Dubai: Regional fashionistas take note; the London College of Fashion (LCF) is back in Dubai this month with its short course offerings and will run three new subjects down the catwalk.
LCF, part of the University of Arts London, will run 12 short courses at the Pullman Hotel in the Mall of the Emirates over the course of two weeks.
"This year we've introduced three new courses reflective of the great feedback we received last year," said Linda Roberts, senior business manager, LCF.
The new subjects are online fashion marketing and social media; retail branding, promotions and visual merchandising; and managing your own shoe or accessory business.
Roberts added that this year's offerings focus more on the business side of fashion rather than the creative aspect due to a gap in the region's fashion education market.
"We felt there was a lack of opportunity on the business side of fashion and with the UAE's strong retail industry there are a lot of aspects of fashion management that go with that," she said.
"We purposely focused on this particular area because we felt it opportune and we recognised the entrepreneurial spirit of young people in the region."
One size fits all
Although the courses are more suited to professionals already in the region's fashion industry looking to improve on their skills and keep up with global trends. Roberts added the short courses are an ideal way for students interested in pursuing a fashion degree to get a taste of what they could look forward to.
"We found that last year in Dubai we got the same kind of people profiles we do in the UK," she said, "some of whom use the courses for professional development and others who use it as an opportunity to prepare for a long- term degree programme."
The courses will run from Friday, May 13 to Friday, May 27 at costs ranging from £390 (Dh2,393) to £950 (Dh5,830) for a minimum of a one-day course to a maximum of five days.
However, for those sceptical about parting with such large sums of cash in these hard times, LCF assures interested parties their money's worth with an array of world-famous instructors.
Tutors for this year's May instalment of the LCF courses include designer Richard Sorger, whose collection is carried in Harvey Nichols in Dubai.
Students will also gain insights from international bestselling fashion author, Toby Meadows, and seasoned fashion journalist, Paul Tierney, who writes for the likes of French Vogue and the UK's The Independent newspaper.
The LCF May course offerings in Dubai include:
- The essentials of the fashion industry (two days)
- Principles of fashion styling (four days)
- Fashion media workshop (three days)
- Online fashion marketing and social media (one day)
- Retail branding, promotions and visual merchandising (three days)
- Fashion marketing and branding (three days)
- Luxury brand management and product design (five days)
- Fashion design (four days)
- Starting your own fashion label (four days)
- Managing your own shoes or accessories business (four days)
- Fashion buying and merchandising one and two (three days each)
Held on: Friday, May 13 to Friday, May 27
Where: The Pullman Hotel, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai
Costs: Ranging from £390 (Dh2,301) to £950 (Dh5,605)
To register: Log onto www.fashion.arts.ac.uk/shortcourses/middleeast.htm
Sign up for LCF courses:
