British entrepreneurs Emily and Adam Abraham are the founders of Love Luxury, a retail concept styled on buying and selling pre-loved high-end designer goods such as handbags, accessories and watches.
The couple, who married in 2018, opened their first Love Luxury shop during the Covid-19 pandemic in Knightsbridge, London, and a second in Business Bay, Dubai, late last year.
Now living in Dubai, the Abrahams have a blended family of five children (Ms Abraham has three and Mr Abraham two) from their previous marriages, including 11-year-old Moo, a mini fashionista who dresses up in Love Luxury’s items and is known as “The Billionaire’s Daughter” on TikTok (157,400 followers and 2 million likes), Instagram (111,000 followers) and YouTube.
“I'm here permanently with Moo and Adam is backwards and forwards [between Dubai and London], so he does two weeks here and two weeks there. We go to London if there's an event, or if there’s work that we need to contractually do,” Ms Abraham says.
Did money feature in your childhood?
Emily Abraham: I grew up in the south-west of England in a family that was not particularly well off. My mother was very young when she had me. My grandfather was a gold dealer, so he was quite well off. But my mother chose a different route in life … so I didn't benefit from having a wealthy grandfather. And then I went into the care system. That was my very early life.
When I came out of the care system, I lived with my grandmother from the age of 13 to 16, I was basically bringing myself up and I was looking after her as well. I left home when I was 16 and got three jobs. My first job was working in Waitrose on the deli counter. I was very proud of myself.
Adam Abraham: I grew up in Hackney in London. My father was very ambitious and he always wanted to be very successful. He worked the market stalls in Camden Market. When I was around eight or nine, I started working for him, selling women's hair bands, little pieces, things under £1.
I started paying bills at age 15, when I got my first job in Tottenham Court Road, working for Microworld. Then my father moved to China and I went with him. I started an e-commerce business, Cables UK, as a 33 per cent partnership with my father and his brother, which turned into a multimillion-pound business.
What did you learn from that?
EA: I could support myself. I had all of the skills that I needed. I knew how to pay bills, how to cook my food, how to do the laundry. I knew how to take care of myself, so I was very independent from a very young age.
AA: I was travelling the world a lot [with] private schools, tutors, art school clubs, working, studying, paying bills, living alone for quite some time, at least six to eight months of the year without my father.
I was in different businesses and having to study and sort of trained myself how to be a man. It was a very intense childhood. At my age now, I've been able to give our children a lot – a bigger head start.
How did Love Luxury come about?
EA: Adam had a chain of businesses called We Buy for Cash. And those businesses were buying goods and selling them. We were getting some of those [luxury] items coming into We Buy for Cash, like we'd have a Rolex come in. And then we'd have a Chanel or a lady would bring us a Birkin or Kelly [handbag]. There was loads of Gucci, loads of Louis Vuitton. Adam had a whole wall of Chanel in one of his stores.
And then Covid happened and that changed things for us massively as we couldn't open. However, we'd already built our name in these pre-loved luxury goods, so lots of people knew who we were and trusted us. Everybody knew Adam and Emily could give them authentic luxury goods. We decided to put [them] on eBay and literally the store sold out in eight weeks. We had a rebrand and we changed the name. And we also realised that we'd outgrown the premises that we were in and we needed a shop … we opened in Knightsbridge.
AA: Basically, it was dry run and I told Emily that I want to go to Knightsbridge. We started to make money from that business as it was a different level of clientele – watches are £200,000 [$250,380], bags that were £20,000, £10,000 Chanels … loads of stock, diamonds and gold.
How has social media changed your lives?
AA: Social media is a form of marketing. It’s just now TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. How does it change my life now? It changed my life when I was 17, from having an e-commerce platform and selling £10 million to £20 million worth of cables by the age of 19. I've been very successful, very young, and it trains you in how to market any business model.
