The 21st Edition of Arab Fashion Week took place this October and featured the spectacular designs of 35 established and upcoming fashion designers. We share our favourite looks from the innovative event which stood out for their attention to detail, impeccable design and overall vision.
Multi-national partners, designers and an array of international media and leaders flocked to Dubai, UAE for the Fall Winter 22/23 Haute Couture and Spring Summer 2023 Ready-to-Wear season of shows which took place at the 21st Edition of the Arab Fashion Week. The spectacular six-day event was held in strategic partnership between the Arab Fashion Council and Dubai Design District (d3) from October 10 to October 15.
The Women’s Arab Fashion Week was divided into three calendars: Fall Winter 22/23 Haute Couture, Spring Summer 2023 Ready-to-Wear, as well as a series of curated events, staged in the city’s art and fashion pulse of d3. The fashion shows featured 35 different designers, representing 22 countries. The new and emerging artists from the UAE, the region and further afield took to the runway showcasing phenomenal designs, fortifying Dubai’s presence as a global fashion hub and international reference for the entire industry.
The week was headlined by the one-of-a-kind collaboration between the world’s most diverse doll, Barbie, and the Lebanese couturier Jean-Louis Sabaji – the first Arab designer to work with the global icon.
The Couture designers who showcased their collections were Dorota Goldpoint (Poland); Stada Boutique (Romania); Rian Fernandez (Philippines); Maison Mada’en (UK-Jordan); Ilse Jara (Paraguay); Euphoria (UAE); All’s (Belarus); Ivan Young (Malaysia); Humariff (UAE; Maliche (UAE); Kel by Elena Kondratova (Ukraine); Pipatchara (Thailand); Mena Talal (Iraq); Lisa Ju (Indonesia); Erick Bendana (Nicaragua); and Ihab Jiryis (Palestine).
The Ready-to-Wear designers included Lili Blanc (UAE); Poca & Poca (Poland); Yassmin Saleh (Lebanon); Vidhi Wadhwani (India); BHYPE (UAE); Emergency Room (Lebanon); Zardouz (Iran); Born in Exile (Libya); Louzan (UAE); and Slimi Studio (UAE).
Rian Fernandez
In a celebratory explosion of colour, embellishments and innovative techniques, Filipino designer Rian Fernandez ignites a new golden age. Known for his couture looks driven by a love for traditional Filipino artisanal craft, he once again constructs a wardrobe for a modern icon. Elaborate bodices, intricate weaving and sultry tassels embraced the female figure, cocooning the fall winter 2023 woman with the sort of unique flair Rian Fernandez is known for.
Dorota Goldpoint
Polish designer Dorota Goldpoint took the audience at d3 on a journey through Poland’s meadows and orchards via a calming palette. Soft, yet bold, she illustrated the feminine spirit of self-aware and ambitious women, channeling female-icons of yesteryear such as Greta Garbo, Coco Chanel, Marlene Dietrich, and Audrey Hepburn – all of whom achieved success in a male dominated world.
Michael Cinco
Rising like the mythical phoenix in the desert, Dubai-based couturier Michael Cinco unleashed a fall winter 2023 couture collection like no other. The Filipino designer who makes red-carpet dreams come true with every artisanal stitch and swathe of satin, once again proved that Dubai is a couture epicenter.
Inspired by the ancient history and culture of Egypt, Cinco built looks that were deeply-rooted in the civilisation’s architecture, aesthetic detail and ancient scriptures. Couture looks were envisaged as architectural masterpieces, lavish in elements from the past. The show dropped the mic with a modern Cleopatra and Mark Antony in full Egyptian regalia made by artisan hands.
Erick Bendaña
One of Latin America’s most prominent designers, Erick Bendaña brought the majesty of the Nicaraguan rainforests to the Arabian shores. In a couture collection marked by meticulously placed flora and feather applique, as well as upbeat red carpet looks emblazoned with indigenous spirited motifs and his ‘Arte Pop’ prints, his ‘Celestial’ collection infused the catwalk with a sense of escapism.
Nihan Peker
Showing in Dubai marks a new chapter for Turkish label Nihan Peker to captivate the couture-loving market here. At Arab Fashion Week, her ‘Golden Age’ collection shined a spotlight on the sort of high-end craftsmanship made possible by Turkish artisans and the Eurasian country’s rich heritage.
Kel by Elena Kondratova
The Ukrainian brand that prides itself on having revolutionized wedding and evening fashion, comes to Arab Fashion Week in search of new retail markets due to the ongoing war. But the ongoing turmoil at home didn’t stop its designer Elena Kondratova from injecting d3 with a potent dose of side slits, plunging necklines and modern goth bride details. Made by Ukrainian seamstresses and tailors, the Kel made a splash at Arab Fashion Week with its intricate accessories – warrior princess face masks fashioned with chains, sequined crowns and veils that conjured the mystery of a bygone era and history’s fabled female icons.
