As Milan is gearing up for the EXPO 2015, which will see a
transformation of the Italian fashion capital its landscape, Dubai is
next in line for EXPO its 2020 edition. That’s not all the two twin
towns have in common however. The recently concluded second edition of
Vogue Italia’s Fashion Dubai Experience, in partnership with
Dubai-based real estate development company Emaar, showed there is a
long-term bromance in the making between two cities in which glamour and
good looks make for a billion dollar industry.
Dubai governing bodies are aiming for the emirate to become a global fashion hub by 2020, at par with New York, Paris, and not to forget, Milan. This Dubai Fashion 2020 strategic plan, will see a vast sum of money being invested into the sectors of retail, manufacturing and design. In the meantime, Emaar is investing in the three-day fashion event headed by Italian Vogue, which gives the city that is home to world’s tallest man-made structure the needed dose of fashion credibility.
What all started with Emaar chairman Mohammed Alabbar flying into Milan for a meeting with Italian Vogue editor-in-chief Franca Sozzani, has quickly grown into one of the industry’s most prestigious fashion events, which boasts appearances by platinum-selling recording artists and leading names in Italian fashion. It’s a win-win. Dubai gets mentioned within the context of fashion, while aforementioned designers have the opportunity to endorse their brand in the city that commands a 60 per cent market share of the UAE luxury goods market, according to Bain & Company reports. Alabbar explained how his penchant for all that is Italian, has everything to do with a project he is currently working on, that is yet to be revealed.
New to this year’s Fashion Dubai Experience, were the lectures given by renowned designers including Alberta Ferretti, Roberto Cavalli and Emilio Pucci Creative Director Peter Dundas. These Fashion Talks all found place at a hotel named after yet another Italian household name: Armani. Whereas Ferretti focused her lecture around the know-how of Italian craftsmen, Dundas revealed an Emilio Pucci menswear project is in the making for next year, and Cavalli discussed his love affair with accentuating female curves.
At that very same Armani Hotel (another production by Emaar, built inside the tall standing Burj Khalifa) a group of emerging designers from Italy and other parts of the world, had the opportunity to showcase their designs for two days, to international press and potential buyers.
“We keep talking about the young generation its potential. Instead of just talking about their potential, we must create opportunities for them and put money on the table,” Italian Vogue’s Franca Sozzani tells me, when we meet in the lounge area on the Dubai Mall its top floor. “Young people are like plants, after you nurture them they will grow. They’ll have good days, they’ll have bad days – but you must invest in them. I thank the city of Dubai for giving us a platform to promote young talent, while also creating the necessary funds to realize this.”
With half of Milan’s fashion enclave present in the Middle East, a red carpet event was inevitable. A charity gala dinner in partnership with the World Food Program saw Valentino designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli in attendance, alongside Grammy-award winning artist Janet Jackson, accompanied by Qatari billionaire husband Wissam Al Mana. Each table at the charity gala was bought by a designer, for a minimum sum which exceeded $24,000.
Though Italy was fairly represented throughout the entire gala event
(as well as during the after party at Roberto Cavalli’s Just Cavalli
nightclub), performances were given by singers hailing from the US, UK,
Tunisia, France and South Africa, with world’s largest choreographed
fountain system in the backdrop. The idea behind the women-only
performances, was that “Every woman has a voice, regardless of where she
comes from,” Sozzani explained.
Whether Dubai will grow into a proper fashion counterpart of Milan by 2020 remains to be seen. But in an industry known for celebrating youth and lavish living, a city that is less than 50 years old with massive oil reserves, might stand a chance at becoming the next great fashion hub.
Dubai governing bodies are aiming for the emirate to become a global fashion hub by 2020, at par with New York, Paris, and not to forget, Milan. This Dubai Fashion 2020 strategic plan, will see a vast sum of money being invested into the sectors of retail, manufacturing and design. In the meantime, Emaar is investing in the three-day fashion event headed by Italian Vogue, which gives the city that is home to world’s tallest man-made structure the needed dose of fashion credibility.
Vogue Italia editor Franca Sozzani and Emaar chairman Mohammed Alabbar, at the Fashion Dubai Experience (Photo credits: Getty)
What all started with Emaar chairman Mohammed Alabbar flying into Milan for a meeting with Italian Vogue editor-in-chief Franca Sozzani, has quickly grown into one of the industry’s most prestigious fashion events, which boasts appearances by platinum-selling recording artists and leading names in Italian fashion. It’s a win-win. Dubai gets mentioned within the context of fashion, while aforementioned designers have the opportunity to endorse their brand in the city that commands a 60 per cent market share of the UAE luxury goods market, according to Bain & Company reports. Alabbar explained how his penchant for all that is Italian, has everything to do with a project he is currently working on, that is yet to be revealed.
New to this year’s Fashion Dubai Experience, were the lectures given by renowned designers including Alberta Ferretti, Roberto Cavalli and Emilio Pucci Creative Director Peter Dundas. These Fashion Talks all found place at a hotel named after yet another Italian household name: Armani. Whereas Ferretti focused her lecture around the know-how of Italian craftsmen, Dundas revealed an Emilio Pucci menswear project is in the making for next year, and Cavalli discussed his love affair with accentuating female curves.
At that very same Armani Hotel (another production by Emaar, built inside the tall standing Burj Khalifa) a group of emerging designers from Italy and other parts of the world, had the opportunity to showcase their designs for two days, to international press and potential buyers.
“We keep talking about the young generation its potential. Instead of just talking about their potential, we must create opportunities for them and put money on the table,” Italian Vogue’s Franca Sozzani tells me, when we meet in the lounge area on the Dubai Mall its top floor. “Young people are like plants, after you nurture them they will grow. They’ll have good days, they’ll have bad days – but you must invest in them. I thank the city of Dubai for giving us a platform to promote young talent, while also creating the necessary funds to realize this.”
With half of Milan’s fashion enclave present in the Middle East, a red carpet event was inevitable. A charity gala dinner in partnership with the World Food Program saw Valentino designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli in attendance, alongside Grammy-award winning artist Janet Jackson, accompanied by Qatari billionaire husband Wissam Al Mana. Each table at the charity gala was bought by a designer, for a minimum sum which exceeded $24,000.
Milan’s fashion enclave poses for a picture at the VFDE charity gala dinner. (Photo Credits: Getty)
Whether Dubai will grow into a proper fashion counterpart of Milan by 2020 remains to be seen. But in an industry known for celebrating youth and lavish living, a city that is less than 50 years old with massive oil reserves, might stand a chance at becoming the next great fashion hub.
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