Community

With just a few days to go until the fashion and beauty event of the season, Mall of Qatar’s House of Fashion in association with Harper’s Bazaar magazine has announced a stellar line-up for the leading annual event. Running from March 13 to March 15, the three-day celebration of fashion, beauty, and lifestyle, which showcases Mall of Qatar’s most exciting and luxury retailers across fashion, beauty, and home interiors, will feature some of the region’s best loved personalities and leading industry voices.The highly anticipated opening event, due to be held on Monday 13th at the Luxury Galleria at Mall of Qatar, will feature an in conversation with a selection of pioneering individuals playing a key role in Qatar’s burgeoning fashion scene including artist and designer Fahad Al Obaidly, Interior Design luminary Shaikha Al-Sulaiti, and fashion icon, entrepreneur, and former Harper’s Bazaar cover star Amal Ameen.As part of the Grand Opening event, Mall of Qatar’s House of Fashion is also thrilled to welcome the multi-talented Jessica Kahawaty. From ambassadorships with the world’s most luxury brands to significant humanitarian work, entrepreneur and international model Jessica Kahawaty is a truly multi-faceted woman and a leading light in the global fashion scene.Empowerment and stories of success will also take centre stage with conversations across Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th with a range of innovative individuals joining the line-up. From wellness trailblazer Jawaher Al Fardan and Milan Fashion Week alumnus Winonah de Jong, to beauty entrepreneur Najla Al Fardan, design talent Dana Al Saify, entrepreneur Husnaa Malik, and leading sustainability advocate Rina Saleh, we’ll be discussing their pioneering paths to the top.Open daily from 2.30pm, guests will also be able to visit Mall of Qatar’s House of Fashion at leisure and enjoy personalised styling with Harper’s Bazaar Senior Fashion Editor Nour Bou Ezz, who has styled some of the world’s biggest celebrities, and enjoy a range of activations and masterclasses from Mall of Qatar retailers.The engaging and immersive House of Fashion will be hosted in the Luxury Galleria of Mall of Qatar and will shine a spotlight on the latest Spring / Summer 2023 collections across the Mall’s retailers and showcase a series of catwalk shows. Inspired by the bustling streets, style, and flair of Italy, guests will be transported to the world’s greatest fashion capital. Walking through a floral archway, along an Italian-themed path, they will encounter the House of Fashion – an ode to an iconic Italian palazzo.With its bespoke design and luxe furnishings, the House of Fashion is the perfect space to showcase Mall of Qatar’s must-have styles, key new trends, and luxury offerings. Audiences will discover Mall of Qatar’s leading new retailers across womenswear, menswear, and homeware, including Fratelli Rossetti, Doucal’s, Pal Zileri, Tombolini, Hackett London, Pepe Jeans, Iceberg, Philipp Plein, Dolce & Gabbana Casa, and Luxury Living; as well as KIKO Milano and L'Occitane, The Trove, BoConcept, Marli New York, Messika, Prime London, Swarovski, Karl Lagerfeld, Michael Kors, Tory Burch, and Hugo. Guests can meet and mingle in the House’s Garden, chat over coffee in the Styling Suite, or sit back and be pampered in the Beauty Boudoir.For latest information, follow @mallofqatar and @harpersbazaarqatar.

French fashion label Chanel took to a darkened runway for creative director Virginie Viard’s fall-winter collection on Tuesday, showing a glamorous line-up infused with references to a key brand symbol, the camellia flower.The entire set was built around towering, white camellia sculptures that faced the audience, seated in steep risers ringing the space, a sprawling exhibition hall south of the Eiffel Tower.Projected onto the giant camellias were images of Nana Komatsu, styled to resemble the 1960s film character Polly Maggoo, with thick eyeliner and a sleek hairstyle that curled up at the bottom.The label's ubiquitous camellia appeared throughout the show, worked into the patterns of sweeping overcoats and dresses, rendered as stark white three-dimensional embellishments on all-black ensembles, and cropping up as a patch of black flowers adorning the collar of a slick black jacket.Most looks were black and white, paraded by models striding on shiny black platform boots, often with patterned white tights. Bermuda shorts and matching jackets, loose-legged jumpsuits and tweed ensembles were accessorized with the label’s signature jewelry – chained belts, earrings and swinging necklaces that sparkled down the runway.For the finale, the massive camellia sculptures suddenly glowed red, and slowly shifted between red and a bright pink as models rounded the room.The catwalk presentation was held on the final day of Paris Fashion Week, which drew crowds of celebrities to the French capital, and featured big-name labels including Hermes, Valentino, LVMH-owned (LVMH.PA) Dior and Louis Vuitton, Kering-owned (PRTP.PA) labels Saint Laurent and Balenciaga.

