Mossi Traore’s path to fashion was far from typical. Born to Malian parents in Hautes-Noues, a deprived Parisian suburb, he defied the odds to become a designer and founder of a top-tier vocational school.
Working with the unskilled, underrepresented and underprivileged, including migrants, Traore’s school, Les Ateliers Alix, equips students with rare haute couture skills. Located in the district where he grew up, the school embodies his commitment to giving back.
“When you are from the suburbs, life teaches you a lot of good,” he says. “It teaches you how to share, be strong together, how to sing together.” Now, he’s helping others rise.
Speaking from Mumbai, his passion is palpable. Founded in 2015, Les Ateliers Alix lifts up Paris’s forgotten youth, training them in flou (soft dressmaking) and tailleur (tailoring) over three years. Initially, it was just small workshops, creating pieces for the Paris National Opera and private designers. By 2019, the full programme was launched.
In September last year, the school achieved its biggest milestone – a partnership with Chanel. The couture house, noticing many of its atelier hires came from Les Ateliers Alix, reached out. “Chanel called saying, ‘We heard a lot about you. People coming to work with us are very good. We want to know where they’re being trained,’” Traore recalls.
The deal provides financial stability and eases students’ financial burdens. Many juggle part-time jobs while studying. “The partnership is very positive because Chanel wants to help the school and students. Today, we are the only school in France offering this kind of haute couture programme.”
As a couture house, Chanel understands the school’s importance. “It knows the school is good for all of the couture houses and their different needs,” he says. “It understands the elite values we are teaching, and importantly, it’s not coming to take only what it needs.”
While Chanel gets priority for hiring, students aren’t obligated to stay. “I think Chanel has very good values and spirit.” Chanel has long invested in preserving couture craftsmanship, acquiring specialist ateliers – lace, buttons, feathers – to safeguard disappearing skills. Karl Lagerfeld initiated this move in response to the risk of losing generational knowledge. Today, these ateliers are united under Chanel’s 19M, a dedicated space in Paris’s 19th arrondissement.
Les Ateliers Alix focuses on similar skills, passing on knowledge even fashion graduates often lack. Cutting, sewing, moulding, sculpting and draping with precision are not museum relics, but the foundation of couture, where a simple jacket starts at €25,000. “All students start as beginners, even those with fashion degrees,” Traore says.
“You don’t need experience, just motivation. We don’t need quantity; we need quality. That’s why we take only 12 students a year.” Beyond funding, Chanel donates archival fabrics, a priceless resource, as couture fabrics can cost hundreds of euros per metre. “If you want to study, you need the right fabrics,” he explains.
Traore’s passion drives every aspect of the school, from securing funding – an ongoing challenge that keeps him up at night – to its very name. Les Ateliers Alix honours Madame Alix Gres, one of France’s most revered designers. Traore discovered her work during his own studies in the early 2000s and was captivated.
“I asked my fashion teacher for the name of the most inspiring designer. She said Madame Gres. I didn’t know who she was, so I researched and studied her work for two to three hours daily. It was amazing.”
Renowned for her pleating and drapery, Gres created ethereal, Grecian-inspired gowns that influenced designers such as Issey Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto. “I discovered fashion the same year Yohji paid tribute to Madame Gres in his spring/summer 2005 collection.”
Her work inspired Traore to attend fashion school, work as a costume designer at the Paris Opera, and launch his eponymous label, Mossi, in 2017. However, running the school has forced him to put his brand on hold. “I had to sacrifice my own fashion brand to focus on the school and secure financial support for students,” he says.
The contrast between haute couture’s refinement and his own upbringing isn’t lost on Traore. His introduction to fashion came via stolen high-end clothes resold in his neighbourhood. Now, he passes on his love of fashion to students, helping them break cycles of deprivation and access the industry’s highest echelons.
“It’s a passion project. I’m not from a rich family, but if I can open a door that wasn’t open for me, I will – for the next generation, for immigrants, for people from the suburbs. You can be rich or poor, but if you have patience and motivation, I will do my best to open the door of fashion for you.”
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• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
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UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
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EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
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What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
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The specs
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Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant
Three out of five stars
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The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
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Power: 575bhp
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Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
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Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
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Explained
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
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Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
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Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
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Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
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Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
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How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
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ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
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Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
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- 600-seat auditorium
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