It’s still early days for Dubai fashion

The fashion season is over! It started in February with the New York Fashion Week, and then moved to London, Milan, and Paris. Two weeks back, Dubai had a definite fashion platform wrap-up — Fashion Forward Dubai. It was really a mashup, to say the least! From couturiers Michael Cinco and Amato to debut designers, men’s wear designers, and women’s contemporary designers — it was a mash-up of styles. In many ways, it reflected how young the homegrown fashion industry is. Fashion Forward is four years old. Whereas the first New York Fashion Week was held in 1943.

While Kristina Fidelskaya had a very feminine yet powerful feel, it was very Western in its roots. Bedouin was all about an easy chic style influenced by the Middle East but very European in its approach. Michael Cinco and Amato collections were made for the red carpet. Then there were some contemporary and very chic abayas by Ghudfah. Tair’s menswear was all about drape, easy and fluidity. It was more of a capsule collection, where as Emperor went for decadent athleisure and it required an army of models to present its menswear. Hussein Bazaza, first winner of the regions’ DDFC/Vogue Arabia’s Fashion Prize, has worked with both Moda Operandi and FarFetch on capsule collections. Queen Rania of Jordan and Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez have worn his label. Bazaza has worked with both Moda Operandi and FarFetch on capsule collections. The hidden gem of this region, this Beirut-based designer manages to mix glamour with noire, motif with tailoring. With only 38 designers showcasing (the recent Amazon India Fashion Week in Delhi had over 115 designers), you would think it would be hard to have such variety. This either means that FFWD is embracing the cosmopolitan nature of Dubai that allows you to feel comfortable in a burka and a bikini, or it reveals that homegrown fashion still needs nurturing. Fashion is still a very young industry — and it needs to work together with directive. It was a shame that labels like Zayan, KAGE and Rami Al Ali, who are probably among the more mature labels, chose not to be a part of Dubai’s most definite fashion platform. And as for fashion media, the weak content meant most of them just appeared for the after-parties or if they were moderating a fashion talk. Editors are happy to be flown to Milan to attend a show, but to drive down to Dubai Design District and show that you believe in local talent seems beyond call of duty.

Imagine Milan without Gucci or Paris without Sonia Rykeil. Gucci is the power brand of Milan Fashion Week. A few seasons back, Gucci moved its show from a prime time evening slot to a daytime show just to bring more energy to the platform. It moved its show to Day One of the Milan Fashion Week, a slot usually filled by smaller fashion houses and has less visitors. That is what you call working as an industry.

Only when fashion industry here starts thinking as a community that works together to promote “Made in Arabia”, will this platform really have substance. After all, what is style without substance? Sujata Assomull is the Consulting

Fashion Editor at Khaleej Times

Only when fashion industry here starts thinking as a community that works together to promote “Made in Arabia”, will this platform really have substance. After all, what is style without substance?