World

Coronation of UK’s King Charles great fit for London’s Savile Row tailors

On Savile Row, the London street long celebrated for turning out sharp suits, tailors have been racing to prepare the red and gold uniforms that will feature in Britain’s first coronation for 70 years, adorned with the new insignia of King Charles.

The salesrooms have been busy too, as customers arrive to collect such uniforms as well as suits for people who will be guests this Saturday for one of the country’s most elaborate ceremonial occasions.

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Savile Row tailors have dressed kings, queens and their offspring for more than 150 years, and their craft gets a particular boost from long-time customer Charles – a lover of the countryside who also champions the farmers, weavers and mills producing much of the fabric.

“It’s a real honor,” said Jules Walker, military tailor at Gieves & Hawkes who will be on hand from 4 a.m. on the morning of the coronation to make any final adjustments. “We’re all working hard. There’s a lot to do.

“On the day it’s all going to look fantastic. We’ll all be able to see our work and be proud of it. It's an historic event. So, people will be looking at this for years and years.”

A ceremonial uniform is shown at Dege & Skinner tailors on Savile Row, ahead of the Coronation in London. (Reuters)

Previous royal events, such as last year's Platinum Jubilee celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s 70 years on the throne or the 2018 wedding of Prince Harry to his American wife Meghan, have led to a spike in interest in the craftsmanship of Savile Row, where archives record the measurements and orders of venerable customers including Winston Churchill, Charles Dickens and Cary Grant.

Troops dressed in bright red wool uniforms with elaborate gold braid are an essential part of British pageantry, seen on the streets of the capital last year for both the queen’s jubilee celebration and then just months later, for her vast funeral procession in September.

The changing of a monarch requires insignia to be replaced, with Charles' Tudor crown, buttons and royal cypher – or monogram – stitched on to the ceremonial uniforms that will be on display among the 6,000-strong military procession.

William Skinner at the Dege & Skinner tailoring house said the uniforms last for decades, and that the focus on repairing and refreshing the outfits rather than making new ones was in line with Charles’ well-known regard for the environment.

The big names on the street, such as Gieves, Henry Poole, Dege & Skinner, Anderson & Sheppard and others all boast royal warrants, confirming that they dress the royal family among their clients.
In return they have had to steadily improve their environmental record, supplying energy bills and invoices to show how they have reduced their use of packaging or lighting.

Slowest fashion

Henry Poole, credited with creating the dinner jacket, or tuxedo, has held a British royal warrant since the 1860s when it supplied Queen Victoria. Simon Cundey, the latest member of the family to run the business, said customers in Britain and around the world were drawn by the royal warrant.

“The sustainability side of that is a major part of what Savile Row has always had,” he said.

King Charles, who has been photographed wearing the same double-breasted suits that he has owned for decades, has long been an advocate for the “slowest fashion” approach that has gained greater traction in recent years.

“I’m one of those people who hate throwing anything away,” he told British Vogue in 2020. “Hence, I’d rather have them maintained, even patched if necessary, than to abandon them.”

Anda Rowland, vice chairman of the king’s tailor, Anderson & Sheppard, said Charles had provided a “sort of halo effect” for British menswear, with international television crews asking about his approach to sustainable fashion.

“It ticks a lot of boxes in the modern world, even though it’s extremely traditional,” she said. “And we still do things and train in the same way that we did when we were founded in 1906.”
Read more:

Why does King Charles have a coronation ceremony and what happens during it?

Meghan hits out at UK media over King Charles letters

Heathrow raises forecasts as King Charles coronation kick-starts busy summer

World

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi meets with CEOs of leading Norwegian companies

H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met with a group of CEOs from leading Norwegian companies, as part of their participation in the UAE-Norway Investment Forum, held alongside his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway.

During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed underscored the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with its international partners.

He highlighted that investment in innovation and knowledge is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, noting that enhancing collaboration with Norwegian companies across key sectors will open new avenues for mutual economic growth between the two countries.

The UAE-Norway Investment Forum, taking place in Oslo, aimed to highlight available investment opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Norway, fostering shared interests and supporting innovation and knowledge-based economic visions.