EA: It has changed our lives in the respect that now everybody knows who we are. We are recognised now and it has given people trust in us. We have people travel all from all over the world to come to London to our store or to come to Dubai to meet us.
Are you spenders or savers?
EA: We reinvest all of our money back into the business because this is our baby. We don't have investors. Rather than drawing money out to live a massively lavish lifestyle, we are pumping the money back into the business. However, we're not afraid to go and shop.
AA: I always look at how much money you're making. And I always live on a certain percentage of that. So, I would say I would like to reinvest 95 per cent of my money back into business and arts, and I spend 5 per cent, but the 5 per cent is a crazy lifestyle.
Because we are Muslim, we are people who, regardless of what we earn, make sure that we are very charitable. So, charity comes before spending on ourselves. It’s very important to give back to charity because … we are blessed abundantly in so many other ways.
What are your best investments?
EA: I think for us, our investments are our business and time. That's how we invest. It's the best investment for our money.
And your most cherished purchase?
EA: When you buy things, they can be taken away from you, or you can lose them or you may have to sell them. I don't hold emotional attachment to material items. Having said that, obviously the thing that I care about the most are my wedding and engagement rings.
Money comes and goes, but the people you love, their happiness and health is what is most important
Emily Abraham,
co-founder of Love Luxury
One thing that I don’t have in my possession is a locket that my grandmother gave me before she died. It holds a lot of sentimental value but it was stolen from me when my house was burgled. I learnt a valuable lesson and that was don't get attached to material items, because you just don't know what the future holds.
How do you feel about money?
EA: At the end of the day, you could be the richest person in the world and be depressed. You could be the richest person in the world and lose it all. Nothing is guaranteed. But let's be honest: having money makes life easier to navigate.
You don't have to worry about paying your bills, you don't have to worry about whether you can feed your children. I've been in that position. I know what it's like to not eat a meal so that my children could eat. However, it's not the be all and end all because we were still happy. Money comes and goes, but the people you love, their happiness and health is what is most important.
Money helps to build memories and a level of happiness. But you can be just as happy in your home with your children playing board games as you can be on a yacht. It's all relative.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Bharat
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
SPAIN SQUAD
Goalkeepers Simon (Athletic Bilbao), De Gea (Manchester United), Sanchez (Brighton)
Defenders Gaya (Valencia), Alba (Barcelona), P Torres (Villarreal), Laporte (Manchester City), Garcia (Manchester City), D Llorente (Leeds), Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Midfielders Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Pedri (Barcelona), Thiago (Liverpool), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Ruiz (Napoli), M Llorente (Atletico Madrid)
Forwards: Olmo (RB Leipzig), Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Morata (Juventus), Moreno (Villarreal), F Torres (Manchester City), Traore (Wolves), Sarabia (PSG)
PLAY-OFF%20DRAW
%3Cp%3EBarcelona%20%20v%20Manchester%20United%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EJuventus%20v%20Nantes%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ESporting%20Lisbon%20v%20Midtjylland%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EShakhtar%20Donetsk%20v%20Rennes%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EAjax%20v%20Union%20Berlin%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBayer%20Leverkusen%20v%20Monaco%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ESevilla%20v%20PSV%20Eindhoven%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ESalzburg%20v%20Roma%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Results
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh195,000 1,400m | Winner: ES Ajeeb, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Ibrahim Aseel (trainer)
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m | Winner: Al Shamkhah, Royston Ffrench, Sandeep Jadhav
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 1,200m | Winner: Lavaspin, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
8.15pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,200m | Winner: Kawasir, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 1,600m | Winner: Cosmo Charlie, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
9.20pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m | Winner: Bochart, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 2,000m | Winner: Quartier Francais, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
ABU%20DHABI'S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20Profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Results
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Abu Dhabi GP weekend schedule
Friday
First practice, 1pm
Second practice, 5pm
Saturday
Final practice, 2pm
Qualifying, 5pm
Sunday
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps), 5.10pm
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
AIR
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