What greater blessing a person could be given than a memory that records everything that he wishes to retain and retrieves it later when needed to benefit thereof. This precious blessing is the distinctive and unique feature that makes man different from other creatures. A good memory is one of the influencing factors in the advancement of individuals and groups, and without it, it is hard to realise and scrutinise facts, because if we fail to make use of experiences of those who preceded us and perverse their legacy to build on it, we would be like one who wants to start building from the beginning every single day. It also means that the sciences, industries and arts would remain in an endless inception phase governed by chaotic dynamics, as every person would opt for a random choice of his liking.Memory is a faculty of the brain by which information and impressions of past events are permanently stored. According to the philosopher Michel de Montaigne (d. 1592 CE), memory is: “The container of knowledge and the storage of wisdom.” The writer François de La Rochefoucauld (d. 1680 CE) said: “All people complain about (the weakness of) their memories, but none has ever complained about (the weakness of) his mind!” Another intellectual said: “Intelligence without memory is like a sieve that hardly retains what you put in it.” Another one said: “Memory is a means to attain perfection without which a person cannot emulate something and build on it.”The poet Pierre Corneille said: “Whoever lies must have a good memory,” and this is similar to the Arabic saying: “If you lie often, you need a good memory (to keep track of your lies).”Memory plays a significant role in the refinement of human thought without which all efforts become futile and in vain, because it is a container for retaining the produced ideas and the best means to develop new ones. Hence, it also stands as a storage of knowledge for the future growth of man. The laws of human memory remain a mystery, and researchers have not fully understood the reality of its very essence. What has been discovered so far is that memory is boosted by improving attention and mental exercise, and that luxury begets idleness, which in turn undermines memory if it does not kill it.No other nation has dedicated care and attention to documenting and preserving its religion, language and traditions like the Muslim Ummah (nation) did. News of the good memorisers of the Qur’an from all parts of the Muslim world throughout the ages is no secret, and some effects of such care and attention are still perceptible in contemporary Muslim societies. As for the Hadith sciences, Muslims paid special attention to compiling the Ahadith (sayings and practices of Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam (may Allah exalt his mention), identified the ones that were authentically attributed to the Prophet and the fabricated ones, and also set apart the ones that were not fully authenticated. Their lauded efforts in this regard are perceivable by whoever reads and consults the Hadith (plural Ahadith) literature.In the early centuries of Islam, knowledge was not passed on to subsequent generations as an inheritance, nor was it linked to outward appearances, and there was no room for nepotism or intercessions in the scholarly community. Rather, excellence in the scholarly sphere was exclusively based on merit, hard work and talent of the earnest seekers of knowledge, and governed by established norms and rules. Therefore, a Hadith scholar was only awarded the title ‘Hafith’ (lit. memoriser) after he had memorised thousands of Ahadith along with their chains of narration.The title of ‘Musnid’ (transmitter), on the other hand, was given to a Hadith reporter who narrates the Matn (Hadith text) along with the Isnad (chain of narration), whether he had knowledge of the reported Hadith or was merely narrating it. The title of ‘Muhaddith’ (Hadith expert), which was a higher title, was awarded to someone who had more profound knowledge of the Hadith science. The title ‘Aalim (scholar) was given to the one who had knowledge of both the Matn and the Isnad of the Hadith. The righteous predecessors, though, used both titles ‘Muhaddith’ and ‘Hafith’ to denote the same meaning.A Muhaddith was used in reference to the experts of Hadith who had knowledge of the Asaaneed, the ‘Ilal (pl. of ‘Illah, subtle hidden defects identified by versed Hadith scholars and critics, deeming the Hadith inauthentic while on the surface it may seem authentic), the names of narrators, and the length of the chain of narration (i.e., the number of reporters in the chain of narration) linking a reporter to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, and memorised as well a myriad of Hadith texts. He must also have studied the six authentic Hadith collections (i.e., Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim, Sunan Abu Dawood, Sunan At-Tirmithi, Sunan An-Nasaa‘ee and Sunan Ibn Majah), Musnad of Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Sunan Al-Bayhaqi, and Mu‘jam of At-Tabarani, in addition to one thousand parts of Hadith compilations (e.g., Hadith collections on specific topics or narrated by a single reporter).This was the minimum share of knowledge the acquisition of which qualified a Hadith scholar to bear this title. If he added to that the study of the books on the Tabaqat (pl. of Tabaqah, i.e., level or tier of narrators), studied at the hands of senior Hadith scholars, discussed the ‘Ilal, the death accounts of the reporters and Hadith scholars, and Masaneed (pl. of Musnad, i.e., collections of Hadith arranged by the narrator’s name), he was qualified to attain the first rank of Hadith scholars eligible to bear the title of ‘Muhaddith’. The righteous predecessors devoted themselves to listening to the Hadith narrations, studying at the hands of Hadith teachers, travelling in pursuit of knowledge, explaining and memorising their acquired knowledge, and acting upon it.Taqiy Ad-Deen As-Subki asked Al-Hafith Jamal Ad-Deen Al-Mizzi, may Allah have mercy upon them, about the number of AHadith the memorisation of which qualified a Hadith scholar to bear the title of ‘Hafith’. He said: “This is determined by the common practice (of the scholarly community).” He said to him: “Those who know the common practices (of the scholarly community) are very few in number!” He said: “Well, the number of narrators whom he knows, along with the knowledge of their biographies, states, and home countries, should be more than that of the narrators whom he does not know so that he would be categorised as ‘Hafith’ based on what is predominant.” He said to him: “This is quite rare in our time! Have you encountered someone who fits this profile?” He said: “I have not seen someone like that except Shaykh Sharaf Ad-Deen Ad-Dumyati.”Then he added, “Also, Ibn Daqeeq Al-‘Eed made lauded contributions in this regard.” Fath Ad-Deen Ibn Sayyid An-Naas, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “In our time, the title ‘Muhaddith’ is awarded to a Hadith expert who has embarked on studying the Hadith sciences at the levels of Riwayah (chains of narration) and Dirayah (deduction), has knowledge of the reporters, learned about many narrators and narrations circulated in his time, and excelled in this field until his mastery and good memory became known in the scholarly community. If he expands the scope of his knowledge to learn about his own Hadith teachers and their senior teachers in various Tabaqat, so much so that what he knows about the ‘Ilal of the narrators in his own Tabaqah should be more than what he is ignorant of, he would be given the title of ‘Hafith’. As for what is reported on the authority of some earlier scholars that they did not recognise a person as a true scholar of Hadith unless he has written 20,000 Hadiths from memory, this was according to the common practice (of the scholarly community) then.”Al-Hafith Abu ‘Aamir Mohammad Ibn Sa‘doon, may Allah have mercy upon him, was one of the senior memorisers of Hadith. Ibn ‘Asakir, may Allah have mercy upon him, said about him: “Of all my teachers, he was endowed with the strongest memory,” and Ibn ‘Asaakir had about 1,200 teachers. The jurist A‘lam Ad-Deen Al-Qamni, may Allah have mercy upon him, was able to recall what he had heard one time only.Imam Ash-Shafi‘ee, may Allah have mercy upon him, had one of the most exceptional memories of his time. He devoted 20 years of his life to learning Arabic literature and history and said about it: “I only learned them to help me in the study of Fiqh (science of Islamic jurisprudence).” It was narrated that he once read a book by Abu Haneefah and was able to narrate the whole book from memory the next day.Ibn Durayd, may Allah have mercy upon him, the Arab poet who composed the famous poem entitled ‘Al-Maqsoorah’, was a remarkable scholar of Arabic language. He also had an extraordinary memory, as he used to recite from memory entire Arabic poem collections that were read to him only once. It was said that Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, the Imam of Hadith scholars, memorised a million Hadith. The prominent Tabi‘a (the second generation of Muslims after the Companions of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam; those who have seen at least one companion of the Prophet Sa‘eed Ibn Jubayr said: “I read the Qur’an in one Rak‘ah (unit) that I performed in the Sacred Majid (in Makkah).” Isma‘eel Ibn ‘Abdul-Malik said: “Sa’eed Ibn Jubayr used to lead us in prayer in Ramadan, and he would recite in one night according to the recitation of ‘Abdullah Ibn Mas‘ood, in another night according to the recitation of Zayd Ibn Thabit, in a third night according to a different recitation, and so on.” This is not odd since Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said about him: “Al-Hajjaj killed Sa‘eed Ibn Jubayr at a time when there was none on the face of the earth who did not stand in need of his knowledge.”This was a glimpse on the excellence of Muslim scholars in memorising and narrating the Ahadith, despite the similarities between their texts, and the vastness of the knowledge on the chains of narration and reporters. Were any person in our time to endeavor to memorise some of what they had memorised, he would choose to learn the Chinese language instead and find it an easier task, given our weak memories and the interruption of the chains of transmission through which most of these sciences have reached us.It is outstanding that memorisation was a common skill required of whoever wished to venture into the various fields of knowledge, as perceptible in the biographies of the scholars of Arabic literature and seekers of knowledge, and this is evident to whoever reviews the biographies of their men. Had the earlier authors relied mostly on the knowledge documented in their scripts, it would not have been possible for any of them to author scores of volumes that a present-day scholar cannot transcribe, or even read.(Extracted from the book: Al-Qadeem Wal-Hadith by Muhammad Kurd ‘Ali)Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/

