Shining the spotlight: Fashion Week 2021

Intricate designs, sparkling sequins and opulent creativity caught our fancy at the recently concluded Fashion Week 2021 that took place at the IMG Worlds of Adventure in Dubai. Trends and theatre took centre stage at this three-day event which was curated with the right mix of design talent and high quality of production. With the aim of celebrating local fashion in the MENA region, the line-up of designers participating were Rabia Z and Ameera Ahli (House of IKAT), Angelo Estera, Varoin Marwah, Behnoode, Atelier Zuhra, Nivedita Saboo, Rocky S, Victor Closet, Limak by Kamil, Lara Fashion, Muhammad Noman Ansari, and Amato by Furne One.

The highlight of the event was the opening show sponsored by Raza Beig, CEO of Splash Fashion, in keeping with his continued commitment to shine the light on emerging talent. Splash’s partnership with Fashion Week Dubai marked the beginning of a long term commitment for a show that provides a unique stage to aspiring young designers.  At this special segment fashion schools showcased their talent. The top three students got a chance to custom make a collection that was presented on the ramp. “The organisers wanted Splash to sponsor the ‘Emerging talent’ which we have always done. I was more than happy to put up my own collection. The Fashion week showcased my latest spring collection which is currently not in the stores. It is going to be in stores from January onwards”, said Raza Beig, CEO and founder of Dubai’s high-street brand Splash Fashion. “Splash’s collection at Fashion week Dubai was all about garden romance. Our emphasis was a lot about promoting regional collection since almost 70% of our  customers are Arabs. That’s the twist we try to bring and of course it was a show where we did a lot of colour blocking. I think that came across very clearly”, said Raza.

Raza has always been very confident about the regional fashion retail space.“The Middle East is almost the Mecca of Fashion because every retailer from all over the world has its presence over here in the best stores with the best selections. It is a magnet for everyone who loves Fashion and wants to set up a base.  He believes that the customer over here has evolved since the last ten years. “We can see the customer tastes changing in terms of clothes, fashion and styling. When I started, I remember there were a lot of tailoring and small boutiques. Today of course with so many fashion houses and designers, it’s easy to identify talent in the Middle East. Discussing about the future plans for Splash, Raza concluded “ I am consolidating a lot of things in the retail aspect of Splash.The emphasis for now is the product development, quality, technology integration, chat bots, e-commerce expansion and most importantly the entire customer experience”. 

Another famous designer participating in the Fashion week was Rocky S. He is one of the leading designers in the Indian fashion industry well-known for his distinctive sense of styling for both men and women. “My collection here at the Fashion Week 2021 in Dubai is the Winter collection. It’s all about enjoying and celebrating life. People have had very tough two years during Covid, so now is the time to sparkle. The inspiration is of course from the Galactic world, the space, the sky and the stars. You will see a lot of shine , glamour and sparkle in the whole collection. The collection is an ode to glamorous women who love going out in the night to party and who are strong, modern and yet mysterious”, said Rocky S. 

Being a successful designer and retailer, and creating his own place with his brand label ‘Rocky S’, the designer has moved up the ladder by expanding his label into bridal couture, club wear, fragrances, home furnishings, skin-care, resto-bars, jeans wear and accessories like handbags. “In the last 2-3 years we have done a lot of brand expansion. I forayed into home furnishings with my brand Rocky Star Home through 8 stores in India. We have a Resto bar in Mumbai called the Rocky Star cocktail bar, we have a skincare line and last couple of month back we launched our jeans wear line in Flipkart. We have made our online presence in the retail space focussed and strong for customers to have a more personalized experience. We have also tied with a lot of other retail stores like Azad, pernia and couple of other brands. A lot of people these days are also buying designer clothes online, so we have made the price fits rights and sizes more familiar. The idea is to expand the brand in every sector”, adds Rocky. 

The closing highlight of the event was Filipino designer Furne One’s ode to the UAE’s Golden Jubilee. A celebration of the UAE’s 50th anniversary, his collection consisted of 50 lavish gold pieces with opulent embellishments presented by 50 models. “I have always tried to create exquisite and ethereal designs tempered with a silent touch of strength. My collections aren’t for the faint-hearted woman, but one who is comfortable in her skin,” said designer Furne One, who launched his label Amato in 2002 in the UAE and has dressed Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Nicki Minaj, Shakira and Nicole Scherzinger, among others. Produced and Organized by Supreme Events in a supportive partnership with Creative Director Kevin Oliver, the Fashion week is a new addition to Dubai’s already bustling fashion calendar, which includes Fashion Forward Dubai, Arab Fashion Week, Middle East Fashion Week, Modest Fashion Week and Arab Men’s Fashion Week.