BISMA AHMAD (Pakistan)
One of the four winners of the Splash Emerging Talent Contest, Bisma, 23, appears undaunted at the prospect of showcasing her creations alongside big names. "I am confident about my work and hope to put up a good show," she said. Reminiscent of a typical autumn sunset in her hometown Islamabad, Bisma's collection, called Hanging Garden, is sourced from a bright colour palette, dominated by vibrant shades of fuschia yellow and orange.
"My designs are a fusion of traditional and contemporary wear. I will be presenting long pants, silk chunris, halter necks and anarkalis in very modern cuts. For embellishments I have used gota work in metallic colours," she added. A senior marketing executive at a Jebel Ali-based company, Bisma made a foray into the fashion world just last year. She got instant recognition when she was picked one of the winners of the Emerging Talent Contest. "It was a great feeling. I was overwhelmed when Sarah Belhasa, who was on the jury, appreciated my creations and asked if I could showcase them at her boutique Studio 8," she recalled.
Headed for the Seattle Fashion Week in May, Bisma said she was optimistic that DFW will open new avenues for her and help get the right exposure.
Favourite Designer: Sabyasachi Mukherjee
MICHAEL CINCO (Filipino)
Michael Cinco's collection, The Impalpable Dream of Madame Butterfly, is inspired by the vibrant life of the famous opera character set in Nagasaki, Japan.
Cinco said of his theme, "My gown collection depicts Madame Butterfly's style and character, which is very femme fatale and seductive. I will not use the traditional kimono as people expect, but instead go for something extraordinary." Dropping a hint, Cinco said he'd incorporate Swarovski elements in his designs. "My style is simplistic yet classy, and I have focused on a lot of pastel and nude colours as this looks set to be a big trend." Cinco said that since his dresses are highly detailed, it takes him up to two months to complete one outfit.
Cinco describes his clientele as "classy and fabulous", and said that he is certain that Dubai is on course to be ranked alongside fashion capitals London, Paris and Milan.
Favourite Designer: John Galliano
MOZA AL MAZROU (Emirati)
Sharjah-based Emirati designer Moza Al Mazrou, 26, is all set to stake her claim on the catwalk with her ready-to-wear collection called Gmaash. "Not many Emirati designers are into ready-to-wear. Someone had to make a start," said Moza, who beat stiff competition to win the Emerging Talent Contest. Mona works as an interior designer, but ventured into fashion designing because she reckons the two streams have common principles. "Both interior and fashion designing follow the same ideas of aesthetics and shape," she added. A winner of the Emerging Talent Contest, Moza's collection will have a smattering of muted tones and soft colours with some bright elements thrown into some of the sequences. "I will be showcasing 10 outfits, including dresses, pants, skirts, tops and a couple of jackets," she said.
Favourite designer: Donna Karan
BIGGER, BUT ANY BETTER?
Back with its seventh season, the region's premiere fashion event promises to be bigger than previous editions. Over 45 designers, including biggies Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Satya Paul will be showcasing their vast repertoire of ensembles alongside regional designers such as Walid Atallah, Furne One, Amal Murad and HSY during the five-day-long event. Organisers Concept Events confirmed the designer turnout is a new record, but it's not just numbers that they are looking at.
"Our main objective is to strengthen ties and to build business relationships between fashion industries," said Saif Ali Khan, Executive Vice-President, Dubai Fashion Week.
Designers will be hoping that some of those business relationships translate into sales because if past records are anything to go by, DFW has invariably turned out to be more of a social do than a platform for commercial prospects.
