The third installment of Arab Fashion Week kicks off in Dubai

(6 Oct 2016) ARAB FASHION WEEK KICKS OFF IN DUBAI
A day after Paris Fashion week drew to a close, Arab Fashion week opened in Dubai.
The third edition of the event launched on Thursday (06 OCT. 2016) in the United Arab Emirates.
Founder and CEO of Arab Fashion week, Jacob Abrian, says that this is the only official fashion week in the region.
"The Arab Fashion week is the official fashion week organized by the Arab Fashion Council that represents the 22 Arab countries," he said.
Twenty-five designers from all over the world are showcasing their collections at the five-day event.
Emirati designer Lamya Abedin was one of the designers selected to show her collection opening night.
"So we have a designer from Saudi Arabia, we have a designer from Qatar; I myself am from the UAE," she said adding, "We have from Lebanon, so it is a very nice mix from the Arab countries and that is what makes it so different from the Milan fashion week, it is all about Italian designers and Paris is all about the Parisian fashion designers and the list goes on so this is (a) nice mix of the Arab designers under one umbrella."
Her latest collection, Le voyage de Carnival was inspired by vintage carnivals and fairgrounds. "We use to go when we were kids so it is not only about us being kids but at the same time, during the olden times when they use to go to the fairgrounds the way they used to dress up for it. It used to be in a very fancy way and nowadays we go to the fairgrounds we were wear very casual outfits but it is the mix between casual and formal," she explained.
After Indonesian designer Anniesa Hasibuan made history by showcasing every model in a hijab during New York Fashion Week, Abedin who started as an abaya designer, said modest wear is not only for Muslims.
"So the way you dress modestly can be of any nationality, of any race, of any religion. This is what I like to encourage because modest wear is for everyone it is not just for one person or one identity but it is getting a lot of recognition right now and talking about the abaya since I started my career as abaya designer, the nice thing is that international designers are actually getting inspired from our abayas and they are coming up with their own selective collection," she says.
Big brands like Dolce and Gabbana have launched special abaya collections to tap into the Gulf market.
While Abrian is open to having modest-wear, he wants Arab Fashion Week to be known for more than clothing that appeals to an Arab or Muslim audience. He want the event to have global appeal and compete with big fashion cities like Paris and Milan.
"We should understand that in the region that we do not need be to be the consumers but we need to be the producers of the creative economy," he said.
Arab Fashion week continues until October 10th.

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