What they were created from and whenThe substance from which Allah, the Most Exalted, created angels is light. It is narrated on the authority of ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam (may Allah exalt his mention), said: “The angels were created from light, the jinn were created from smokeless fire, and Adam was created from that which has been described to you (i.e. in the Qur’an, which is clay).” [Muslim]Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, did not explain what light this is that they were created from. Hence we cannot indulge in trying to say more about this matter, because it is the matter of the unseen concerning which no further clarification has been narrated, apart from this Hadith (narration).We do not know when the angels were created, for Allah has not informed us about that. But we do know that they were created before Adam, may Allah exalt his mention, the father of mankind. Allah has told us that He informed the angels that He was going to create a Khaleefah (vicegerent) on earth. Almighty Allah Says in the Noble Qur’an (what means):{And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, ‘Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.} [Qur’an 2:30]Allah also Says (what means): {And when I have proportioned him and breathed into him of My soul, then fall down to him in prostration.} [Qur’an 15:29]Seeing the angelsBecause the angels have bodies of light which are of low density, mankind cannot see them, especially since Allah has not given our eyes the ability to see them.No one has seen the angels in their true form apart from Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. He saw Jibreel (angel Gabriel) twice in the form in which Allah created him.On the other hand, different texts indicate that human beings were able to see the angels in human form. An example for this is the long Hadith (narration), ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “One day while we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, there appeared before us a man whose clothes were exceedingly white and whose hair was exceedingly black; no signs of journeying were to be seen on him and none of us knew him. He walked up and sat down by the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. Resting his knees against his and placing the palms of his hands on his thighs, he said: ‘O Muhammad, tell me about Islam.....’”After asking the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, other questions, the visitor left and the Prophet said to ‘Umar: “O ‘Umar, do you know who the questioner was?” ‘Umar said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know best’. He, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: ‘He was Jibreel (Gabriel); he came to teach you your religion.’” [Muslim]Their great physical sizeAllah, the Most Exalted, Says concerning the angels of Hell (what means):“O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded.” [Qur’an 66:6]It will be sufficient in this regard to quote the narrations which speak of two noble angels.The great size of JibreelThe Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, saw Jibreel twice in the angelic form in which Allah created him. These two occasions are mentioned in the verse (which means):“And he [i.e. Muhammad] has already seen him [i.e. Jibreel] in the clear horizon.” [Qur’an 81:23]And the verse (which means):“And he certainly saw him in another descent. At the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary. Near it is the Garden of Refuge [i.e. Paradise].” [Qur’an 53:13-15]That was when he, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, was taken up to the highest heaven during his miraculous ascension to heaven.It is narrated that ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “I asked the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, about these two verses. He said: “That is Jibreel; I never saw him in the form in which Allah created him except on these two occasions. I saw him descending from the heavens, with his huge size filling the horizon between the heaven and the earth.” [Muslim]‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, was asked about the verse (which means): “Then he [Jibreel] approached and descended.” [Qur’an 53:8]She said: “That is Jibreel. He used to come to him (the Prophet) in human form, but on this occasion he came in his real form, and he filled the horizons of the sky.” [Muslim]It is narrated that ‘Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, saw Jibreel with 600 wings.”[Al-Bukhari]He (Ibn Mas’ood) said concerning the verse (which means):{He certainly saw of the greatest signs of his Lord.} [Qur’an 53:18]“This means green cushions, filling the horizons.”[Al-Bukhari]These cushions that filled the horizons were what Jibreel was seated upon. Ibn Mas’ood also said, “The Prophet of Allah saw Jibreel with his own eyes, on a cushion which filled the space between heaven and earth.”‘Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood said: “The Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, saw Jibreel in his true form. He had 600 wings, each of which filled the horizon, and there were multi-coloured pearls and rubies falling from his wings.” [Ahmad]Almighty Allah Says, describing Jibreel (what means):“...Indeed, it [i.e. the Qur’an] is a word [conveyed by] a noble messenger [i.e. Jibreel]. [Who is] possessed of power and with the Owner of the Throne, secure [in position]. Obeyed there [in the heavens] and trustworthy.”[Qur’an 81:19-21]What is meant by the “most honourable messenger” here is Jibreel, and the Lord of the Throne is the Lord of Glory, may He be glorified.The great size of the bearers of the Throne:Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “I have been granted permission to speak about one of the angels of Allah, one of the bearers of the Throne. The distance from his earlobes to his shoulders is the distance of a 700-year journey.” [Abu Daawood]Anas Ibn Maalik, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “I have been granted permission to speak to an angel, one of the bearers of the Throne. His feet are in the lowest earth and the Throne is resting on his horn. The distance from his earlobe to his shoulder is like that of a bird flying for 700 years. That angel says, ‘Glory be to You, wherever You are. ‘” [At-Tabaraani]The wings of the angels:The angels have wings, as Allah Almighty has informed us. Some of them have two wings, some have three or four, and some have more than that.Allah, the Most Exalted, Says in the Noble Qur’an (what means): “[All] praise is [due] to Allah, Creator of the heavens and the earth, [Who] made the angels messengers having wings, two or three or four. He increases in creation what He wills. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.” [Qur’an 35:1]Moreover, We have already mentioned (in part one) the narration in which the Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, stated that Jibreel has 600 wings.The beauty of the angels:Allah has created them in a noble and beautiful form, as Allah Says of Jibreel (what means): “... [The Qur’an was] Taught to him by one intense in strength [i.e. Jibreel] —One of soundness. And he rose to [his] true form.” [Qur’an 53:5-6]Ibn `Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “(One of soundness) means one whose appearance is beautiful.” Qataadah, may Allah have mercy upon him, said regard the same verse: “One whose form is tall and beautiful.” There is no contradiction between the two views, for he (Jibreel) is both strong and of a beautiful appearance.The idea that angels are beautiful is well-established in people’s minds, just as the idea that devils are ugly is also well-established. Hence, we often hear people liken beautiful human beings to angels. Look at what the women said when they saw Prophet Yusuf, may Allah exalt his mention, in the verse (which means): “And when they saw him, they greatly admired him and cut their hands and said, “Perfect is Allah! This is not a man; this is none but a noble angel!’ [Qur’an 12:31]Similarity in appearance and form between angels and humans:The Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “The Prophets were shown to me (during his ascension), and I saw Moosaa (Prophet Moses), a man of average build, looking like one of the men of (the tribe of) Shanu’ah. And I saw ‘Eesa Ibn Maryam (Prophet Jesus, son of Mary), and the person I have seen who most resembles him is ‘Urwah Ibn Mas’ood. And I saw Ibraaheem (Prophet Abraham), and the one who most resembles him is your Companion (meaning himself). And I saw Jibreel; the person I have seen who most resembles him is Dihyah.” [Muslim and At-Tirmithi]Is this a similarity between Jibreel’s true form, or the form which Jibreel took when he appeared in human form? Certainly, it is the latter, because as we shall see, Jibreel often used to appear in the form of Dihyah Ibn Khaleefah, may Allah be pleased with him. This is proven by the narrations in which the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, described Jibreel in his real shape having 600 wings.Variations in their physical shape and status:The angels are not all the same in their physical shape and status. Some of them have two wings, some have three, and Jibreel has 600 wings. They vary in their status before their Lord, Most High. Allah Says (what means): “[The angels say], ‘There is not among us any except that he has a known position’”. [Qur’an 37:164]As concerning Jibreel, Allah Says (what means): “[That] indeed, it [i.e. the Qur’an] is a word [conveyed by] a noble messenger [i.e. Jibreel]. [Who is] possessed of power and with the Owner of the Throne, secure [in position]”[Qur’an 81.19-20]This means that he (Jibreel) has a high status and important rank before Allah.The best of the angels are those who were present at the battle of Badr. Rafaa’ah Ibn Raafi’, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that Jibreel came to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, and said: “What do you think of the people of Badr among you (i.e., who were present at Badr)?” He, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said, “They are the best of the Muslims” or similar words. Jibreel said: “The same is true regarding the angels who were present at Badr.” [Al-Bukhari]Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/

