Abu Dhabi Fashion Week

A new chapter is to be written in Abu Dhabi’s cultural history as it hosts the inaugural Abu Dhabi Fashion Week (Emirates Palace Hotel, 15-18 March). Abu Dhabi will reinforce its fast-growing status as a ‘City of Fashion' – a status endorsed by the presence of Missoni and Emilio Pucci Collections at the Abu Dhabi Fashion Week alongside those of the top Designers from across Arabia including Rabih Kayrouz (Lebanon), Aisha Desmal (UAE) and Amina Al Jassim (Saudi Arabia).

The inaugural Abu Dhabi Fashion Week will have the eyes of the global fashion industry firmly focused on it, with Buyers and Representatives of leading regional and international brands, retailers, fashion magazines and media. Guests include: Vittorio Missoni, Albino D’Amato, Laudomia Pucci, Maria Luisa Trussardi, and Giuseppe Rossi (Calvin Klein). Regional and international buyers are also flying in, including those from Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue (USA and KSA), along with key opinion makers from the fashion world such as the Editors-in-Chief of Vogue and of Elle magazines. The Italian delegation will be led by Mario Boselli, the President of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana.

Top international runway models, hair and make-up technicians and fashion stylists are also being flown in to Abu Dhabi to this world class festival of fashion.

Sponsored by ALDAR, Mubadala, Etihad and Emirates Palace, the four day Abu Dhabi Fashion Week is the result of an alliance between Maven and Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (the organizers of Milan Fashion Week) and is one of the initiatives being taken by Maven in Abu Dhabi to create a new value added hub for the fashion industry in the region. It is a glamorous, business driven international event that is rapidly becoming a key focus point for the regional fashion industry.

The success of the Abu Dhabi Fashion Week strategy can be seen by the great enthusiasm which greeted the debut of Milia Maroun and her Milia M Collection on the runways of Milano where in February 2008, Milia became the first ever Arabian Designer to show at the Milano Fashion Week. Alice Teeuwen of Maven commented: “This is just the beginning; there is enormous creative talent in this region. The role of Abu Dhabi Fashion Week is simply to provide a showcase and an infrastructure to help this talent to express itself and develop. In time, we hope to take many more regional designers to the great international shows”.

Alongside the formal Sponsors, the Abu Dhabi Fashion Week has drawn enormous support from within the UAE and from the region. The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and the Office of the Brand of Abu Dhabi are keen supporters. Key strategic support has also being given by the Abu Dhabi Women’s General Union, under the presidency of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, with whom the Abu Dhabi Fashion Week has signed a long term agreement focused on recognizing and fostering the fashion talent and knowledge in the women of Abu Dhabi. The first fruits of this collaboration will be the appearance of a Collection developed by the students of Sheikh Zayed Private Academy at the Abu Dhabi Fashion Week: 'The Designers of Tomorrow'.

James Khazaei, Director of Sales for ALDAR, the Foundation Sponsor for the Event, said: “The work of ALDAR is summed up by the phrase ‘Building the Nation’ and most of what we do is focused on creating world-class property developments such as Al Raha Beach and the Central Market, but we also seek to support other initiatives, like the Abu Dhabi Fashion Week, that share our vision and ambition for the future of Abu Dhabi”. Source