Fashion, the abaya and beyond

Words

Heather Bloom And Madeleine Swain

Sink into exquisite silks and fall in love with delicate hand-woven fabrics made with the finest quality thread and formed into couture masterpieces by world-class designers. You can be sure that each treasure brought back from Dubai will be a uniquely crafted garment of undeniable grace and beauty.

A popular tourist destination, Dubai is a global hotspot and regarded as an essential stopover for the avid shopper. Visitors should look beyond the tax-free items and discounted gold to find the thriving fashion metropolis just below Dubai’s sandy surface.

Dubai is home to some of the world’s largest and most elaborate shopping malls, so it’s no wonder its locals are well-versed in international designers. With the likes of Fendi, Gucci and other big name labels situated here, shoppers happily while away many hours in the cool air-conditioned havens of these retail centres.

Among the coveted international brands are many Middle Eastern designers, such as Elie Saab, KBT Concept, Fatema Fardan and Abeer Al Suwaidi incorporating Arabic influences into their designs and shaking up traditional garments to great effect. Innovative designs of the iconic abaya (a traditional long robe generally worn with a headscarf) are causing a stir among locals and the new take on familiar Arabic wear has begun

Roi Du Lac

The spring and summer of 2021 saw the launch of this brand’s very first collections in the Middle East, at Dubai’s Bulgari Yacht Club. Based in Rome, the home decor and ready-to wear brand was founded by Marco Kinloch and Antea Brugnoni in 2016. French for ‘king of the lake’, the brand name was inspired by Kinloch’s Scottish surname. Kinloch, who started his career with an eponymous luxury brand of hand-painted Italian silk scarves and ties, has his dreamy, hand-drawn illustrations printed on paper, fabrics and ceramics. Produced in Italy, the collection features loungewear, silk shirts, kaftans, wallpapers, candles, scarves and more. Kinloch’s heritage and Brugnoni’s worldly upbringing in Malaysia, Morocco, the Middle East and Sicily help inform the brand’s aesthetics.

Naseej Concept Store, Shop 70 The Gate Avenue Mall Tel: +971 4 362 2222 www.difc.ae to reach Western stores in a trendsetting global phenomenon.

Perhaps the best representation of Dubai’s fashion prowess is disclosed in the biannual Dubai

Fashion Week (DFW). Usually held in April (autumn/ winter collections) and October (spring/summer collections), this is an event not to be missed by any serious fashionista and the next iteration is due to take place on 12 November 2021.

Part of Fashion Week’s fanfare includes displaying up-and-coming artists in the Emerging Designer Awards and showing off local designers to a crowd of trade and industry representatives.

Held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, the event is so exclusive that entry can only be granted by invitation, so if you’re not part of the who’s who of the fashion world, sneaking in via an oversized Hermès Birkin may be your only option… If recent DFW shows are anything to go by, the current collections will be sure to have temperatures rising, especially as local designer Rabia Z (a former Emerging Designer Award winner and one of the world’s most influential Arab personalities) takes her latest collection to the runway fresh from preview on the international catwalks.

Rabia Z’s collection is based on the idea that modern Arabian women can be both fashion conscious and conservative, and this concept is winning her many international fans. Her first collection, Ruby, was inspired by Middle Eastern traditions and she has continued to design a range of garments that are both practical and fashionable. From sportswear to work clothes, Rabia Z designs have eliminated the distance between fashion and faith, while maintaining a classic style that is beloved the world over.

The concept of bringing Arabian fashion into the international market is echoed throughout Dubai’s local collections, and there are several key players in this mission to put the Middle East on par with the largest fashion houses in the world.

Emirati fashion pioneer Abeer Al Suwaidi believes that the global perception of Middle Eastern clothing, in particular the abaya, is shifting from a traditional representation to a fashion statement. This has been seen with designers moving away from the traditional black abaya to using colour. Al Suwaidi, along with the likes of Rabia Z (who famously added a pink jumpsuit and headscarf to her collection), includes detailed embellishments on her designs, while playing with the cut and drapery of time-honoured garment models.

Al Suwaidi’s signature item from her brand USH is the ‘skinny’ abaya. Imagine the Western

Oscar De La Renta

MOscar de la Renta is one of the world’s leading luxury goods companies. The New Yorkbased company was established in 1965, and encompasses a full line of women’s accessories, bridal wear, children’s wear, fragrances, beauty products and home goods, in addition to its internationally renowned women’s ready-towear collection. The design house is built on the foundation of femininity, craftsmanship and timeless style.

The Dubai Mall, G Level, Fashion Avenue Tel: +971 4 339 9005 www.oscardelarenta.com world’s ‘skinny’ jeans with an Arabic twist. Al Suwaidi sees the abaya as a vehicle in which to celebrate femininity, and her designs play with colour, texture and shape to transform garments into elegant items of clothing that confidently display the fashion-forward, modern face of Dubai.

Along with Al Suwaidi’s Emirati counterparts is German/Arab designer Mona Fares, whose label Neon Edge presents collections that reflect her hometown, Dubai. Infused with bright colours and exotic silks, Fares’ designs have been inspired by the vibrant nature of Dubai in a beautiful expression of her birthplace. Recently, she launched the Friendship collection, celebrating glorious midnight blues, regal purples, delicate offwhites and glamorous headscarves.

In an effort to capitalise on the lucrative audience captivated by the modern changes being made to traditional garments, the world’s largest fashion houses are now creating designs specifically for this market. Both Gucci and Hermès have designed a line of headscarves, while many designers are experimenting with made-tomeasure abayas.

There is no way to avoid the fact that Dubai’s spectacular setting is enhanced by its gorgeous local and international garments, and so, if the beauty of this city doesn’t take your breath away, then the stunning fashion certainly will.

From the catwalks of the world to the streets of the style capitals, Dubai has its finger on the pulse of everything that’s hot in the world of high fashion. From Armani and Hugo Boss to Escada, Corneliani and so many more… if you’re looking to look good, Dubai is the destination for you.