 29 per cent in western Europe and Asia, and by 7 per cent in Latin America, but declined elsewhere.
Egypt has shown the highest increase in recorded cases of HIV since 2010, up by 196 per cent.
Access to HIV testing, treatment and care in the region is well below the global average.
Few statistics have been published on the number of cases in the UAE, although a UNAIDS report said 1.5 per cent of the prison population has the virus.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The specs: 2018 Renault Megane
Price, base / as tested Dh52,900 / Dh59,200
Engine 1.6L in-line four-cylinder
Transmission Continuously variable transmission
Power 115hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 156Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.6L / 100km
Bawaal%20
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Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