Louis Vuitton (LVMH.PA) took to the Musee d'Orsay for its fall-winter catwalk show on Monday, sending a modern lineup of playful, sculptural looks down a slick, black runway designed to evoke a Paris street.Exploring notions of French style, Nicolas Ghesquiere, artistic director of the label's womenswear collections, played with volumes of clothing and trompe l'oeil effects, including boots that looked like black high heel shoes worn with white socks and fuzzy coats resembling blazers.Other looks included bulky Bermuda shorts, wide bustier dresses cinched with thin belts and glittering beaded dresses.Handbags were varied, including one fashioned to look like a typical blue Paris street sign, trimmed in green - with "Louis Vuitton" stamped in white letters.At the end of the show, the sound of footsteps was projected through the space, giving the impression of invisible models walking down the runway - an effect drawn up by sound artist Nicolas Becker.Ghesquiere then trotted out, flashing a grin at the guests in the front row, who included film stars Emma Stone, Zendaya and Catherine Deneuve who sat alongside members of the family of LVMH's chairman and CEO, Bernard Arnault.Pharrell Williams, named artistic director of Louis Vuitton's menswear designs last month, also attended the show.Paris Fashion Week, which features big-name fashion labels including LVMH-owned Dior, Kering SA-owned (PRTP.PA) Saint Laurent, Valentino and Chanel, winds up on Tuesday.

