Marks and Spencer launches its 2023 Summer Collection

British fashion house Marks and Spencer introduces its Summer 2023 collection in the UAE. The new stock is designed to offer stylish yet versatile summer staples such as classic holiday essentials to seasonal occasion pieces across womenswear, menswear and kidswear. The womenswear will see a curated stock of flowing beach cover-ups, breezy dresses, and chic shorts in bright, popping colours. A palette of ocean blue and warm copper are central to the menswear collection this summer, featuring more relaxed overshirts and timeless denims. 90’s stripes, Hawaiian prints, and bold graphics are key designs to be found in the men's collection. 

Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management and Flash Entertainment combine to launch Ethara entertainment entity

The Middle East gains a new events, entertainment, and venue management powerhouse as Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management (ADMM) and Flash Entertainment (Flash) officially integrate their activities and operations to form Ethara. A completely new entity, Ethara means ‘thrill’ in Arabic. It gets launched in Abu Dhabi to tap into unique opportunities in the live events space whilst maintaining its growth delivery that positioned the Middle East as a leader on the global entertainment stage. Ethara will be led by Saif Al Noaimi, formerly the CEO of Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management and a Board Member of Flash Entertainment. ADMM and Flash jointly boast a strong resume of delivering over 700 major events to over 16 million fans in the 15 years since their inception. Events such as the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix, FIFA Club World Cup, NBA Abu Dhabi Games, UFC, national celebrations and festivals are among its most high-profile jobs carried out. Ethara will welcome the teams from both organisations whilst retaining its impressive portfolio of assets, including Etihad Park, Yas Marina F1 race circuit, Etihad Arena, and its headquarters in Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island. “Ethara is a people-first event, and entertainment powerhouse that promotes and delivers best-in-class experiences.” said Al Noaimi.

Oakley blends sport and culture with its new BXTR design

Popular eyewear brand Oakley has launched a new 2023 Lifestyle campaign with two products, BXTR and HSTN, headlining the movement. Both eyewear styles are said to be “born from the minds of Oakley designers and friends of the brand”. While the HSTN is an evolution of the original sunglasses first introduced by Oakley in 2021, the BXTR features a shield design and a modernized trigger stem inspired by Oakley’s original Razor Blade sunglasses, blended with the latest style to elevate individuality. The 2023 Oakley lifestyle campaign sees brand ambassadors such as Kylian Mbappé, Damian Lillard, and Alexia Putellas talk about how people come together to illustrate that there’s always “More Than Meets The Eye” via a series of films. And joining the bandwagon are Oakley's latest athlete recruits – rising American soccer star Trinity Rodman and 2022-23 NBA Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero. One can view the Lifestyle campaign films on Oakley's Youtube channel or Oakley's website. 

TPAY partners with Bango and Etisalat to launch Direct Carrier Billing with Google

TPAY, the leading payment provider for the Middle East, Türkiye, and Africa, has partnered with Bango and Etisalat Egypt to launch Direct Carrier Billing (DCB) with Google. This move will benefit over 30 million subscribers by facilitating a more accessible experience for Android users who can now purchase digital content like apps and games via the Google Play Store using their mobile number. As Egypt's population doesn't have access to traditional payment methods like Credit and Debit cards, this DCB method with Google will allow Etisalat customers to make purchases charged to their mobile phone balances, eliminating the need for credit or debit cards. Paul Larbey, Bango CEO, said, “This is an important launch for carrier billing, providing phone users in Egypt with an easy payment opportunity in the world's biggest app store. Our partnership with TPAY brings Bango Payment technology together with TPAY’s operational expertise, enabling developers to monetize their apps more successfully.”

The new Oakley Kato honours legendary road cyclist Mark Cavendish

Famed road cyclist Mark Cavendish boasts a tied record for the most Tour De France stage wins of all time (34) and to celebrate the illustrious 17-year career, popular eye brand Oakley launched the Mark Cavendish Signature Series Kato. The new Kato benefits from design inputs lent by Mark Cavendish himself whilst featuring a white frame with Prizm 24K lenses that symbolises the cyclists' many victories. A “Cav” etching on the lenses is another design element incorporated by the cyclist that mimics his passion for Greek mythology. This special edition has gold accents and comes in a unique micro bag pouch. Cavendish was one of the first major athletes to wear Oakley Kato, having continued to wear the frame during the 2021 Tour De France

Oakley’s MUZM Racing Jacket is a limited-edition reimagination of its iconic performance eyewear line

Have all the sports-inspired apparel except the eyewear? Oakley has you covered with its latest release called the MUZM Racing Jacket. Limited to 375 pieces only, this performance eyewear is a modern interpretation of the brand’s first dual-lens performance eyewear launched twenty-five years ago. Oakley claims this MUZM Racing Jacket is designed to fit your face like a jacket on your body with the Unobtainium nose pads and ear socks, ensuring this style hugs your face in all the right places. It's available only in stripey Red Tiger colourway with Prizm Black lenses, the latter famed to offer 'insane visual clarity to trails, tracks, and roads, with extreme ventilation'. All units will be provided in serialised versions, each packaged in a premium collector’s box. Interested customers can buy the same on Oakley.com, or select Oakley retail stores across the USA, Japan, Brazil, Italy, Australia and Singapore. 

Bang & Olufsen introduces its most powerful portable speaker – the Beosound A5

Renowned audio house Bang & Olufsen has launched its most powerful portable offering yet, the Beosound A5. Designed in collaboration with the Danish-Italian design duo GamFratesi, the Beosound A5 is aimed to bridge northern and southern design cultures with an immersive sound experience by drawing design inspiration from the iconic Beolit series and the traditional Panama straw hats worn on beaches. Its available in two colourways – natural aluminium with a woven paper fibre front with a light oak handle and a black anthracite aluminium version paired with a dark oak wood speaker cover and handle. The new speaker boasts an IP65 water and dustproof rating, more than 12 hours of playtime and a wireless phone charger integrated into the top panel. The tag for the most powerful portable speaker of the brand comes courtesy of a four-way driver setup with four digital amplifiers providing a combined 280 watts of power and integrating the sound technology from Bang & Olufsen's class-leading Beolab 90 and 50 hi-fi speakers.