Zardouz
Iranian designer Mohammad Amin Pour Eskandarian’s everyday couture boutique in downtown Tehran visually conveys the everyday impact the Middle East’s crisis has on everyday life. At Arab Fashion Week, velvety, floor sweeping dresses fashioned with hoods and fanciful layers were crafted to facilitate a wide range of movement and activities. On an emotional note, the brand said that its embroidered sewing technique infuses each item with a tree-trunk feel, inspiring viewers here to contemplate the world, beyond the fashion industry.
Louzan
Silk abaya-inspired ensembles awash in a palette of Arabian sunset- to-sunrise colors, sashayed down the runway to the tune of heritage soundtrack. The simplicity of the abaya came to the fore, consciously enhanced with sartorial elements like trench collars, fringe details and innovative textiles and prints like polka dot and architectural tile motifs.
POCA & POCA
Frills, fringe, and feathers were the playful elements that made POCA & POCA’s spring summer “Joy” collection captivating in both spirit and design. Created by Karolina Gniewek-Lewicka and co-founder Wiktor Gniewek, the Polish-made brand infused the day-five roster with a palpable dose of levity with every ruffle. Largely inspired by 50s and 60s fashion, voluminous dresses, blouses with open backs, jumpsuits, and trousers reflected a contemporary, yet timeless new look for a girl who knows how to have fun.
Yassmin Saleh
One would have to look closely to spot the tattooed motifs embedded within the Yassmin Saleh collection. A form of wearable art, the hand-designed artwork reflecting key issues of our time, has become the hallmark of the sister-duo behind the label. At Arab Fashion Week, eco-conscious goddess looks like flowing bohemian dresses and floor-sweeping gowns adorned with organic prints conjured a sense of otherworldliness.
Death by Dolls
London-born, LA-educated Sara Al-Saud’s Death by Dolls runway injected the last day of shows with a Hollywood club vibe. The brand that has dressed megastars like Britney Spears and Beyonce returned to Arab Fashion Week with rule-breaking designs like barely-there bandeau tops and lingerie-inspired ensembles. A child of the punk 80s, Al-Saud continues to stand by her vibrant, bright colours, anything shiny and sparkly, intense textures, even among her more modest looks involving denim jackets and her hijabs.
Stada Boutique
The Romanian designer behind Stada Boutique, who has also made a splash at New York and London fashion weeks, ushered in a new season of escapism and hope, with red carpet looks featuring a language of crystals, delicate embroidery, 40s era necklines and romantic capes – all of which are fit for a modern icon.
Amato
Designer Furne One brought his own light to the runway of d3 through an innovative couture display of darkness. His fall winter 22/23 couture runway show featured an all-black cast of looks characterised by other-worldly-handmade embellishments, — calling to mind the romanticism of vintage Indian costumery. Turbans, capes, feathered shoulders, and molded armor served as the hallmarks of this collection that pushed conventional barriers.
Ilse Jara
Paraguay-born designer Ilse Jara’s showcased her sustainable ethos and upscale looks that explored the possibility of merging technological innovations with natural materials and traditional techniques. developing her own DNA through textures. Intrepid in jungle paradise shades of red and green, fan detailing and long swathes of silk plisse’, Ilse Jara had the last work on the runway of d3.
FIFTYMADE©
With an underground vibe and under the strobing lights of a dark parking lot, the sustainable athleisure wear brand The Giving Movement unfurled its FIFTYMADE© line. The lineup flowed into the night with an urban club vibe, culminating in sporty accessories including boxy totes, shiny hijabs for women and a sneak preview of the brand’s first-ever footwear collection — the Middle East’s first slides with bio-based sugarcane.
Humariff
With its fall winter 2022/23 couture collection, Tamam Humariff drove its connection between the cultures of the Middle East and Russia even further in what came to the limelight as a regal wedding party. Fit for a modern sheikha or princess, the brand’s flair for embellishment catered to her every whim through a renaissance-display of crystals, whimsical hand embroidery and metallicized leaves.
Malichè
Known for its bridal couture, Filipino designer Michel Bernardo showed the UAE crowd what her brand Malichè is capable of beyond the altar. An all-black and white lineup dubbed ‘Tomorrow is Unlimited’ her latest creations came to the fore in an emotional display, borrowing from the glam heydays of the 60s and 70s. The exaggerated rose served as the hallmark of the collection — pinned cleverly to the neck and sewn onto sleek black gloves. Space-age hoods, scuba-tight fitted dresses and cutout bodices spoke to the glamour of a modern era.
Vidhi Wadhwani
Like a small Holi Festival of color, Vidhi Wadhwani’s summer 2023 resort collection was an homage to the brand’s artisans. In hyper shades of intense grass green, fuchsia and canary yellow, this latest collection featured mesmerisingly intricate, almost folkloric embroidery techniques that can only be made with patient hands.
BHYPE
In an outdoor football field, BHYPE’s soccer-inspired lineup emblazoned with the FIFA flags of the world, ushered in the upcoming World Cup Qatar festivities. It’s really no wonder, as the celebrity concept brand, which specializes in vintage-street fashion is coveted by mega players like Neymar, Marcelo Vieira and Daniel Alves.
