My key fashion rules are: never be a fashion victim, let your personality dictate your style and use fashion in small doses. Every woman should also own a small black dress - preferably Paule Ka - a white T-shirt, a pair of jeans and a beautiful leather bag. (Dress from Paule Ka Spring/Summer 2011 collection). Courtesy Paule Ka
My key fashion rules are: never be a fashion victim, let your personality dictate your style and use fashion in small doses. Every woman should also own a small black dress - preferably Paule Ka - a wShow more

Lifestyle

Style File: Serge Cajfinger

The founder and creative director of the fashion label Paule Ka, Serge Cajfinger, who opened his first boutique in the UAE in September, shares his style secrets.

Alexandria Gouveia

February 19, 2011

The story of Paule Ka began in 1988 with a little black dress that reflected the essence of Audrey Hepburn and contemporary refinement; a dress that proved to the fashion industry that the label's founder and creative director, Serge Cajfinger, 55, understands women's desires.

With Cajfinger opening his first Paule Ka boutique in the UAE last September in Fashion Avenue, Dubai Mall, formal wear got more exciting for the UAE's fashion savvy.

"My favourite fashion decade is definitely the Fifties, for the style and the elegance," Cajfinger tells Alexandria Gouveia. "The cinema of that time inspires me and my style. I like Cary Grant and Fred Astaire. Mad Men is very close to the Paule Ka fashion. I love it."

Serge's World

MY NATIONALITY IS... I was born in Lille, France, and raised in Brazil.

A PERSONAL ATTRIBUTE I CANNOT TOLERATE IS... stupidity. It makes me go weak at the knees.

MY LIFE MOTTO IS... every day is a new day, and every day is a new high!

ONE OF MY LIFE'S PASSIONS IS... architecture. If I weren't a designer, I would be an architect.

MY THOUGHTS ON THE UAE ARE... since my first trip to the region, I dreamt of opening a Paule Ka boutique here. Dubai is one of the cities to be in for a high-end brand, it is a shopping destination that attracts women from all over the world. There is a real potential for growth.

MY FAVOURITE MEMORY... is the day Audrey Hepburn's son, Sean Ferrer, contacted me. He invited me to visit him in Japan, and offered me very beautiful pictures of his mum.

I ADORE... the Park Hyatt Tokyo. The rooms start from the 50th floor so the views of Mount Fuji are breathtaking. The hotel is so very luxurious and quiet.

AT THE MOMENT... I'm listening to an old album from the Eighties by Rita Lee, who's a Brazilian singer. It's a very cheerful album.

ESSENTIAL ITEM... I love the beach so I never travel without my swimsuit. This comes from my childhood in Brazil. Rio is actually my ideal holiday destination because I was raised there.

I DON'T WORK A DAY IN LIFE... I love my job due to the permanent evolution, the creation, and always trying to do better. I work in a serene environment. I flee the fashion hysteria; it's part of my line of conduct.

I RESPECT... everyone's style, I don't pass out negative judgement so I'll never say who I think dresses badly. Personally though, I love the way Carey Mulligan dresses.

Countries offering golden visas

UK
Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.

Germany
Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.

Italy
The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.

Switzerland
Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.

Canada
Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence. 

Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

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.”

AIR
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While you're here
Saudi National Day
What is Reform?

Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.

It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.

Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.

After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.

Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.

The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.

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

Lexus LX700h specs

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