On its third year and for its upcoming sixth season, the people behind the bi-annual fashion showcase, Fashion Forward (FFWD), say they are now looking forward to “letting commerce happen”.
“We’ve got 150 buyers who’ve signed up for this season. That, compared to our first season when we barely had anyone, is a huge leap,” said Bong Guerrero, the event’s founder and CEO. “Now we have retail groups coming en masse. And you’re going to start seeing more and more buyers sitting in the front and second rows.
“Our aim was and is to try and really make our designers more visible and become household names. And when they become household names, commerce happens.”
A total of 33 designers will present couture and ready-to-wear collections between October 22 to 25 at the Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai. The event will also include talks and workshops by international experts as part of the d3 Fashion Talks, promoted by the Dubai Design District (d3). Well-known names announced include Scott Schuman, the man behind global fashion blogging sensation The Sartorialist; Imran Amed, founder and CEO of The Business of Fashion website, sometimes called the ‘industry Bible’; and Karen Buglisi Weiler, the global brand president of Mac Cosmetics.
Egyptian jewellery designer Azza Fahmy, known for her eponymous brand in Hollywood and around the world, will hold a retrospective of her work called A Journey Through Cultures.
A new element added this season called The Showcase will give a platform to 27 jewellery and accessories brands, who will present their collections in an exhibition format at the event.
“They are all carefully selected names, all representing the Middle East in a great way,” said Ramzi Nakad, FFWD co-founder and COO.
Maitha Al Suwaidi, the head of business development at d3, said she was impressed by the exceptional number of designers who have signed up.
“At d3, we are dedicated to establishing Dubai as a global design hub for the region’s creative community and so I am pleased by the number of our local designers that are showcasing their work at FFWD,” she said.
Guerrero said while the event has a strict selection process, the entry point for participating designers was “very approachable”, with the lowest package starting at $5,000 (Dh18,361), going up to $24,000 depending on the time of show and the size of the venue.
“It’s already a very subsidised platform considering the visibility we give them internationally and regionally, the cost is nothing,” he said.
Apparel designers have the option of choosing between a catwalk show or hosting a presentation at the venue.
“We want to make sure we do everything on a very international standard,” Guerrero added. “In the fashion landscape, we are very hot at the moment. Our designers are truly making waves abroad and in the region. And it’s happening organically.
“We have the international fashion ‘mafia’ looking at Dubai and the region and it’s a very, very good time for all of us. It’s like a renaissance period if you ask me. It’s a good time for everyone to flourish.”
Entry to FFWD is by invite only. But access to some shows is possible with prior registration. Go to fashionforward.ae
