First Red Sea Fashion Week Starts on Ummahat Islands

The event aims to establish Saudi fashion's presence in relevant international forums and position the Kingdom's fashion as a major contributor across various sectors of the fashion industry globally. SPA
The event aims to establish Saudi fashion's presence in relevant international forums and position the Kingdom's fashion as a major contributor across various sectors of the fashion industry globally. SPA
TT

First Red Sea Fashion Week Starts on Ummahat Islands

The event aims to establish Saudi fashion's presence in relevant international forums and position the Kingdom's fashion as a major contributor across various sectors of the fashion industry globally. SPA
The event aims to establish Saudi fashion's presence in relevant international forums and position the Kingdom's fashion as a major contributor across various sectors of the fashion industry globally. SPA

The first Red Sea Fashion Week (RSFW) kicked Thursday from Ummahat Islands, promising three days of style and glamour at the St. Regis Red Sea Resort.
The RSFW, organized by the Saudi Fashion Commission, is a cultural and economic milestone for the fashion industry in the Kingdom, representing a prominent initiative that integrates Saudi fashion into the global market, SPA reported.
The event aims to establish Saudi fashion's presence in relevant international forums and position the Kingdom's fashion as a major contributor across various sectors of the fashion industry globally. It recognizes the significant impact of fashion as a contributor to national economies.
Fashion Commission chief executive Burak Cakmak expressed the goal of the RSFW to create a platform that fosters cultural exchange and celebrates creativity. He added that the cultural event highlights the commission's steadfast commitment to driving the fashion industry forward in the Kingdom.
He further emphasized the commission's dedication to creating an appealing environment where talented individuals, both male and female, from the nation can connect with experienced international figures and reputable entities in the industry.
With a meticulously planned schedule, the RSFW features an impressive lineup of Saudi and global brands that can adorn the nation’s platforms, showrooms, and forums at the local, regional and global levels, Cakmak said.
The Fashion Commission's strategies and plans revolve around nurturing local talents and integrating them into the global fashion scene, Cakmak said, aligning with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 to enrich the cultural fabric of the Kingdom.
Cakmak stressed the commission's eagerness to keep up with these objectives that also expand local economic horizons, with culture playing a vital role in the national product and contributing to the overall development of the country's economy.



Latest Tests Show Seine Water Quality Was Substandard When Paris Mayor Took a Dip

 Boats carrying members of delegations sail along the Seine during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 26, 2024. (AFP)
Boats carrying members of delegations sail along the Seine during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 26, 2024. (AFP)
TT

Latest Tests Show Seine Water Quality Was Substandard When Paris Mayor Took a Dip

 Boats carrying members of delegations sail along the Seine during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 26, 2024. (AFP)
Boats carrying members of delegations sail along the Seine during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 26, 2024. (AFP)

Tests results released Friday showed the water quality in the River Seine was slightly below the standards needed to authorize swimming — just as the Paris Olympics start.

Heavy rain during the opening ceremony revived concerns over whether the long-polluted waterway will be clean enough to host swimming competitions, since water quality is deeply linked with the weather in the French capital.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a highly publicized dip last week in a bid to ease fears. The Seine will be used for marathon swimming and triathlon.

Daily water quality tests measure levels of fecal bacteria known as E. coli.

Tests by monitoring group Eau de Paris show that at the Bras Marie, E. coli levels were then above the safe limit of 900 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters determined by European rules on June 17, when the mayor took a dip.

The site reached a value of 985 on the day the mayor swam with Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet and the top government official for the Paris region, Marc Guillaume, joined her, along with swimmers from local swimming clubs.

At two other measuring points further downstream, the results were below the threshold.

The statement by Paris City Hall and the prefecture of the Paris region noted that water quality last week was in line with European rules six days out of seven on the site which is to host the Olympic swimming competitions.

It noted that "the flow of the Seine is highly unstable due to regular rainfall episodes and remains more than twice the usual flow in summer," explaining fluctuating test results.

Swimming in the Seine has been banned for over a century. Since 2015, organizers have invested $1.5 billion to prepare the Seine for the Olympics and to ensure Parisians have a cleaner river after the Games. The plan included constructing a giant underground water storage basin in central Paris, renovating sewer infrastructure, and upgrading wastewater treatment plants.