ARAB FASHION WEEK, May 16th-20^th

THE FIRST AND UNIQUE PLATFORM FOR PRE-COLLECTIONS

While the Arab Fashion Week Ready-Couture & Resort 2018 approaches, Dubai remarks its position as the Fashion Capital for international designers showcasing pre-collections and ready-couture. The aim of the 4th Edition: revolutionize the Fashion Week Calendar and amplifying the creative economy through education.

In the picture from left to right: H.E Cavalier Mario Boselli, Honorary President of both the National Chamber of Italian Fashion and the Arab Fashion Council along to the Consul General of the United Arab Emirates in Milan, H.E Abdullah Hassan Obaid Alshamsi and Mr. Jacob Abrian, Chief Executive Officer of the Council.

Milan, 21 Feb 2017

Arab Fashion Council held a press conference in Milan, on the occasion of opening the Milan Fashion Week. The conference was headed by H.E Cavalier Mario Boselli, Honorary President of both the National Chamber of Italian Fashion and the Arab Fashion Council along to the Chief Executive Officer of the Council, Mr. Jacob Abrian in the presence of the Consul General of the United Arab Emirates in Milan, H.E Abdullah Hassan Obaid Alshamsi and many of the international media; during the conference the Council has launched the 4th of edition of the Arab Fashion Week, which celebrates Dubai as the world’s main capital for the Pre-Collections.

On its 4th Edition, the Arab Fashion Week relaunches and consolidates its unique position as the only platform designed to showcase ready-couture and resort collections. From 16 to 20 May 2017, the Arab Fashion Week Ready-Couture & Resort 2018 will take place in Dubai, at the prestigious Meydan Hotel & Grandstands, attracting designers from all over the World to present their resort collections into a truly exotic destination and to address the appealing luxury consumer of ready-couture. A runway that this year will host one of the most influent Italian designers in the World.

While New York, London, Milan are the Landmark capital for Ready-to-Wear, and Paris for Haute Couture, Dubai pioneers “Ready-Couture”: the platform that was introduced by the Arab Fashion Council to address the luxury client who is increasingly looking for privacy and exclusivity alongside with social responsibility and ecology-care. The mission of “Ready-Couture” is to re-establish a more privileged designer/client relationship, which has been lost with Ready-to-Wear. A model that found in Dubai its most suitable environment, as it addresses perfectly the needs of the Middle Eastern and Asian Markets, where the most affluent clients ask for custom-tailored garments and fine personalisation.

The Arab Fashion Week is also a privileged destination for pre-collections. The impressive infrastructure and the truly exotic flair of Dubai marks the city as the most appealing Fashion Capital for resort collections, which all together make up for the lion’s share of the designer-clothing revenue.

Along with the focus on pre-collections comes the choice to organize the event in May, long after the Fashion Week calendar usually followed by other fashion capitals. Indeed, the main concern of the Arab Fashion Week is to meet the requirements of the fashion industry, addressing buyers who spend 75% of their buying budget on the Pre-Collections. ‘’A new perspective which might be soon followed by other councils, leading to a revolution in the Fashion Week Calendar’’, highlights H.E Cav. Mario Boselli, Honorary President of both the National Chamber of Italian Fashion and Arab Fashion Council.

Second major aim of the Arab Fashion Council is to amplify the creative economy through Education. Prof. Muthanna Abdul Razzaq, President of the American University in the Emirates, has announced the launch of the Masters of Fashion System under the patronage of the Arab Fashion Council, that will be the first of its kind in the world and has launched “4 full scholarships to study in Dubai, Bachelor of Fashion Design and Masters degree”. On the same track, Lavazza has announced the partnership with the Arab Fashion Week for the second year in a row, launching at the same time a design competition which will allow the winner to study both in Dubai and Milan and to participate in the forthcoming Arab Fashion Week. This is a sign of Lavazza’s commitment to the platform and to a further development of a quality-driven narrative in the Gulf.” – states Alessandra Bianco, Chief Public Relations Officer of Lavazza Group – “In line with Lavazza’s pledge to support talents in all the fields that reflect our strive to excellence, we are pleased to launch for the first time in Dubai a design competition in occasion of the upcoming Arab Fashion Week”.

Ultimately, the essence of the 5-days Arab Fashion Week is to offer an industry platform that gathers buyers, UHNWI, and press from around the World.  This year, the fashion week will be kicked off on a special gala dinner set up under the title of Fashion Night Out, where designers will showcase a preview collection for the private invitees from the region’s most important individuals. Over 20 Fashion Shows, VIP Ladies Luncheon, brands showroom, seminars, after-parties along with a Royal Gala dinner, Red Carpets and Fashion Awards will follow. While the last edition registered over 16.000 guests, “the upcoming Arab Fashion Week foresees to achieve an even greater result by adding value to the international fashion system”, comments Jacob Abrian, CEO of the Arab Fashion Council (AFC).

A growth which is welcomed and promoted by the constant support of H.E Cavaliere Mario Boselli, Honorary President of both the National Chamber of Italian Fashion and Arab Fashion Council, who has proudly announced that during the 4th Edition of the Arab Fashion Week “one of the most renowned Italian designers in the World will participate”. Along with a list of increasingly ranked designers.

The Arab Fashion Week is forged by the Arab Fashion Council, the World’s largest non-profit fashion authority representing the 22 Arab country members of the Arab League. It was established in London in 2006 with the License of an International Extraterritorial Authority to develop the Fashion infrastructure and creative economy in the Arab World. It is headed by HE. Cavaliere Mario Boselli who also sits as the Honorary President of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion, organizers of the Milan Fashion Week.