Shopping for a living has become a dream come true for Caroline Stanbury. The former London "It-girl" and fashion stylist founded her online venture, Gift-Library.com, three years ago. Since then it's become a go-to luxury site for men and women but especially the who's who of society to find the perfect present. Items range from quirky and affordable photo frames and candles to designer clothes, jewellery and original art by Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst.
"My initial inspiration was a serious lack of time for myself. Having been a stylist for a few years plus a working mother, I found I never had time to shop for gifts and was constantly turning up to dinner parties empty-handed," says Stanbury. "I realised that there was a niche in the market for one-stop shopping for beautiful and unique gifts impeccably wrapped and delivered to your door."
Having grown up in London's inner society circles - Princess Diana and other royals were often guests at the Stanbury home - she knew from an early age the importance of etiquette and stylish entertaining. Though this proved influential, Stanbury also contemplated other career paths - acting, for one (she lived with the actress Rachel Hunter in Los Angeles while exploring the world of Hollywood) - before she found her real passion.
Previously romantically linked to Prince Andrew, Hugh Grant, Sylvester Stallone and the Manchester United star Ryan Giggs, Stanbury is now married to the Turkish financier Cem Habib. They live in London with their three children. She shares some of her favourite things with Jemma Nicholls.
CAROLINE'S WORLD
STYLE IS... someone who "owns" her look and wears it with confidence.
MY CAREER HIGHLIGHT IS... seeing my first advertising campaign on the side of London buses. I had a profound sense of achievement.
MY LIFE MOTTO IS... when things get too comfortable, change them. You should always challenge yourself.
MY GUILTIEST PLEASURE IS... buying clothes! I'm a compulsive shopper and my husband often tries (unsuccessfully) to ban me from this pursuit.
THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN IS... you can only really rely on yourself and your instinct.
TIME FOR ME... my parents' country house in the Cotswolds is where I go to relax. It's beautiful and tranquil.
FAVOURITE THING... The last thing I bought and loved was a VBH clutch that arrived at my office - my job is dangerous for my credit card!
BEST DRESSED... I love Céline clothing because it's classic and well-tailored. I invest in key pieces and then every season throw in something en trend. For the evening, I adore Christian Louboutin heels as well as dresses.
SOMETHING FOR HOME... Nina Campbell's scented candles are bliss. They are one of our biggest sellers on Gift-Library. I love Marie Daâge hand-painted French china - there's nothing more chic.
ESSENTIAL ACCESSORIES... I wear my engagement ring every day. But depending on my mood, I'll swap from classic jewellery to more modern, such as this ring by Hannah Martin.
BEAUTY REGIME... I cannot live without having regular facials at EF Medispa in Kensington. They can work magic. My favourite beauty product is Rodial cleanser.
WHERE TO EAT... My favourite place to have breakfast is Tom's Kitchen in Chelsea for a full English breakfast.
SIGNATURE SCENT... I love Armani Rose Alexandrie perfume. It's light and floral with wonderful warmth.
EVERYDAY... During the day my look is usually J Brand jeans, Chanel biker boots and a T-shirt with a fabulous coat.
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Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
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Company name: Namara
Started: June 2022
Founder: Mohammed Alnamara
Based: Dubai
Sector: Microfinance
Current number of staff: 16
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Family offices
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Klipit
Started: 2022
Founders: Venkat Reddy, Mohammed Al Bulooki, Bilal Merchant, Asif Ahmed, Ovais Merchant
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Industry: Digital receipts, finance, blockchain
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US households add $601bn of debt in 2019
American households borrowed another $601 billion (Dh2.2bn) in 2019, the largest yearly gain since 2007, just before the global financial crisis, according to February data from the New York Federal Reserve Bank.
Fuelled by rising mortgage debt as homebuyers continued to take advantage of low interest rates, the increase last year brought total household debt to a record high, surpassing the previous peak reached in 2008 just before the market crash, according to the report.
Following the 22nd straight quarter of growth, American household debt swelled to $14.15 trillion by the end of 2019, the New York Fed said in its quarterly report.
In the final three months of the year, new home loans jumped to their highest volume since the fourth quarter of 2005, while credit cards and auto loans also added to the increase.
The bad debt load is taking its toll on some households, and the New York Fed warned that more and more credit card borrowers — particularly young people — were falling behind on their payments.
"Younger borrowers, who are disproportionately likely to have credit cards and student loans as their primary form of debt, struggle more than others with on-time repayment," New York Fed researchers said.
The Afghan connection
The influx of talented young Afghan players to UAE cricket could have a big impact on the fortunes of both countries. Here are three Emirates-based players to watch out for.
Hassan Khan Eisakhil
Mohammed Nabi is still proving his worth at the top level but there is another reason he is raging against the idea of retirement. If the allrounder hangs on a little bit longer, he might be able to play in the same team as his son, Hassan Khan. The family live in Ajman and train in Sharjah.
Masood Gurbaz
The opening batter, who trains at Sharjah Cricket Academy, is another player who is a part of a famous family. His brother, Rahmanullah, was an IPL winner with Kolkata Knight Riders, and opens the batting with distinction for Afghanistan.
Omid Rahman
The fast bowler became a pioneer earlier this year when he became the first Afghan to represent the UAE. He showed great promise in doing so, too, playing a key role in the senior team’s qualification for the Asia Cup in Muscat recently.
Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
The specs: 2018 Peugeot 5008
Price, base / as tested: Dh99,900 / Dh134,900
Engine: 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 240Nm @ 1,400rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.8L / 100km
Draw for Europa League last-16
Istanbul Basaksehir v Copenhagen; Olympiakos Piraeus v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Rangers v Bayer Leverkusen; VfL Wolfsburg v Shakhtar Donetsk; Inter Milan v Getafe
Sevilla v AS Roma; Eintracht Frankfurt or Salzburg v Basel; LASK v Manchester United
