It was a mixture of old and new as five labels showcased their collections on the third day of Fashion Forward (FFWD), the fashion week-style event at Madinat Arena in Dubai.
Emirati label House of Fatam, made up of the Gargash sisters — Lamya, Shaima and Fatma — opened the day with their collection inspired by a new fine jewellery line they are working on, followed by the Kuwait-based Tahir Sultan and Dubai label Kage, made up of designers Arwa Abdelhadi and Basma Abu Ghazaleh, known for their bohemian flair.
Two returnees to FFWD, Lebanese designer Dina JSR and Sharjah-based Indian designer Essa, ended the evening on a high.
ESSA
If there were sceptics of his last season’s show, that irreverent hotchpotch of a collection that was edgy, creative but not so practical, Sharjah-based designer Essa Wala blew it out of the water on Thursday night.
Called Alabaster Box, the name of that CeCe Winans gospel classic, Essa proved that, two decades in, he’s still capable of throwing tonnes of surprises our way.
Fragile yet powerful, it was all lace, all so sexy as he went vintage with very clean lines. There were flouncy skirts that began not from the waist but from way down and playful sheath dresses with peplum waists, our personal favourite.
Essa more than made up for his lack of colour with his impressive construction, and his naughty but creative take on menswear. Some of the male models came out in skirts and some with lace robes exposing their toned physiques. A highlight was something that looked like a sleeveless kandoura from the front, only to reveal an exposed upper back when the model turned. So gratuitous.
DINA JSR
This Lebanese designer went all soft and girly on her return to Fashion Forward, perhaps, as she confessed later, because she was preparing for her wedding when she worked on this collection.
Known for her sharp edged style mostly inspired by architecture, Dina’s clothes always have that finish and masculinity about them. This season though, it’s all flowy and girly.
“The inspiration was what I wanted women to wear at my wedding so I took the edginess off a bit,” she said. “I was in la la land and la la land makes you fly.”
Using a limited palette of mostly olive green and muted blues, Dina played with crepe, lace and predominantly gazar. A floor-length strapless dress in black, finished with gold belt, was a stand out. And so was a bubble skirt, made out of different panels stitched together.
There were a few bangles, which Dina said were a teaser for an upcoming collection she’s working on.
