Ramp it up! All about Dubai Fashion Week 2024
Watch creativity and fashion come together to spark inspiration in couture at Dubai Fashion Week 2024! The Womenswear Fall/Winter 2024/25 showcase will take place from February 4 to February 8, 2024 at Dubai Design District.
DFW 2024 will further cement Dubai’s place on the global fashion map alongside landmark design destinations such as Paris, Milan and New York. Let’s dive into the event’s key highlights and what/who you should be looking out for.
History and Vision
The Arab Fashion Council (AFC) and Dubai Design District (D3) founded Dubai Fashion Week in 2014. Formerly known as Arab Fashion Week, it has become an iconic event that fashion enthusiasts look forward to. It has become a platform to showcase creativity and innovation in fashion in the region.
The Arab Fashion Council represents 22 countries and aims to create an Arab Fashion Economy, i.e. an infrastructure for fashion in the MENA region that will help position it as an industry leader. According to their strategy, they see the Arab Northern African countries as the ‘raw materials cluster’, Levant Middle East countries as the ‘garment manufacturing cluster’, and the Arab Gulf countries as the ‘marketing and merchandise cluster.’ And that’s where Dubai comes in, a brand-new destination for fashion and art.
This year, we will see one week of women’s fashion in February.
Dates and Venue
The first edition of Dubai Fashion Week will be held at the Dubai Design District (D3). D3 is known for its unique approach to architecture and recreation in the city and is brimming with fashion houses.
Dubai Fashion Week 2024 will be held from February 4 to February 8, 2024. This is the first time it will commence before the shows in New York, London, Milan and Paris.
What To Expect
In the past, The Dubai Design Week (under its previous name) has created several ripples in the industry by introducing menswear showcases and a runway for plus-size models.
Big names showcasing their work include Carolina Herrera, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Antonio Marras. Striking designs will be featured from Amato Couture, BOUGUESSA, CAR|2IE, HIAN TJEN and many more. At the last DFW show in October 2023, the iconic supermodel walked the runway, representing Rizman Ruzaini’s work.
Designers can showcase their work at the acclaimed Paris Fashion Week, under the Arab Fashion Council’s exclusive showroom and presentation at the event in Paris. There is an online form for designers to apply for this exciting opportunity.
The organisers also invite photographers, models, and interns — all of which can be applied for on their website.
Along with the fashion showcases, several events will be held across the city, including workshops, exhibitions, launches and pop-ups. Please note that the official calendar of events will be released shortly. If you’re in the fashion industry, this is your chance to network and learn through insightful panel discussions.
FAQs
Can I participate in Dubai Fashion Week 2024?
If you’re a part of the fashion industry, you can register your attendance for Dubai Fashion Week. You can register as a ‘buyer’ if you’re a fashion buyer or a ‘press’ if you’re a journalist.
How can I walk the runway in Dubai?
To participate in fashion events in Dubai, you must get your name out as a model. You must develop a modelling portfolio and register with an agency to do so. Several modelling agencies in Dubai offer modelling and runway opportunities for budding models.
How does the Fall-Winter collection differ from the Summer-Spring collection?
A popular misconception is that the names of the seasons allude to fashion for a specific weather. For example, warmer clothes for winter collections. In reality, these names offer a ‘timeline’ for design houses (and their stakeholders, including manufacturers, logistics providers, and distributors) to plan the release of their designs.
Typically, spring-summer is from January to June, and fall-winter (or autumn-winter) is from July to December. Please note that this is not the same for fashion weeks. On the other hand, clothing brands in Dubai and fast fashion retailers may follow seasonal schedules to release their collections.
Since Fashion Week is supposed to showcase the latest trends, spring-summer collections are showcased in September and fall-winter in March. This sets the trends for the next year’s seasons.
Where is Dubai Design District?
Dubai Design District is located between Al Ain-Dubai Road (E66) and Financial Centre Road (D71). Ras Al Khor Road (E44) is towards the south of the area. The nearest metro stations are the Financial Centre Metro Station and Dubai Mall/Burj Khalifa Metro Station.
“Fashion is the armour to survive the reality of everyday life,” said Bill Cunningham, renowned American photographer. This is an apt quote for what we feel about this exciting annual celebration in Dubai.
The fashion world is being taken by storm as more artists from Dubai are taking the spotlight with their brilliant ideas. Stay tuned as we share more updates from the event right here, on MyBayut – the UAE’s favourite property and lifestyle blog!
(Cover image credit: Michael Cinco collection, Dubai Fashion Week website)
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Happy to know the upcoming event in advance, and glad about the deatils 👏