Issey Miyake (left) made several scarves do the work on one top
Issey Miyake (left) made several scarves do the work on one top

Even the clothes are play-acting



It seems it is no longer enough for a garment simply to be itself. A jacket is not just a jacket; it must be recast as a skirt, a scarf as a dress and trousers recut into a skirt. At Issey Miyake, multiple, multicoloured scarves were looped and woven around the body to create tops, while Vivienne Westwood's Gold Label take on amateur-dramatics costumes saw rugs wrapped into makeshift dresses and coats. But the collection that really took the look to its limit was that of Viktor & Rolf, whose biannual spectacular is always a theatrical highlight of the season.

This time, to a backdrop of Metropolis-style industrial motifs, the veteran model Kristen McMenamy walked halfway down the catwalk on to a kind of Lazy Susan revolving platform, wearing an enormous number of outfits, topped with a huge fur almost as wide as she is tall. The designers Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren then began to undress her (she remaining as still as a mannequin), taking each oversized piece and, by means of a complex series of zips and drawstrings, reconfiguring it into a thoroughly wearable coat or dress which they then placed on another model to exhibit for the photographers. Once poor old Kristen was finally relieved of what must have been an almost unbearable weight of cloth, they began to take pieces from the parade of models, reconfigure them again and pile them back on top of her until the final giant ruffled gown became her cloak.

The designers shook hands in front of her and, legs shaking under the weight of it all, she walked back to the start of the catwalk. It was a miracle of clothing engineering, certainly, and a dramatic sight, but the dark-coloured garments - almost all black, grey or shot with silvery thread - were too dour to be truly striking. There were plenty of wearable silken jackets with sporty drawstrings, but it was a quiet collection in comparison with their recent work.

Another master of the spectacle is Jean Paul Gaultier, and his show, an unashamed mêlée of influences from Asia and central Europe, involved the usual bunfight to get in and ecstatic cheering at the end. In the moment between the lights going down and the music beginning, the baying of anti-fur protesters outside, in their seasonal display of JPG disapproval, could be heard in a ghostly howl. He could not have engineered an atmosphere better suited to the Mongolian-style hats in vibrant embroidery, Chinese shawls, long boots and lots of noisily rattling silver jewellery.

Sasha Pivovarova kicked things off, dressed in red as a Gaultier-styled Marianne, walking to a mix of the Marseillaise, but it was the glorious ethnic embroidery and vivid colours that made this collection stand out from the dark, limpidly romantic looks seen thus far. Gaultier's natural exuberance is not easily smothered. It was, ironically, one of the least furry shows thus far, though even he succumbed to the mysterious hairy-sleeved trend that has plagued the season. Still, the sight of the influential Paris Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld at the show, normally guaranteed to be swathed in oversized pelts, dressed instead in a quiet, beautifully tailored, fluff-free khaki coat may have already consigned the fad to fashion history.

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

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
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
How to donate

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200

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Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.

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Emiratisation at work

Emiratisation was introduced in the UAE more than 10 years ago

It aims to boost the number of citizens in the workforce particularly in the private sector.

Growing the number of Emiratis in the workplace will help the UAE reduce dependence on overseas workers

The Cabinet in December last year, approved a national fund for Emirati jobseekers and guaranteed citizens working in the private sector a comparable pension

President Sheikh Khalifa has described Emiratisation as “a true measure for success”.

During the UAE’s 48th National Day, Sheikh Khalifa named education, entrepreneurship, Emiratisation and space travel among cornerstones of national development

More than 80 per cent of Emiratis work in the federal or local government as per 2017 statistics

The Emiratisation programme includes the creation of 20,000 new jobs for UAE citizens

UAE citizens will be given priority in managerial positions in the government sphere

The purpose is to raise the contribution of UAE nationals in the job market and create a diverse workforce of citizens

EXPATS
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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Washmen Profile

Date Started: May 2015

Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Laundry

Employees: 170

Funding: about $8m

Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures

The%20specs
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Jigra
Director: Vasan Bala
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Rated: 3.5/5
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MATCH INFO

Manchester City 0

Wolves 2 (Traore 80', 90 4')

Dates for the diary

To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:

  • September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
  • October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
  • October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
  • November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
  • December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
  • February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000

Engine 3.6L V6

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm

Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km

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