Dubai leads Arab cities as fashion hub

Dubai is set to move up in the "top fashion cities of the world" rankings this year after climbing 13 positions from 24th in 2007 to 11th in 2009, according to the French Fashion University Esmod (FFUE) in Dubai.

The regional arm of the Esmod International Fashion University Group says trends in local fashion point towards a further rise in the ratings. The 2010 list, compiled by Global Language Monitor, is due to be released in July.

Dubai is the only city in the Arab World in the list of top 30 global fashion cities. A report from FFUE says Arabian styles are already influencing European street fashion while celebrity designers such as Christian Lacroix have been incorporating Arab-inspired ensembles into their collections.

The university will be sending its students, many of them Emiratis, to Tokyo from March 23 to 31 to expose them to the Japanese fashion scene in order to widen their fashion knowledge and broaden the scope and appeal of Arab fashion.

"Tokyo is well known for its creative fashion and haute couture," said Tamara Hostal, Director and Founder, FFUE. "Our students can learn a lot from the city's designers on how to harmonise colours and innovatively match clothing. Like Dubai, Tokyo also enjoys applying traditional designs to contemporary fashion."

"Our visit to Japan will reinforce our mission that our students should continue to explore all kinds of fashion styles and techniques in order to enhance their creativity and broaden their range," she said.

During their stay in Japan the students will study works by leading Japanese names such as Kenzo, Yohji Yamamoto, Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo and Undercover. FFUE regularly takes students to major fashion hubs to meet top designers.