Designers channel their inner Star Wars geek for charity



Associated Press

Chewbacca never had it so good. The ultra-hairy Star Wars character isn't known for his fashion sensibility, but he was the inspiration for not one but two highly furry ensembles displayed on Tuesday by designers indulging their inner Star Wars geekdom with new looks – to be auctioned off for charity – as fans hotly await the seventh instalment later this month, Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

The dozen or so garments in the Force 4 Fashion collection – by the likes of Diane von Furstenberg, Rag & Bone and Opening Ceremony – were based mainly on new characters in the latest film, but also a few veterans. Most recognisable were the stormtrooper ensembles created by Ovadia & Sons, which presented a floor-length boxy white coat with black trim, and by Opening Ceremony, which displayed a more tightly tailored look – well, for a stormtrooper – in white microsuede.

As for Chewie, he (or it?) inspired a luscious merino shearling coat by Billy Reid, lined with brown leather and paired with a white turtleneck sweater and grey wool track trousers. The creature was also embodied in a furry Todd Snyder ensemble, pairing a brown coat with white top and tan trousers.

Some designers went for the glamour. Not surprisingly, Diane von Furstenberg incorporated her signature “wrap” effect into a gold, filmy ensemble for Rey, the new film’s female protagonist, played by Daisy Ridley. Parker presented a glittery Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie), inspired by ancient tribal warriors; the same character got a dramatic printed gown from Giles Deacon.

Marcus Wainwright and David Neville of Rag & Bone, self-professed Star Wars fans, also clothed Rey, but in a much sportier style emulating their athletic urban streetwear. (The designers also offered a darker look for villain Kylo Ren.)

The Rag & Bone designers were among celebrities who attended an evening red carpet event for the charity collection. Lupita Nyong’o, who plays Maz Kanata, wore a dress by Zac Posen equipped with blinking LED lights, part of the Made With Code initiative with Posen and Google to encourage girls to embrace computer science. Ridley and John Boyega, who is Finn in the film, also attended.

There is some definite gender-bending happening in the clothes, particularly with Halston. The label’s designer, Maria Mazelis, decided to give the male Kylo Ren (played by Adam Driver) a female identity, probably because, well, gowns are a lot more glamorous than menswear.

“I was really excited by the idea of a villain,” Mazelis said, standing alongside her sleek dark gown, with a plunging neckline, sheer back and revealing side slits, topped off with a beaded mask that covers the eyes. “The complexity of this character was intriguing. It’s powerful, but emotional, too. Strong and yet vulnerable. I wanted to show that duality.”

And Cynthia Rowley gave a human character to the droid BB-8, putting the character in a white trousers, a sweatshirt with a big ‘8’ on it, and a round football-style helmet.

Disney and Bloomingdale’s are partnering for the fund-raising initiative; proceeds from the auction will go to the Child Mind Institute. (There are, as yet, no plans to recreate the pieces for sale.) A separate auction will feature a custom, bejewelled BB-8 created by Kay Jewelers, weighing more than one and a half pounds and made of gold and diamonds. Proceeds from that auction will go to St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, a representative said, noting that the piece had been appraised at $135,000.

Though a number of the designers are said to be big Star Wars fans, Mazelis was thinking of her kids, ages 4 and 6, whom she called "superfans". Will her design earn her some points with them?

“One day they will appreciate it,” she replied hopefully.

artslife@thenational.ae

Tree of Hell

Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla

Director: Raed Zeno

Rating: 4/5

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If you go

The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.

The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.

Specs – Taycan 4S
Engine: Electric

Transmission: 2-speed auto

Power: 571bhp

Torque: 650Nm

Price: Dh431,800

Specs – Panamera
Engine: 3-litre V6 with 100kW electric motor

Transmission: 2-speed auto

Power: 455bhp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: from Dh431,800

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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League last 16, second leg
Liverpool (0) v Atletico Madrid (1)
Venue: Anfield
Kick-off: Thursday, March 12, midnight
Live: On beIN Sports HD

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Starfield
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European arms

Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons.  Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

The specs

  Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

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Sanju

Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani

Director: Rajkumar Hirani

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani

Rating: 3.5 stars

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners

Directed by: Craig Gillespie

Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry

4/5

The specs

Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

Power: 480kW

Torque: 850Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)

On sale: Now