Why Janet Jackson, Roberto Cavalli (1m others) at Dubai Mall

The Dubai Mall welcomed over one million visitors during the three-day Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience (VFDE) which attracted the world’s leading names in fashion and continues to position Dubai as a global fashion destination.

The inaugural fashion show hosted by supermodel Karolina Kurkova and Wissam Hanna which launched the second edition of VFDE, organised by Emaar and Vogue Italia, was highlighted by a stellar line-up of global celebrities and a record turn-out of visitors.

The in-store activities organised by over 200 fashion retailers in The Dubai Mall also contributed to the significant boost in footfall, further underlining The Dubai Mall’s credentials as the ultimate destination for luxury shopping.

A charity dinner gala hosted by Vogue Italia and Emaar to raise funds for the World Food Programme also witnessed overwhelming attendance including celebrities such as Janet Jackson, Latifa, Elissa, Lira, Soko, Lola Lennox, Franca Sozzani, Philipp Plein, Roberto Cavalli, Peter Dundas, Alberta Ferretti, Emmanuelle Seigner, Elisa Sednaoui, Farida Khelfa, Afef Jnifen, Ali Mustafa, Liya Kebede, and Lily Cole.

The event raised almost Dh4 million towards the charity that works to address global poverty and highlighted the role of the fashion industry in making a positive difference to humanity.

Mohamed Alabbar, Chairman of Emaar Properties PJSC, said: “We are thankful to the support and patronage of the world’s fashion legends to Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience, which continues to cement our city’s role as a global fashion capital. Alongside the celebration of fashion, the event also put the spotlight on emerging talent from around the world, further establishing Dubai as a springboard for the next generation of designers.

"As the home to the largest collection of luxury brands under one roof, The Dubai Mall will continue to play a key role in driving the growth of Dubai’s luxury retail market through such initiatives and our planned expansion of the Fashion Avenue to bring new and innovative fashion brands to the city.”

Franca Sozzani, editor-in-chief of ‘Vogue Italia’, added: “The Dubai Mall has set a new era in retailing which served as an inspiration to launch Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience.

“Through the event, we are providing a sustainable platform for supporting talented young designers. Fashion is a media and social tool for positive social change, and the success of Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience in raising funds for World Food Programme is a good example of how the fashion and retail industry can unite people from all walks of life to make a difference to humanity.”

VFDE also featured the International Talents Showcase at Armani Hotel Dubai, which served as an exclusive stage for 20 upcoming designers, selected by Vogue Italia and The Dubai Mall through a scouting contest.

The showcase reported robust interest from buyers and retailers for the collections and several potential leads for business and marketing collaborations.

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