In early October of this year, the largest fashion event in the Middle East, Dubai Fashion Week, was held at the Godolphine Ballroom in the Jumeirah Emirates Tower. Dubai has long been a leader in the fashion world, with its most exquisite collections of clothes and shoes presented by the most eminent designers and fashion designers from around the world. At the Weekly Fashion Show, spectators, buyers, representatives of international media and industry professionals presented the best collections of the spring-summer 2009 season for young and eminent designers from the UAE, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent.
The first day
The opening of Dubai Fashion Week began with a show of oriental collections of traditional headscarves (sheila) and Arabic women's outerwear (abaya) Monyati - the leading UAE fashion house. Experimental collections presented unusual combinations of tradition and modernity. Abaya, made in the style of Japanese kimonos with gold embroidered patterns, exotic paintings and precious stones, as well as decorated with wide multi-colored straps and long sleeves, captivated all those present, especially local fashion fans.
Next was shown the playful collection of Lebanese designer Nili Zahar, represented by bright mixed colors, which were dominated by orange, green, cream, pink and red shades. Models appeared in the images of “Space Cowboy”, “Ballerina”, “Fallen Angel”. Bright corsets and corsages, long and puffy skirts in feathers, rhinestones and coins, complemented the indispensable attributes of the spring-summer seasons - handbags, bracelets, necklaces and sunglasses.
Sobia Nazir's collection has become one of the most feminine, airy and glamorous at Dubai Fashion Week. A transparent caftan, lowered on one shoulder and worn over a short painted dress, gave along the appearance of a Pakistani folk costume. Simple feminine silhouettes, rich fabrics of pink, coral, golden and scarlet shades, and unique hats with bright colors allowed to reveal the romanticism of the designer.
Long dresses by Maryam Al Mazro with amazing geometric, floral and bizarre patterns on silk and chiffon won over with their lightness and ease. In 2007, Maryam introduced her own Mimi brand in the Middle East market.
Perhaps the most famous oriental couturier - Lebanese designer Valid Atalla once again confirmed his "star" status, completing the first day of Dubai Fashion Week. The audience was presented with a collection of evening and wedding dresses of indescribable beauty in the spirit of the world's most beloved melodrama Gone with the Wind. Long and magnificent dresses, with manual embroidery with gold and silver threads, studded with precious stones, simply struck the audience with their sophistication and splendor. Applause! A curtain!
Second day
The second day of the Week was marked by the shows of leading Indian designers. KashMIRI fashion boutique presented an amazing collection of Indian fashion designer Taruna Tahiliani. Here flirty cocktail dresses mixed with traditional Indian saris of golden and red shades. The Tahiliani collection will be on display at KashMIRI's first flagship store in Souk Al Bahar, a prestigious Downtown Burj Dubai district.
For the first time, seven young designers presented their fashion collections as part of the Splash Emerging Talent Show program. Hollywood luxury and glamor, ballroom, evening and cocktail dresses surprised many with its simplicity and grace, and also received approving reviews from professional and experienced couturiers.
Two fashion designers from India - Charu Parashar and Raakhi Raipanchola - held a joint fashion show. The Raipanchola collection for young girls was presented with bright mini-dresses made of cotton and official cocktail dresses that tighten the figure. Thanks to such small details as buttons, pockets, borders and unusual necklines, Raipanchola showed the public its playful side. The Parashar collection, consisting of summer light dresses, was created specifically for "modern princesses." Thanks to the latest digital printing technologies on fabric, complex images of plants and animals in blue, pink and green colors were reproduced.
Designer Jenny Rose presented a collection of bathing suits, beach caftans and tunics in blue, yellow and orange chiffon and silk, decorated with multi-colored precious stones. Fashion designer Troy Costa pleased men with his casual collection for every day: T-shirts, light jackets with one or two buttons, tight-fitting trousers, in which light gray and blue shades prevailed. And finally, Mumbai Se, a haute couture and stylish lifestyle store, presented the “compositions” of the three most famous Indian designers: Rana Gil with a collection of short tunics and dresses; Ren Tandona, who preferred chiffon fabrics and Vikram Pkhadnisa with male and female collections, which are in constant demand among the stars of Bollywood (Indian "dream factory").
Day three
And again he! The day began with a KashMIRI women's clothing boutique showing collections of three designers from Middle Eastern countries. HSY's Destination line of women’s clothing is reflected in the countries the designer visited last year. The debut show of the young designer Ashima-Lina pleased with elegant dresses in a classic red-black combination. The collections of two designers were complemented by bags, belts and jewelry from Mira Mahadevia.
Dubai Fashion Week partner Kurt Geiger opened his show with an energetic dance and presented three vibrant youth collections, broken down by themes: Super Hero, Secretary, and Rose. Kurt paid special attention to shoes of various heights, including biker and cowboy boots, long beauforts, ankle boots and ankle boots with golden zippers. Lamia Asuadari presented a collection of dresses, multi-colored leggings, blouses and cardigans, and Hatim Alakil pleased the guests of the show with male and female collections. Moreover, the men's collection was presented by the traditional clothing of the Arabian population - kandura - a wide long shirt of blue, silver, beige and white colors.
Stylish clothing store Luxecouture completed another day dedicated to the latest fashion trends, and presented a collection of women's clothing and accessories from twenty of the best New York designers. Many-colored dresses, short shorts, and bright miniskirts are today, according to young Americans, the most fashionable attributes of American fashionistas, and now, without a doubt, Dubai girls too. Voila!
Day four
Designers Buffy Jashanmal and Alika Carrano opened the fourth final day of Dubai Fashion Week and presented bright and, at the same time, elegant outfits for lovely ladies. And if the theme of the “eastern fairy” was traced in Carrano’s dresses, then Jasanmal’s collection was of a childish character.
Dubai-based designer Salma Khan introduced elegant short cocktail and long evening dresses, which intertwined Western and Pakistani styles. Luxurious evening models mesmerized with their green, silver and yellow shades. Evening chiffon dresses from Aisha Ramadan surprised with their unsurpassed grace. The designer paid special attention to the deep neckline on her back, which in her opinion makes the woman more attractive and sensual.
Couturier Amber Feroz and Rabia showed what an Islamic woman looks like in the modern Muslim world. Modernized sheyls and abayas made of silk, chiffon, crepe and polyester in saturated colors: yellow, pink and lilac, without a doubt, pleased fashionistas. A variety of patterns, embroideries and rhinestones, as well as picturesque sash belts complemented the outfits.
Well-known designer Essa completed the Dubai Fashion Week with a collection dedicated to the canonical singer of the Middle East, Oum Kultoum. A huge variety of fabrics - silk, chiffon, wrinkled velvet, taffeta and brocade were reflected in long dresses in the style of the 50s and once again proved that everything new is well forgotten old.
Back stage ... or look behind the scenes
The past Dubai Fashion Week, once again demonstrated that oriental styling is increasingly gaining ground on the world fashion Olympus, seriously affecting the whole of Western culture. And the opinion of many famous couturiers about Dubai, as being born today before our eyes, the fifth capital of world fashion, along with Paris, Milan, New York and Moscow, once again found its confirmation in the stunning fashion shows of all designers and in the interest that was shown to this event, both by specialists and by the general public.
The official make-up artist of Dubai Fashion Week was the company L'Oreal, hairstyles were performed by the best masters from the Dessange salon. It is worth saying thanks to the initiators, and the organizers, and the sponsors of the show, which is becoming more and more professional, which means that we still have many discoveries.
That is it, Dubai. And it seems that this is only the beginning ...
