Christian Dior’s presentation of his spring haute couture collection in a circus-themed extravaganza in Dubai reflects the city’s rising profile as a new hotspot on the global fashion map, according to a top official.
The show at Safa Park made Dubai the first city in the Middle East to have hosted a haute couture show.
Dior’s Dubai show augmented its haute couture show first presented in Paris in January 2019, with 15 additional looks created specially to mark the occasion. Among the new looks, Dior’s designers revisited the iconic Bar jacket for the Middle East.
Over the past few years, Dubai has grown in stature both as a regional and international hub for fashion entrepreneurs, stylists, designers and global retail brands.
Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, said: “In choosing Dubai as the second stop for their travelling haute couture fashion show, after Paris, Dior one of the world’s leading fashion labels, has given a resounding endorsement of Dubai as the undisputed fashion hub in the Middle East.
“As Dubai is committed to hosting events of the highest international standards, we are delighted that Dior’s Dream Parade gave connoisseurs of fashion the opportunity to experience an exclusive showcase of the fashion brand’s Haute Couture Spring/Summer 19 collection including 15 pieces that were specially created for the event in Dubai.
“It is also a major achievement for the emirate’s tourism and retail sectors – while reinforcing the reputation of the city as the first choice for global brands and an unparalleled shopping haven, the fact that Dior also flew in some 350 of their clients from around the world to witness the dazzling display of designer fashion, will further boost Dubai’s position as a must-visit tourism destination,” he added.
The UNESCO recently acknowledged Dubai’s rising status on the global creative map by naming it is as a Creative City of Design. Dubai is one of only 24 cities in the world to be part of UNESCO’s Creative Cites Network (UCCN).
A few years ago, Dubai created a stir in the international fashion scene by giving rise to a new genre of fashion that is now being embraced across the world – modest fashion.
Comprising loose, comfortable clothing that is less revealing, modest fashion is today a $44 billion industry, according to a recent report, and is expected to grow rapidly to be worth $327 billion by 2020. Big names such as Dolce & Gabbana, and Tommy Hilfiger have climbed on to the modest-fashion bandwagon by launching their own collections.
To stimulate the growth of this new fashion movement, Dubai hosts the annual Dubai Modest Fashion Week, which attracts designers from across the world. The second edition of the global show held in March featured designers from nearly a dozen countries.
At the heart of Dubai’s aspirations to become a global fashion capital is the Dubai Design District (d3), a creative community that offers purpose-built commercial and retail facilities for both established and emerging designers. Since its opening in 2015, global brands such as Chanel, Dior, BOSS, and Burberry have established bases there.
Also cementing Dubai’s status as a design hub is d3’s Dubai Design Week, the largest creative festival in the Middle East.
Complementing these initiatives to create a flourishing design ecosystem in Dubai is the development of high-quality educational institutions.
The establishment of the College of Fashion and Design (CFD) the first fully accredited college of its kind in the region in 2016, has given aspiring fashion designers in the UAE the opportunity to learn the skills and experiences required to succeed in this robust and ever-changing industry from accomplished industry experts.
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