‘THE UAE IS A HUB FOR FASHION, ART, MUSIC AND SPORT’
The UAE has been a hive of activity in recent weeks. From Louis Vuitton presenting a cruise trunk show at Expo Village, Prada bringing a Damien Hirst installation to the Dubai International Financial Centre and 193,000 people taking over Sheikh Zayed Road as part of the annual Dubai Fitness Challenge, to the spectacle of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, not to mention countless other highprofile events, it has been difficult to keep up.
It has been a sometimes exhausting, but always heartening reminder of the fact that the UAE is truly a global hub – whether for fashion, sports, art, music, literature or design. As a journalist, this creates opportunities I could never have dreamed of. This point struck home poignantly this week as I sat in my kitchen interviewing Robbie Williams via Zoom. While I am not overly prone to fangirling, I can just imagine what my 14-year-old Take That-loving self would have had to say about that.
In further evidence of the UAE’s prominence, Williams and long-time friend Ed Godrich, who presented their first collection of paintings as a creative duo earlier this year, decided to unveil their second body of work in Dubai. I speak to them on page 32 about their distinct style, which is shaped by a joint love of music, rave culture and the 1980s.
There is a fitting symmetry to the fact that Williams rang in the New Year in Dubai, with a performance at Atlantis, The Palm, and as 2022 draws to a close, found himself back in the UAE showcasing a whole new skill set. He is one of the country’s many fans, it transpires. “I like Dubai,” he says. “I want to do a lot of work there. I want to be an ambassador of entertainment to Dubai, because I can see what it is and what it can become.”
Also in town in recent weeks was Serge Brunschwig, chief executive of Fendi. In a sign of the Italian label’s bolstered commitment to the region, Fendi has expanded its flagship boutique in The Dubai Mall, doubling it in size. On page 36, we speak to the LVMH veteran about the evolution of the fashion house.
While exploring the pinnacle of luxury, this issue also celebrates grassroots design – lesser-known labels that are pioneering fresh ideas in the region. On page 18, Sarah Maisey rounds up some of the concepts that are piquing her interest.
It is 20 years since Nada Debs launched her eponymous brand, but she is a prime example of grassroots design – her furniture and home accessories were born out of her quest for identity as she returned to Lebanon a er 40 years as an expat.
On page 14, she tells us that two decades later, she finally feels like she has proved herself and, with her son having recently joined the business, is brimming with a new sense of freedom. We can’t wait to see what comes next.