With Covid-19 having disposed of the traditional fashion show format for the foreseeable future, designers have had to find new and innovative ways to replace it.
And as the ongoing digital Paris haute couture autumn / winter 2020 shows have proved, brands are demonstrating just how agile they really are. Here are five of the most inventive moments from the autumn / winter 2020 "shows" so far.
Iris van Herpen’s single dress
Proving that great minds think alike, both Maison Rabih Kayrouz and Iris van Herpen condensed their pandemic collections down to a single dress apiece. While Kayrouz's was designed in Beirut and produced in Paris (meaning that the creator has yet to see the finished piece in the flesh), van Herpen created its solitary dress in Amsterdam, home to the designer and her atelier. The resulting gown is called Transmotion.
Already an outlier when it comes to the standard thinking of what constitutes a dress, Van Herpen’s haute couture offering for autumn / winter 2020 is crafted from gossamer, light-as-air white plisse silk, caught under a hand-cut structure of black "branches".
Inspired by the work of Dutch artist M C Escher, the dress is deliberately symmetrical, meaning it has no up or down, back or front.
To model the piece, Games of Thrones actress Carice van Houten was brought aboard, becoming the latest star from the series to work with the designer, following in the footsteps of Gwendoline Christie. The irony is that van Herpen has never seen the TV show.
Balmain on a boat
Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing threw the rule book out of the window, and presented an assorted collection atop a barge on the River Seine.
As the highest measure of handwork, haute couture is normally hidden from view, making Rousteing's decision to put everything on display for all of Paris to see, a rare act of inclusiveness.
And if the crowds gawping from the bridges were anything to go by, that openness was appreciated. Standing on mirrored plinths, models wore dramatic gowns taken (briefly) out of the archives. From founder Pierre Balmain through to Erik Mortensen (1982-1990) and Oscar de la Renta (1993-2002), this was a trip down memory lane, creating context for the red carpet looks by Rousteing (all ready-to-wear, but in 2020, it seems, anything goes) and his couture offering of slick, precious separates in black and white.
Volume at Giambattista Valli
If other houses were about understated, almost restrained collections, then clearly Valli didn’t get the memo. Instead, it went in the other direction, presenting a collection of 18 astonishingly romantic gowns.
Worn by Joan Smalls, even by Valli standards the dresses were big (and no one does scale like Valli), in great frothy eruptions of tulle. Vast sugary pink layers trailed to the floor, while micro-mini dresses were furnished with enormous ruffles edging shoulders and appearing as capes. As the only house to even acknowledge the face mask, Valli’s were inevitably taken to a couture extreme, as sheer moons of silk framing the face.
As a collection, it is incredibly lovely to behold, and felt like a welcome moment of respite from the difficulties of the past few months. And like the uplifting Dolce & Gabbana show held a few days before, it offered a breath of much-needed fresh air.
Ralph & Russo's avatar
As every brand tackled the thorny issue of how to use models while socially distancing, the Australian/British house of Ralph & Russo sidestepped the issue entirely and instead conjured a virtual avatar for its presentation. The resulting "woman" is called Hauli.
With the digital sphere offering no restrictions on imagination, the house transported Hauli and her enviable wardrobe to the Seven Modern Wonders of the World. We see her at Petra in Jordan wearing a pale blue silk double satin gown, with glass bead and crystal embroidery, while for the Taj Mahal in India she dons a light pink column gown, featuring all-over multi-coloured crystal embellished fringing. Even if travel is restricted for the majority of us, with Ralph & Russo, seemingly no such limitations apply.
Le Mythe Dior
Dior’s creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri opted for a fairy tale. Shot by Italian filmmaker Matteo Garrone, the brand's short film transports the audience into an enchanted forest, as two bell boys carry a wooden trunk – itself a replica of the house's famous 30 Avenue Montaigne address – filled with beautiful miniature couture gowns.
Mermaids and water nymphs stop their cavorting to reach for the precious pieces, as Daphne momentarily looks away from Apollo to make her choice. Only Narcissus is unmoved, preferring to stay with his own watery reflection.
Since its release, Dior has been criticised for a lack of diversity with its all-white casting, but as the house explained, inspiration came from the 15th-century paintings of Botticelli. While the model casting is a valid complaint, nothing can distract from the shimmering beauty of the actual collection, seen at the end of the film in full-sized glory. Grazia Chiuri is totally absent from the film; the brand's highly skilled seamstresses are put front and centre.
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Read more:
'A woman designing for women': all 30 looks from Chanel's latest haute couture collection
Lebanese designer Rabih Kayrouz presents a single dress for haute couture week
La dolce vita: a look at Dolce & Gabbana's latest couture collection
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Need to know
The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours.
The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.
When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend are January-February and September-October. Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.
Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.
The biog
Favourite Quote: “Real victories are those that protect human life, not those that result from its destruction emerge from its ashes,” by The late king Hussain of Jordan.
Favourite Hobby: Writing and cooking
Favourite Book: The Prophet by Gibran Khalil Gibran
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
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How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
OIL PLEDGE
At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
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.”
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Have you been targeted?
Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:
1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.
2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.
3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.
4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.
5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday Spezia v Lazio (6pm), Juventus v Torino (9pm), Inter Milan v Bologna (7.45pm)
Sunday Verona v Cagliari (3.30pm), Parma v Benevento, AS Roma v Sassuolo, Udinese v Atalanta (all 6pm), Crotone v Napoli (9pm), Sampdoria v AC Milan (11.45pm)
Monday Fiorentina v Genoa (11.45pm)
Company%20Profile
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LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday Valladolid v Osasuna (Kick-off midnight UAE)
Saturday Valencia v Athletic Bilbao (5pm), Getafe v Sevilla (7.15pm), Huesca v Alaves (9.30pm), Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid (midnight)
Sunday Real Sociedad v Eibar (5pm), Real Betis v Villarreal (7.15pm), Elche v Granada (9.30pm), Barcelona v Levante (midnight)
Monday Celta Vigo v Cadiz (midnight)
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
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