Dubai affirms designer city status
dubai — His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced the formation of Dubai Design and Fashion Council (DDFC) three years ago and one of its major mandates was to develop Dubai as a global design and fashion destination.
The DDFC oversees five key fields of creativity: Fashion, Product, Architecture, Interior Design, and Graphic Design.
Earlier this year Jazia Al Dhanhani became the DDFC’s CEO, having been a member of the DDFC core team for a year prior to her appointment. In the 10 months since she became CEO she has focused on membership drives and mentorships. The DDFC’s board, chaired by Dr Amina Al Rustamani, consists of 14 board members representing a mix of key stakeholder groups, including government, academic and private sector experts such as Patrick Chalhoub, Landmark Group’s Nisha Jagtiani and fashion designer Reem Acra, so has the built in mentors, but the DDFC has been working with many stakeholders in the industry of recent. Recently the DDFC announced a tie-up with The Urbanist Store in Box Park. Every quarter the DDFC
I do believe that the UAE has emphasised the role of Emirati women in the making and development of our great nation
Jazia Al Dhanhani, CEO, DDFC
and the Urbanist will pick a handful of women’s wear designers to take part in a special pop-up called the “Sub-urbanist”. The first selection came into the store last month and will be there for another two months. Arshys, Sara Gi, Myrto Dramountani, Miella, Faissal ElMalak, DeborahHenning, Kashida, LimeLite Jewellery and The Hub Interior Decoration were the designers selected.
“This platform is one of the many advantages of being a DDFC member. Our membership places a strong focus on promotion, business support and talent development.”
Khaleej Times recently caught up with Jazia to talk about design in the Emirates. Excerpts from the interview: It is coming up to a year since you became CEO of DDFC. What do you feel the achievements of the DDFC have been in this time? What a year it has been indeed. The council has achieved so much in a very short time and I attribute this to the efforts of the team. It’s been a year full of big and impactful milestones, but I would like to highlight the launch and success of our membership programme, which was only launched last April and yet has seen a surge in numbers of DDFC members and interest from the design community. Our strategic partnerships with the likes of Vogue Arabia, Columbia University, Fashion Forward Dubai, Fashion Scout London, Mamas & Papas, the Urbanist, amongst many others have indeed achieved our vision in supporting our members and offering them unprecedented opportunities of showcase and talent development. As an Emirati woman holding a leadership role, do you feel like a role model? I think Emirati women nowadays are exemplary in their roles as leaders, ministers, thinkers, scientists and entrepreneurs. I do believe that the UAE under the wise leadership of the President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has emphasised the role of Emirati women in the making and development of our great nation. As for Emirati design, be it fashion or interiors, what has the progress been in ensuring that it is kept at the forefront? The council’s role has always been to provide a platform for local and regional talent in the fields of design and fashion of all disciplines and career levels. The council is adamant on offering designers benefits such as promotion, talent development and& business support. These efforts ensure that the designers in the UAE are exposed to global and local development opportunities that can further position them in the market and connect them with the right partners. What do you feel the international audience perception of Emirati fashion and design is? I think fashion from the UAE has already proved its unique positioning within the international fashion arena. Fashion practices in the UAE are rich and diverse, a mélange of both contemporary and traditional, and answer to a broader global audience that is interested in fashion that is deeply rooted in the vibrant communities the UAE has. What has been the core focus of DDFC for 2017? The core of the council has always been developing and supporting the design industry and community in the UAE. Today DDFC is proud to have served the community with activations, conferences, workshops, specialised talent development and most importantly opportunities for showcase and promotion. And next year what do you see as the focus? We are very interested in furthering the conversation on architecture and interior design practices in the UAE and the region. In addition to that, intellectual property and its application within design is another area to focus on. We are working through our membership programme with designers on several projects and activations that could shed light on the diverse portfolio of design in the UAE. DDFC will continue to oversee, support, promote and drive initiatives related to the five key design segments, Architecture, Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Interior Design and Product Design.
— sujata@khaleejtimes.com