The retrospective exhibition Du Coeur a la Main: Dolce & Gabbana (From the Heart to the Hands: Dolce & Gabbana) has just opened its doors at the Grand Palais in Paris. This is the second global stop for the exhibition following a blockbuster sold-out run at Milan’s Palazzo Reale.
More than just a retrospective of decades of work by designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, the exhibition also serves as a celebration of Italian culture. Just as the brand defined itself when it was launched in the 1980s as a combination of high-brow and low-brow influences, so here the exhibition takes in everything from the aristocratic balls of Milan to the rustic horse-drawn carts of Sicily.
It fits into a broader movement to turn the archives of major fashion houses into opportunities for exhibitions, such as the recent Chanel retrospective at the V&A Museum in London. “The fashion exhibition has been a huge phenomenon for about 20 years,” says curator Florence Muller. “I think it’s a new opportunity for the couture houses to show another aspect of what they are doing.
"If you think about it, a fashion show lasts only 10 or 20 minutes. The clothes are going around the catwalk for a few seconds. You don’t perceive much. These exhibitions are the opportunity to be close to these designs and see all the details. To see the beautiful work that was put into them. It’s a unique opportunity that normally only the couture clients have.”
From Heart to the Hands certainly delivers on the opportunity. The exhibition features around 200 of the fashion house's one-of-a-kind pieces from now-legendary Alta Moda, Alta Sartoria and Alta Gioielleria shows (each translates literally as high womenswear, high menswear and high jewellery) which are its answer to French haute couture, the schedule of which it is not part of. Only by seeing them up close can one truly appreciate the intricate craftsmanship that goes into these exuberant and theatrical pieces.
The world of Dolce & Gabbana is well known for being a more-is-more experience, but some of the details in this exhibition reveal an attention to detail and sentimentally some might not realise is part of its ethos. “In the atelier, there’s a painting that was part of the atelier of Domenico Dolce’s father, who was a tailor in Sicily,” reveals Muller. “This is a very important piece of art that he absolutely wanted to have in the exhibition.”
Muller’s curation is supplemented by scenography by Agence Galuchat and production by IMG, all of which combine to give this touring exhibition a real sense of permanence. The exhibition unfurls over 10 rooms covering 1,200 square metres. Each room has a theme of inspiration, from the mosaics of Sicilian cathedrals to the Scala opera and film to folk traditions.
Two rooms in particular stand out. First is the Devotion, which features models glittering in gold against a black background evoking a Baroque theatricality. The garments are inspired by the contrapposto figures sculpted in woodwork that were in vogue in the 17th and 18th centuries. The room gives off a true sense of the mysticism that infuses much of Dolce & Gabbana’s work.
The second area is the atelier. To access it, you walk up a flight of stairs dotted with black-clad models as if in a funereal procession. Once inside, it is a simulacrum of the brand’s Milan atelier where 120 people work on their intricate craft.
Here, five craftswomen are present and working. It is a moment to take in the movements of their hands, their focus and their dedication. It is in this space that viewers understand the quiet hard work behind the theatricality.
There is a somewhat political symbolism to the exhibition, too. French couture house Chanel has committed millions of euros to the renovation of the Grand Palais, making the first major exhibition to be held there by an Italian brand an act of fraternal friendship between the competing entities. It is something of a diplomatic coup.
In total, the exhibition will visit nine cities around the world, including the shows in Milan and Paris. Where the remaining seven shows are headed is still a closely kept secret but Dolce & Gabbana told The National that a Middle Eastern stop is possible. In the meantime, we'll always have Paris.
From the Heart to the Hands: Dolce & Gabbana is on show until March 31 at the Grand Palais, Paris
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RESULTS
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OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Brief scores:
Toss: Northern Warriors, elected to field first
Bengal Tigers 130-1 (10 ov)
Roy 60 not out, Rutherford 47 not out
Northern Warriors 94-7 (10 ov)
Simmons 44; Yamin 4-4
PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS
Bournemouth 1 Manchester City 2
Watford 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Southampton 0
Crystal Palace 0 Swansea City 2
Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0
West Bromwich Albion 1 Stoke City 1
Chelsea 2 Everton 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Burnley 1
Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Honeymoonish
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Company%20profile
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Race%20card
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Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
'Laal Kaptaan'
Director: Navdeep Singh
Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Manav Vij, Deepak Dobriyal, Zoya Hussain
Rating: 2/5
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHayvn%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EChristopher%20Flinos%2C%20Ahmed%20Ismail%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efinancial%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eundisclosed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESize%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2044%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eseries%20B%20in%20the%20second%20half%20of%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHilbert%20Capital%2C%20Red%20Acre%20Ventures%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
What should do investors do now?
What does the S&P 500's new all-time high mean for the average investor?
Should I be euphoric?
No. It's fine to be pleased about hearty returns on your investments. But it's not a good idea to tie your emotions closely to the ups and downs of the stock market. You'll get tired fast. This market moment comes on the heels of last year's nosedive. And it's not the first or last time the stock market will make a dramatic move.
So what happened?
It's more about what happened last year. Many of the concerns that triggered that plunge towards the end of last have largely been quelled. The US and China are slowly moving toward a trade agreement. The Federal Reserve has indicated it likely will not raise rates at all in 2019 after seven recent increases. And those changes, along with some strong earnings reports and broader healthy economic indicators, have fueled some optimism in stock markets.
"The panic in the fourth quarter was based mostly on fears," says Brent Schutte, chief investment strategist for Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. "The fundamentals have mostly held up, while the fears have gone away and the fears were based mostly on emotion."
Should I buy? Should I sell?
Maybe. It depends on what your long-term investment plan is. The best advice is usually the same no matter the day — determine your financial goals, make a plan to reach them and stick to it.
"I would encourage (investors) not to overreact to highs, just as I would encourage them not to overreact to the lows of December," Mr Schutte says.
All the same, there are some situations in which you should consider taking action. If you think you can't live through another low like last year, the time to get out is now. If the balance of assets in your portfolio is out of whack thanks to the rise of the stock market, make adjustments. And if you need your money in the next five to 10 years, it shouldn't be in stocks anyhow. But for most people, it's also a good time to just leave things be.
Resist the urge to abandon the diversification of your portfolio, Mr Schutte cautions. It may be tempting to shed other investments that aren't performing as well, such as some international stocks, but diversification is designed to help steady your performance over time.
Will the rally last?
No one knows for sure. But David Bailin, chief investment officer at Citi Private Bank, expects the US market could move up 5 per cent to 7 per cent more over the next nine to 12 months, provided the Fed doesn't raise rates and earnings growth exceeds current expectations. We are in a late cycle market, a period when US equities have historically done very well, but volatility also rises, he says.
"This phase can last six months to several years, but it's important clients remain invested and not try to prematurely position for a contraction of the market," Mr Bailin says. "Doing so would risk missing out on important portfolio returns."
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%E2%80%98FSO%20Safer%E2%80%99%20-%20a%20ticking%20bomb
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Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,000rpm
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Fuel consumption: 6.1L/100km
Price: from Dh362,500
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