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October and November are known as fashion’s events season in the Gulf. However, over the past few days, a growing number of planned events have been postponed or cancelled following the attack by militant group Hamas on Israel on 7 October, and subsequent declaration of war.
Across the Middle East, the fashion industry is scrabbling to respond amid one of its busiest seasons for both trade and consumer events. Trade events have largely forged ahead: Dubai Fashion Week, which kicked off on 9 October and is ongoing, has not yet announced a change to its schedule, and Riyadh Fashion Week (20-23 October) said was planning to proceed. “At the moment, we do not plan to postpone Riyadh Fashion Week. This trade event is intended to nurture the emerging fashion sector by connecting Saudi brands with local and international buyers,” said a spokesperson for the organiser, Saudi Arabia’s Fashion Commission, over the weekend.
The Fashion Trust Arabia (FTA) Awards, due to take place on 25 October, announced last week that it would postpone. “After careful consideration and due to the situation unfolding in the Middle East, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the Fashion Trust Arabia Awards ceremony that was set to take place in Doha, Qatar, on 25 October,” said Tania Fares, co-founder and co-chair of FTA, in a statement. “We believe that, given the current situation in the region, it would be inconsiderate to proceed with our event.”
On Wednesday, Vogue Arabia announced it was postponing a party it had planned for 13 October to mark the launch of ‘Design in Dubai’, a concept that brings local creatives such as Elie Saab, Bil Arabi and Andrea Wazen together to shine a light on the growing connection between fashion and interiors in the region. Vogue Arabia cited “the deeply saddening situation in the region, resulting in the loss of innocent lives”. Nadine Kanso, founder of Bil Arabi says: “We need to be mindful of what is happening in the region. Of course, we all understand that business must go on, but this is not a time for celebrations.” A private dinner still took place; Vogue Arabia said it would use the event to support the non-profit Doctors Without Borders, which is working to aid innocent civilians in the affected area.
YSL Beauty also decided to cancel an event it had planned for this week, and Marina Rinaldi called off the launch party for its new collaboration with Dubai-based size-inclusive designer Dima Ayad (on 16 October).
Some companies are taking a business-as-usual approach. On Thursday night, Chanel hosted an intimate dinner for the opening of ‘Chanel, A Journey into the Allure’, an exhibition taking place from 12-22 October. A “meet the designer” event with Magda Butrym at Dubai s THAT the Concept store, slated for next week on 17 October, is also currently continuing as planned.
Postponing events is a sensible move, says Rania Masri El Khatib, a brand and luxury advisor. “During these sad and tragic times, where we are witnessing loss of life every minute on social media, I have not only decided to stop attending current events, but I have also advised PR managers, agencies, and brands to delay any celebrations at the risk of appearing tone-deaf and losing the respect of their audiences. Today, more than ever, customers are following and purchasing from brands that share their values. This is a very sensitive time for many, and celebrations and an overt display of extravagance will be ill-received.”
However, another brand consultant (who prefers not to be named) believes brands need not postpone events and points to the fact that sales are still strong in the region, saying: “I am advising brands to be sensitive to the situation by perhaps aligning with a charity doing the right humanitarian support instead of just cancelling an event. … The recent escalation needs to be noted by brands in a mature manner rather than a knee-jerk reaction.”
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