HE Assistant Foreign Minister Lolwah bint Rashid Al Khater met on Tuesday with HE Minister of State for Development and Africa in the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Andrew Mitchell, on the sidelines of the 5th UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5), currently in session in Doha.The meeting discussed aspects of bilateral cooperation and ways of enhancing and promoting them, especially in aid and development, in addition to the latest developments in Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa.

French label Pierre Cardin returned to the official Paris fashion week schedule for the first time in decades, sending out a colorful, off-beat lineup of styles that recalled its space age heyday.Models paraded two-toned suit jackets with triangular shaped lapels, asymmetrical dresses and capes, shimmery gold trousers and thin ties that formed an arrow-like shape at the tip.Attendants flashed spotlights on models as they made their way down the temporary runway, set up in the label's empty flagship store that is undergoing renovations.Spinning holograms were projected in the windows of the store — located across the street from France's Elysee Palace — and one model carried the three-dimensional projection in a handbag.The late designer's great nephew, Rodrigo Basilicati Cardin, who took the reins of the label following Cardin's death in 2020, said he worked with the design studio to pare back the looks, which were made from recycled materials as well as fabric that sat in storage for decades.Seeking to spark interest in the label among younger crowds, Basilicati Cardin said he set up competitions to bring on talent from other countries, like Mexico and South Korea, for stints at the label."My goal is to manage the label and bring it on track," he said, speaking to journalists after the show as he greeted guests including French singer Mireille Mathieu.

