Dubai Ladies Club to host charity fashion exhibition
Proceeds from sale of donated wedding dresses to go for education in Ethiopia
The Dubai Ladies Club is hosting its fifth and largest annual charity fashion exhibition in May to support girls’ education in developing countries.
The ‘Designs of Hope’ exhibition, to be held from May 2 to 7, will be hosted in partnership with social enterprise and online boutique ‘Brides do Good’, and will feature over 100 luxury brand and preloved wedding dresses donated by bridal designers, retailers, influencers and members of the public.
The gowns are to be sold at a 50 to 75 per cent markdown from original retail prices, organisers announced.
The event is being held under the patronage of Shaikha Manal Bint Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Ladies Club and wife of Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and in support of Al Manal Humanitarian Initiative’s ‘teacHER’ campaign.
Funds raised from the event will go towards supporting the comprehensive educational programme in Ethiopia, which will be implemented in cooperation with Plan International, a humanitarian organisation that works across 71 countries to advance children’s rights and equality.
Since the announcement of this year’s bridal edition, the Dubai Ladies Club has received an influx of generous donations in support of the noble cause. One designer called Rami Al Ali joined the exhibition by donating a wedding gown worth Dh100,000 to further girls’ education, organisers said.
Key Emirati influencers are also proactively joining the cause with their own contributions. Members of the public are also encouraged to donate their wedding gowns to support the exhibition.
“The ‘Designs of Hope’ exhibition comes in line with the Dubai Ladies Club’s commitment during the Year of Zayed to celebrate the legacy of the UAE’s founding father, whose generosity and charitable work positively impacted the lives of people across the globe,” said Lamia Abdul Aziz Khan, director of the Dubai Ladies Club.
The educational project will support six schools in host communities with 18 new classrooms, new latrines, and learning materials, as part of a broader programme developed to reach 39,550 refugee and local children between the ages of three and 14 in Ethiopia.
The project involves running accelerated remedial classes for children who have fallen behind, training teachers on how to give vulnerable children, particularly girls, post-trauma counselling and help, and establishing community-learning hubs to increase adult literacy.
To further the impact of ‘teacHER’ campaign and raise more funds in support of its noble cause, the Dubai Ladies Club in collaboration with Brides do Good will continue to showcase and sell the pre-loved luxury bridal gowns from the ‘Designs of Hope – Bridal Edition’ exhibition at a bridal pop-up shop from May 8 to 14 at the club.