UAE's design arena needs tailor-made sponsorship

It might still be a long way from the runways of Paris, Milan, New York and London, but enthusiasm is growing amongst those involved that a flourishing fashion industry is taking root in Dubai. And if big players from the UAE's corporate sector take notice of locally available talent, events such as the Dubai Fashion Week (DFW) could become a force to reckon with, both in the region and abroad.

"It requires an injection of funds through the sponsorship of major corporations willing to provide the backing required to turn this locally produced event into a synchronised, first-class and highly desirable week for designers, buyers and attendees season after season," says Alejandra Tokoph, owner of the luxecouture boutique in Dubai.

"In order to follow in the footsteps of the great fashion capitals of the world, we must convince the commercial sector to jump on board, such as seen with New York's Olympus Fashion Week.

"The return investment for these sponsors will be eminent when Dubai Fashion Week has lived up to the Dubai reputation of having the biggest and the best."

A B2B event held biannually according to fashion seasons, the Dubai Fashion Week, began in March last year and is already off to a good start, according to Rohit Sabikhi, the Director of Fashion at Concept Events, the company that started the showcase. "We exhibited close to 16 designers in the first event, now we have more than 31 designers. At the last season, we had 16 shows and in October we will have 20 shows across four days," he reveals.

"It's a great opportunity for local designers to showcase for the buying community and individual designer wear boutiques." While reluctant to reveal figures, Sabikhi says interest is growing among sponsors – but like any new industry, is still very polarised.

"Unless a commercial body undertakes a study and does a sampling, we can't have a figure to it," he says. "But the industry is still young in terms of fashion week culture.

"The designers exist but not the fashion week. So as the event grows older, there will be more involvement."

According to the British Fashion Council, organisers of the London Fashion Week, orders worth £40million (Dh272m) were made at the last event, with catwalk shows costing anywhere between £15,000 to £80,000.

Marketers of various eve-nts surrounding the fashion week raked in an excess of £100m (Dh680m).

Last year, numbers of UK buyers went up by 20 per cent. The next London Fashion Week will be held in September with more than 5,000 visitors from over 50 countries expected to attend, according to a release by the Fashion Council.

Comparing London's established market to Dubai would of course be unfair. But as luxecouture's Tokoph points out, the emirate is in an unique fashion position.

"Creativity in the region is diverse due to the amalgamation of cultures in the area. Designers usually take inspiration from the world around them and what better landscape could an artist ask for living in the fusion city of Dubai," she says.

"In order for DFW to be on par with other fashion capitals of the world it will require one main constituent which is letting the clock tick. In time, the budding local designers of today will have emerged as global fashion houses of tomorrow and will hopefully continue to return to support the platform that gave them their start which is DFW, whereby commanding press coverage from markets where their collections are sold."

One designer who made waves at the last DFW was Saudi Arabia-based Hatem Alakeel whose label, Toby, features a menswear line fusing traditional Arabic and western design philosophies. Alakeel, is all set to debut his women's line in October.

"DFW has definitely helped me as a brand and given it credibility," he says. "When you are a brand that's recognised you will be able to claim your name and the market. I think I have succeeded in that level for traditional wear."

The designer, who opened his boutique in Jeddah a little over a year ago, is already retailing his designs at high-end boutiques in Dubai and Kuwait City, thanks partly to the exposure he got at DFW.

"Franchising a concept is very fruitful for me and for now, it's about weighing things out and studying carefully. I don't want to rush things," he says.

"Every designer has their own strategy and that is where buyers have a great deal of influence.

"Brand longevity is to ensure your buyers understand your philosophy."

Zayan Ghandour, the co-owner, Creative Director and head buyer at S*uce, Dubai's own high-end fashion destination, says her store already showcases more than 20 local and regional designers.

"We tend to spot the talent and introduce it to the fashion week rather than go out scouting for talent at such events," she says.

"For us, the designs need to be original and have a clear and identifiable edge, different to other brands in the market.

"It also needs to be commercially viable and the quality of the production of the clothes should match international standards."

Ghandour, who is also on the advisory board of the DFW, says her store's pool of homegrown designers continues to grow annually.

"These collections have managed to stand out and hold their own among the other international labels we carry in our stores," she says.

"When a buyer invests in a brand it is a vote of confidence so buyers certainly play a major role in pushing designers in the right direction and their wares into the mainstream."

Designers representing the UAE's diverse population will showcase their creations at the fashion week event this October.

With the stamp of approval from local authorities, the organising committee's Director of Fashion, Sabikhi, says the DFW has the

potential to be a flourishing trade event – further boosting the city's and regional's fashion credentials.

"We work with Dubai Chambers and we give designers hugely subsidised participation fees. Then we get corporate sponsorships. It's a win-win situation for organisers to own it and for designers to showcase at extremely subsidised cost."

Tokoph from luxecouture says the event will also have a sneak peak of what customers will see in her boutiques come January.

"Local designers are bursting with inspiration and the DFW is their voice and platform to gain international recognition and propel them into fashion markets around the world," she says.

S*uce's Ghandour agrees. "Once we spot a brand with potential and a willingness to grow, we offer them support, business and advice, and eventually through their skill and determination they grow to become renowned in the region and eventually on the international markets," she says.

"Dubai and the region in general can produce designers who will be the fashion stars of the future.

"You have to start somewhere, and starting is often the biggest and hardest step," says Ghandour.