Günaydın, the renowned Turkish restaurant, has recently opened its first branch in Qatar, located in Place Vendome. This exciting development is set to elevate the food and hospitality sector in Qatar with its authentic Turkish cuisine, specialising in meat dishes that are the signature of the brand.Situated at the ground floor opposite the dancing fountain, Günaydın offers a joyful and exciting dining experience. The founder and master chef, Cüneyt Asan, welcomed media guests to a special ceremony with live demonstrations and displays, showcasing his mastery of the craft. Chef Cüneyt Asan has specialized in butchery for over 50 years and has earned prestigious titles such as 'The Professor of Meat' and 'Fastest Butcher in the World'. He has mentored some of the most renowned Turkish chefs who have become food ambassadors for their country worldwide.During the event, guests were given a special tour of the restaurant, where they were introduced to the most desirable meat chops and cuts, along with fresh juices and appetizers. Günaydın offers American, Australian, and Turkish beef, as well as Wagyu beef from Japan, providing customers with a memorable culinary experience.The restaurant offers an array of meat dishes, with the most preferred cuts being the tomahawk, T-bone, Dallas, and rack of lamb. In their kebab restaurants, the most popular kebabs are adana, urfa, alinazik, and seasonally, keme kebab and yenidünya kebab.Günaydın welcomes guests on Mornings of Fridays and Saturdays to enjoy a memorable breakfast experience from the famous Turkish cuisine.Günaydın Qatar Restaurant promises to be a new and exciting culinary destination, showcasing the best of Turkish cuisine in Qatar. The restaurant is open daily from 10am until 12am, serving customers with exceptional food and hospitality.

Having fled war as a child, Georgian designer Demna made fashion a sort of battleground of provocative ideas at the helm of Balenciaga. It was tremendously successful — until it wasn't.The 41-year-old, who dropped his last name Gvasalia in 2021, returns to the catwalk at Paris Fashion Week on Sunday for the first time since his hot streak was brought to a screeching halt late last year by a spectacularly ill-considered publicity campaign.The ads featured children with teddy bear bags that had studs and harnesses — supposedly meant to evoke a punk aesthetic but looking a lot like bondage gear.It coincided with another ad campaign that included a strange background detail — a print-out of a US Supreme Court judgement about child abuse.Demna apologised profusely in the pages of Vogue, denying any intention to reference child abuse, but the damage was done, with a slump in fourth-quarter sales and criticism from celebrity friends such as Kim Kardashian.He vowed to drop the provocations."I have decided to go back to my roots in fashion as well as to the roots of Balenciaga, which is making quality clothes -- not making image or buzz," he told Vogue.- 'Unbridled creation' –It is an unexpected moment of contrition for a designer who was named among the world's 100 most influential people by Time less than a year ago.Demna is on thin ice: "We are allowed to make a mistake in a group like Kering," said the boss of Balenciaga's parent company, Francois-Henri Pinault. "We don't have the right to make two."He also barely escaped contagion from the controversies around his friend Kanye West, who opened Balenciaga's last show in Paris in September. The label cut ties with the rapper after his outbursts about Jews.Before then, Demna's playful and inventive campaigns had made Balenciaga one of the hottest brands around.A 2021 show saw guests arriving along a red carpet and then presented with a film of their entrance that revealed the models had been secretly mingling among them, wearing the new collection.One campaign was done in the style of a dystopian newscast; another playing with the tropes of reality TV.His daring designs included the head-to-toe black shrouds worn by Kardashian at the Met Gala in 2021."The unbridled creation has worked well but he will have to tame it down a little bit," said Arnaud Cadart, of fashion consultancy Flornoy Ferri.- Ugly luxury –It will be a tough reinvention, not least since one of Demna's tricks has been to turn the ugly into luxury, from his pimped-out Crocs to his notorious $1,500 garbage bags."Demna uses his radical approach to overturn stereotypes of what is normal and what is luxury," said Serge Carreira, a fashion expert at Sciences Po University in Paris.It is an approach that worked, attracting all kinds of stars from cerebral French actor Isabelle Huppert to brash US rapper Cardi B.There was a fascinating backstory, too.A year ago, Demna's Paris show fell just after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, recalling his traumatic departure from Georgia at the age of 12, forced to flee ethnic cleansing by pro-Russian separatists.The show saw under-dressed models walking out in an artificial snowstorm, carrying those infamous trash bags.Some found it distasteful but it was deeply felt.The invasion "triggered the pain of a past trauma I have carried in me since 1993, when the same thing happened in my country and I became a forever refugee", he said.Trained at the Beaux-Arts Royal Academy in Belgium, Demna worked for Maison Margiela and Louis Vuitton before creating his own label, Vetements, with his brother in 2014.He was named creative director at Balenciaga in 2015.For many years, his trauma affected his work but he told Vanity Fair in 2021 that counselling, meditation and exercise had helped exorcise some demons."Fashion used to feel like a battle for me. That is why there was a lot of aggression and darkness in what I did. Today I feel at peace with the system," he said.