-wam

World

At the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS inaugurates 10th global office, releases four books

As part of its Asian research tour, partnership with Aletihad News Center, and
primary sponsorship of the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS
Research & Advisory inaugurated its office in Jakarta, marking its 10th location
worldwide. It also released four books in Indonesian.
The inauguration event was attended by ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, and
Jordan to Indonesia, chairpersons of the UAE and Indonesian Publishers’
Associations, the Director of TRENDS’ Jakarta office, and a group of researchers
and academics.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS
Research & Advisory, stated that TRENDS’ international offices—set to reach 15
by the end of 2024—aim to enhance the Center’s research efforts and deepen its
role in disseminating knowledge, thus serving as a global knowledge bridge.
He emphasized, “At TRENDS, we believe in the importance of cooperation
between think tanks and prioritize this endeavor. We believe the TRENDS office in
Jakarta will enhance the exchange of knowledge and ideas between think tanks in
Asia and the Middle East, opening new horizons for collaboration in various
fields.”

Four books in Indonesian
As part of the Jakarta office’s inaugural activities, four books were released in
Indonesian, including the 11th and 12th books of the Muslim Brotherhood
Encyclopedia and Global Trends in AI and Automation and the Future of
Competition between Man and Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision.

Hostility to Arab states
The 11th book of the Muslim Brotherhood Encyclopedia, The Concept of the State
According to the Muslim Brotherhood, highlights its hostile stance toward Arab
states since its inception. The group views them as an obstacle to its ascent to
power. It opposed the modern principles upon which these states were built,
considering them incompatible with the group’s unique interpretation of Islam,
which it claimed to embody exclusively.

Exclusion of nonconformists
The 12th book, The Muslim Brotherhood: Rejection of Tolerance and Exclusion of
Nonconformists, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s stance towards
nonconformists, individuals, and entities. The book reveals the group’s binary view
of the world, categorizing others as allies or adversaries. It ties these relationships
to the Brotherhood’s internal power struggles and self-serving interests.

Global Trends in AI
The third book, Global Trends in AI, explores significant developments in AI and
its impact on various aspects of life, including the economy, society, and
governance. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of technological advancements
in AI, its applications across sectors, the ethical and social challenges it presents,
and its future trajectory.

Automation

The fourth book, Automation and the Future of Competition between Man and
Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision, addresses the growing challenges
faced by the human workforce in the face of widespread automation and AI
applications. The book concludes that while automation presents a significant
challenge to the labor market, it simultaneously creates new opportunities. It
emphasizes the importance of preparing for this shift through skills development,
continuous education, and adopting economic and social policies that support the
workforce.

Prominent pavilion and active presence
The TRENDS’ pavilion at the Indonesia International Book Fair has attracted
numerous visitors, including academic researchers and officials, such as the
ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey. Additionally,
chairpersons of Arab and Indonesian publishers’ associations, authors, publishers,
and students visited the pavilion. All were impressed with and praised TRENDS’ diverse, valuable publications. They also commended TRENDS’ active
international presence and ability to address global developments with rigorous
analytical research.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali honored the esteemed guests, including
ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain to Indonesia, Wedha Startesti Yudha,
Chairperson of the Indonesia International Book Fair Committee, Arys Hilman
Nugraha, Chairman of the Indonesian Publishers Association, and others,
presenting them with TRENDS’ publications and commemorative shields.
Additionally, he awarded TRENDS’ Research Medal to Ni Made Ayu Martini
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Marketing, Tourism and Creative Economy
It is worth noting that during its current Asian research tour, TRENDS announced
the launch of the TRENDS Research Medal, awarded to individuals who make
significant contributions to the development of scientific research and promote collaboration with TRENDS in strengthening a culture of research across various fields.

World

US determined to prevent full-scale war in Middle East, Joe Biden tells UNGA79

US President Joe Biden highlighted the US Administration’s determination to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire Middle East region, noting that a diplomatic solution “remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely”.

In remarks he made today before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), the US President said, “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” adding that a diplomatic solution is still possible.

He also touched on “the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank”, and the need to “set the conditions for a better future”, which he said featured “a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalised relations with all its neighbours, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own”.

President Biden underscored the ceasefire and hostage deal put forth by Qatar and Egypt, which the UN Security Council endorsed. He said, “Now is the time for the parties to finalise its terms, bring the hostages home,” adding that this would help ease the suffering in Gaza, and end the war.

-WAM