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Dubai Fashion Week took the next step in its plan to become a global platform this season — shifting its dates forward by a month. It hopes this, plus an eclectic mix of designers and a line-up of off-runway events, will help to catch the global industry’s attention.
High-spend Dubai is already on the radar of most international brands when it comes to retail. However, while a growing regional fashion community looks forward to Dubai Fashion Week (DFW), it still lags far behind the ‘big four’ when it comes to global reach.
Here are our key takeaways.
Betting on earlier dates
Now in its fourth season (as an evolution of Arab Fashion Week), DFW has typically taken place mid-October in the past. This edition, which ran from 1 to 7 September, made it one of the first out of the gates this season — starting a day after Ukrainian Fashion Week, on the same day as Tokyo and one day ahead of the first of the big four: New York.
“Choosing these dates allows us to position Dubai as a trendsetter, leading the way for the season’s fashion narrative. It also boosts Dubai’s reputation as a top global fashion destination,” says Jacob Abrian, CEO of the Arab Fashion Council, which co-founded the event in partnership with Dubai Design District (D3), a purpose-built business park for the creative industry under the UAE-based Tecom Group. “It enables our participating designers to engage buyers and investors earlier in the year and benefit more meaningfully from DFW’s platform,” adds Khadija Al Bastaki, SVP of D3.
Some local designers say they faced challenges in meeting the earlier deadline, particularly given that Italy and France effectively closed down for the summer in August. However, the gamble appeared to pay off: buyers from every major store in Dubai — from Bloomingdale’s to That Concept Store — attended shows, as did some prominent international retailers, including Net-a-Porter and Italy’s Modes, which operates stores across Italy, France and Switzerland.
Retailers agree that it is an important platform, certainly in the region. “Our buyers use DFW as an opportunity to engage directly with designers, see new collections up close and get a sense of the latest local trends and shifts in the market. This first-hand experience is essential — it helps us make informed decisions about which brands and designers will best complement our store’s blend of regional and international offerings,” says Fahed Ghanim, CEO of lifestyle at Majid Al Futtaim (MAF), which operates multi-retail destination That Concept Store.
Caterina Ercoli, chief commercial officer of Modes, has been attending DFW since its inception. “With factors like changing consumer behaviour, rising prices and the lack of novelty and innovation in luxury brands, buyers are looking for more new designers. We’re seeking something exclusive and exciting, with a realistic price range and profit margin to impress our customer base and community,” she says. “I’ve got some local designers on my radar.”
Designers seemed buoyed by the date change. “DFW has fostered strong relationships with both regional and international buyers, but when our fashion week was in October they would say their budgets were already spent. This new timing gives us a better chance,” says Mariam Yehia, founder of Dubai-based occasionwear brand Mrs Keepa, which has accumulated a local cult following. Yehia hopes the new schedule will not only make it easier to secure more retail partnerships, but also encourage more regional designers to support the platform. Mrs Keepa is entering Bloomingdale’s Dubai for the first time through a pop-up; Yehia notes that the initial conversation started at DFW last season. The earlier date also gives designers an extra month to approach global buyers.
A melting pot of creators
Dubai is a city increasingly on the radar of the international fashion industry — a proudly Arab fashion capital with a high expatriate population. Unlike other fashion weeks in the Global South, such as India’s Lakmé Fashion Week or Lagos Fashion Week in Nigeria, DFW attracts a global mix of designers.
There were 30 brands on the schedule this season, up from 25 last time around. Alongside local names like Mrs Keepa, Dubai-based Filipino couture designer Michael Cinco and size-inclusive designer Dima Ayad, is talent from Europe, South America and Africa. Malaysia’s Rizman Ruzaini and Paris-based Weinsanto have become regulars on the DFW schedule.
Making its DFW debut this season was India-based label Irth. Co-founder and co-creative director Mohit Rai sees Dubai as a centre of the world, offering easy access to both the East and the West: “From a business point of view, Dubai has the potential to become one of our strongest customer bases.”
For the first time, the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) showcased 25 small and medium-sized relatively unknown Italian brands in a presentation titled ‘La Moda Italiana’. Lorenzo Fanara, ambassador of Italy to the UAE, says: “We have chosen Dubai Fashion Week as it is the industry’s only official platform in the UAE, part of the international calendar alongside New York, London, Milan and Paris.” ITA believes Dubai — with its huge appetite for fashion — will appreciate these European labels.
Spanish premium brand Adolfo Domínguez returned to DFW with a presentation (last season it held a runway show). “Dubai is a natural fashion city with great potential for premium brands that offer well-made, aesthetically pleasing clothes at a better price than luxury brands,” says the brand’s executive director Adriana Domínguez. She adds that DFW is an excellent platform for premium brands to tell their stories and engage with customers.
Dubai Fashion Week selects one international luxury brand as the “guest of honour” each year: for this edition, it was Roberto Cavalli (last season was Carolina Herrera). “Our decision to feature major international designers like Roberto Cavalli goes beyond simply attracting attention; it reflects Dubai’s deep-rooted identity as a luxury capital,” says a DFW spokesperson. Al Bastaki adds that, “Cavalli’s participation brings even more attention to DFW, reinforcing the event’s position as the region’s leading fashion event.”
Modes’s Ercoli believes that having a guest designer elevates the week, but suggests that DFW should look at growing its number of regional participants. “My expectation for the future is to see more regional established designers participate,” she says.
Commerce meets culture
DFW is expanding beyond runway presentations. MAF’s Ghanim says the event has become “a broader platform for engagement, a network that supports the growth of regional talent while attracting international interest”. This edition saw fashion masterclasses from Meta Middle East and North Africa on the power of social media, while UAE jewellery house Bil Arabi launched its latest collection ‘Najlaa’ at culinary hotspot Chez Wam. “DFW has evolved into more than just a series of runway shows — it’s a celebration of our region’s rich culture and creativity,” says Bil Arabi creative director Nadine Kanso.
Mrs Keepa also embraced innovation by presenting a fashion film titled Need Therapy, which explores the emotional toll of working in the fashion industry. “My label is about more than outfits; it’s about storytelling, and I was excited to partner with Vox Cinema on this. Again, this introduction was made through the DFW team,” says Yehia.
While there’s no question whether DFW has to play catch-up with other fashion weeks, it is nimble and innovative — and could therefore stand the test of time. Yehia says: “It’s still early days — we’re not where New York or even London is yet, but it’s a start.”
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