Gianvito Rossi presents a new, audacious Fall-Winter collection defined by a mysterious sensuality. The designer plays with references from the punk and gothic worlds, elevating them to a new sophistication.Boots take center stage: knee-high or over the knee, these designs underline the subtle game of strength and sensuality that defines the entire collection.An audacious to-the-knee boot in black patent leather, with a high stiletto heel, opens the collection. Its clean, essential silhouette with a side zip-up detail reflects a vigorous force. Crafted in patent leather, platform pumps and striking d’Orsay pumps are enriched by countless front straps.To-the-knee boots with cut-out details express magnetic allure. The gladiator silhouette is instilled with a gothic twist: broad bands in black leather frame the leg in a captivating game for the eye, whilst a back zip goes up to thigh.A diamond cut-out pattern reveals the skin on the front, side and back of a sensual over-the-knee boot in supple suede. The definition of high elegance.In a nod to punk culture, a metallic chain detail, laid over the ankle, gives a new vigor to an outstanding over- the-knee boot in precious nappa, which envelops the leg in a fierce embrace. Its 10cm stiletto heel conveys a newfound strength to the overall silhouette.And finally, a Western-inspired boot with a lifted toe enriches the collection with a completely new silhouette, mirroring a strong individuality.

College of Engineering Trivandrum Alumni Association (Cetaaq) conducted its Sports Day recently at Park House English School, Mesaimeer. All members, including their families, participated in the day-long event. The prizes for the winners will be handed over at a function to be conducted along with the annual general meeting on March 17.

More than 30 leaders from various corporate and community organisations attended an open house conducted by Toastmasters District 116 – Qatar.Logistics manager Sabari Prasad called the meeting to Order. Director Rajesh V C opened the event. Club growth director Sabeena M K felicitated at the sessions. Past district director Thayalan Kailayapillai conducted a presentation on 'Benefits of a Toastmasters Club'. Voltas Qatar general manager Srinivas Murthy, Genius International general manager Manzoor Moideen and many corporate leaders shared their experience of being part of a Toastmasters club. District programme quality director Ravi Shankar J proposed a vote of thanks.

Retired Indian Police Service officer Rishiraj Singh, renowned for his social interventions, attended a special assembly at Birla Public School (BPS) recently.He has a record of visiting over 1,800 schools and addressing over 200,000 students on different topics. He is the author of a famous book titled "Before it’s too late”, written in Malayalam and translated into many languages.Singh addressed BPS students on the use of mobile phones and the harms of excessive screen time. He gave guidance and motivation on how to maintain proper screen time. He encouraged the students to exercise, give more importance to their health, focus on their hobbies, and give equal importance to studies and sports, as sports help reduce stress. He suggested software such as Jist, Unglue, Screentime, and Qustodio to reduce screen time.The programme was conceptualised by the teachers and students of grade eight. During a Q&A session, a student asked about the challenges one should be ready to face outside the school, to which Singh said: "Believe in what you are doing, and remember that failure is a part of success".Academic director and principal Harish Sanduja thanked Singh. Middle School students presented a patriotic dance. The special occasion came to an end with a mime, a non-verbal expression of gratitude to Singh. Ananya of Grade 8 proposed a vote of thanks.

Rajagiri Public School (RPS) celebrated National Science Day of India, to mark the discovery of Raman Effect by the legendary Indian physicist Sir C V Raman.Basic principles of science were explained to the audience through simple demonstrations. The show started off with the popular personality prediction technique in which the presenter predicted in advance the personality the audience will select from a group of scientists.The demonstrations were organised in a way to retain the curiosity of the audience until the end of the show. Shafeen Shareef, Uma Maheswari and Meena Uppalapati, teachers in the Department of Science, and a group of students staged the demonstrations.

The Guinness World Record certificate for the world's largest football boot was recently received by Indian expatriate organisation Focus International. The function at Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) was inaugurated by Indian embassy first secretary Sachin Dinkar Shankpal. The world's largest football boot was unveiled at Katara by Focus International in co-ordination with Katara Public Diplomacy Centre on November 14, 2022, ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The boot was designed by Kerala-based artist and curator Dileef, a Guinness World Record holder.Focus International CEO Shameer Valiyavettil presided at the function. ICC president P N Baburajan was present. Focus International Qatar Region COO Ameer Shaji welcomed the gathering and CFO Safirussalam proposed a vote of thanks.

Pakistan Welfare Forum (PWF) Qatar handed over relief goods for the earthquake victims to the ambassador of Turkiye Dr M Mustafa Goksu, a statement said.The PWF delegation was led by founder member Mohamed Khan and comprised president Khalid Bhatti, Riyaz Bakali and Qaiser Anwar. The relief goods included blankets, shoes, socks and other essential supplies.The ambassador thanked PWF for their valuable contribution and expressed his country’s gratitude to the Pakistani people for extending assistance to his country during the natural calamity that has left thousands of people dead and reduced many homes and infrastructure to rubble.“It’s very good to know you have your friends on your side,” remarked the ambassador as he appreciated the efforts of the PWF to motivate the Pakistani community, which resulted in collecting relief goods. The envoy also presented T-shirts and caps to the delegation members as a token of appreciation."We stand with our Turkish brothers and sisters during this difficult time and contributed relief items to express solidarity with them. We hope our support will make a meaningful difference to those affected by the earthquake," remarked Bhatti.PWF is a non-profit organisation committed to promoting social welfare and uplifting communities through its various programmes and initiatives and has a strong track record of supporting relief efforts domestically and internationally.A team of PWF members is already in Turkiye to participate in relief activities. PWF has requested community members to contribute in relief activities in any way possible, the statement added.

