Balmain had Cher. Schiaparelli had Kylie Jenner. Off-White had Naomi Campbell, Winnie Harlow and Mos Def. As housesunveil their latest spring/summer 2023 collections at Paris Fashion Week, a not-so-silent war of celebrity one-upmanship is being waged, with labels vying to outdo one another with the calibre of stars they can summon.
On day one, Saint Laurent had Kate Moss and the wife of an ex-French President (Carla Bruni), while over at Dior, it was Natalie Portman and Jisoo. On day two, Cher closed Balmain's show, joining designer Olivier Rousteing on the runway.
On day three, Place Vendome was buzzing with rumours that Kylie Jenner was staying at the Ritz Hotel, so when she arrived at the Schiaparelli presentation happening next door wearing a royal blue velvet gown that plunged to almost scandalous depths, she brought the house down.
Celebrity wars aside, there has also been some exquisite fashion around town, starting with Dries van Noten. Returning to Paris after a long absence, the house presented a show that bubbled with optimism. Beginning with all black looks — more elegant that severe — garments slowly gave way to pastels, which in turn were supplanted by colourful florals, mixed and combined in ways that were joyful and uplifting.
Over at Balmain, before hobnobbing with his surprise guest, Rousteing presented a huge, co-ed show that featured more than 100 looks. Many arrived seemingly licked by flames, and the men's looks were particularity strong. However, the most spectacular outfits were haute couture, draped in mesh and raffia and woven into sculptural space age shapes to encase and exaggerate the body within.
Such visual trickery continued at Dior. While the actual Dior show took place on day one, day three offered a chance for visitors to see the same pieces up close, which proved to be a treat as the couture elements of the collection were revealed. One dress, for example, thought to be made of lace, was in fact intricately woven raffia, while a crinoline dress was constructed from metallic fabric, covered in golden lace. Elsewhere, over the elbow gloves initially considered to be woven, were in fact laser cut from leather.
Elsewhere, Belgian brand Delvaux displayed its latest bags, including an envelope clutch inspired by a piece from its own archive. Having applied for its first patent in 1828 — essentially inventing the modern handbag as we now know it — Delvaux's archive is extensive, yet somehow this particular design from the 1970s had been forgotten, until a member of staff walked in carrying a clutch inherited from her grandmother. As everyone was excited to see the rediscovered design, it has now been updated and re-released for spring/summer 2023.
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Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
The Way It Was: My Life with Frank Sinatra by Eliot Weisman and Jennifer Valoppi
Hachette Books
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
Bloomsbury Academic
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