Nada Raafat Elkharashi, who graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) in Doha, with a BFA in Interior Design in 2017, and an MFA in Design in 2021, created a unique public seating structure in response to Qatar Museum's open call on the theme 'Reuse, Recycle and Reduce'.The piece of furniture was exhibited during Milan Design Week 2022, as part of the Rossana Orlandi Ro Plastic Exhibition. It was selected as a finalist for the international Rossana Orlandi Ro Plastic Prize 2022: Urban and Public Design and went on to win third place in the category.The Ro Plastic Prize is the international award of 'RoGUILTLESSPLASTIC'. The award has been drawing the attention of an increasing number of designers, innovators, entrepreneurs, startups, scientists, researchers, and communication experts who are passionate about creating extraordinary and impactful projects that involve the reuse of waste.The piece of furniture, with back-to-back sitting spaces and a perforated shade that lets in flickering light, was first unveiled in M7 in Msheireb Downtown Doha, during a 'Qatar Creates' event last year."The design calls for collecting local egg crates from the community, big supermarkets, chicken farms, and, most importantly, from individual households," Elkharashi said. "For this seat, I collected unused egg crates from local hypermarkets such as LuLu and Carrefour. I also purchased recycled pulp egg crates, to fill in certain spaces. But for future public seat collections, all crates will be collected locally, categorised according to size, and used for production.”The VCUarts Qatar alumna says that in the long run, the concept and final product should motivate residents to have designated bins to dispose of their daily share of egg crates.According to Elkharashi, the design and implementation of the furniture piece can be adapted to the number of egg crates collected, making it similar to a modular system where individual components can be added or removed. The core is designed using a metal brace, and screws. The cartons are assembled as one longitudinal cladding module, making the seat firm and functional. The more egg crates are collected, the more cladding modules can be joined as separate extensions at the top or on the sides.Elkharashi added how as time passes, and the cartons degrade, only the metallic brace and the screws of the main structure will remain, leaving the public with a visual reminder to gather and replace the degraded crates with another batch of reused egg crates that are locked on the metal brace using the screws that protrude from it.

DPS-Modern Indian School student Savana Rose Sabu (XII-F) bagged third prize at the national level in the ‘Annual Art Festival' organised by Ministry of Jal Shakti, India in association with Kalantar Art Trust. Savana created a music-song composition on the theme 'Role of Youth in River Rejuvenation' and won the third place among all the CBSE-affiliated schools that participated.

Hanson Joseph, an expatriate football coach, has been awarded the AFC B Diploma by Qatar Football Association (QFA).Joseph who received the diploma from Najib al-Tairi, the general course co-ordinator at QFA, is the first Indian in Qatar to qualify and receive the B License.“It took me several months of training and hard work to complete the programme successfully. I hope this will help me impart better coaching and techniques to my students,” said a jubilant Joseph who trains school students of various age categories.Those who want to complete the B License diploma, have to go through different phases. First they have to complete the training for D License, by taking a six-day course that is mandatory to impart basic skills to football aspirants. The next step is the C License through an 18-day programme. The C License is to train children up to the age of 12. Only those who complete C License are eligible to undergo training for B license which makes a coach eligible to train children up to the age of 17. The B License programme comprises 28 days of training sessions. The licensing programme is approved by UEFA, the Union of European Football Associations.

Indonesian ambassador Ridwan Hassan inaugurated and sworn in the Indonesian Foreign Election Committee (PPLN) last month to prepare for the 2024 Indonesian general election.In a statement, the Indonesian embassy in Qatar said the formation of the Committee is one of the efforts from the Indonesia's General Election Commission in Jakarta, which collaborates with the Indonesian diaspora worldwide to organise the general election which will be conducted in mid-February in 2024.The embassy noted that the election committee consisted of Heri Kartono, Dedi Buditriyanto, Ahmad Syarnubi Fatah, Riza Wibawa, Prihandoko Saputra, Davina Chairunnissah, and Mohamed Fazlurrahman Syarif. The PPLN Doha has so far assigned a team to update the Overseas Voter Data (Pantarlih LN) in various work areas, including Doha, Al Khor, Dukhan, Mesaieed, and Wakrah to carry out data matching of Indonesian citizens who are eligible to vote. This task includes updating and matching data in order to determine the number of ballot papers at the time of the upcoming 2024 general election.Thousands of Indonesians living in Qatar are expected to vote next year. This election is held to elect the President and Vice President, as well as Indonesia members of parliament.Hassan said he hopes that all Indonesians in Qatar will be actively involved in supporting the success of this undertaking.