As Fashion Forward Dubai (FFWD) the bi-annual fashion showcase returns this week, here are four menswear designers you should be watching out for:
Who: Varoin Marwah
Label: Varoun Marwah
Dubai-based menswear designer Varoin Marwah, who established his label in 2012, will make his FFWD debut this season.
“My collection will be called Aquapdip and it’s inspired by the aquatic underwater world. There will be of a series of blues of course, and sea greens. We’ve played with patterns to represent the waves,” he says.
Presentation: Sunday, October 23, at 2pm.
Who: Aliya Tair
Label: Tair
Aliya Tair has spent a most of her life travelling and living through various cultures. Her creative work is mainly inspired by these experiences, music, cinematography and architecture. Tair will present her debut collection at Season 8, and aims to create designs for an experimental global dweller, someone who believes in understated style, is devoted to impeccable standards, maintains a code of ethics, and is a true modern Samurai at heart.”
Presentation: Saturday, October 22, at 5pm.
Who: Salim Azzam
Label: Salim Azam
After completing a Master’s degree in Visual Communication Design at the University of Alberta, Canada, Salim Azzam returned to Beirut to use his design and illustration skills to document traditional stories and local customs before joining the Starch Foundation, the non-profit by designer Rabih Kayrou that gives emerging designers a platform.
Azzam says his collection of embroidered pieces will contain both stories and designs in traditional and contemporary cuts, “They are a modern urban twist on the traditional rural style worn for centuries by men in my communities,” he says.
Presentation: Sunday, October 23 at 3pm.
Who: Ahmad Al Sayed and Saleh Al Banna
Label: House of Nomad
Founded in 2014 by two long time friends, House of Nomad has quickly made a name among the UAE’s stylish set. Staples of the label include bomber jackets, cropped tops and jumpers with a sports-luxe aesthetic.
“We didn’t have one point of inspiration this season, it’s more of a colour story! While we maintained our core pieces for men — jumpers, jogger pants, bomber jackets — we played around with a lot of vibrant hues like green, yellow, blue and pink,” say the designers. “Expect pieces imprinted with ‘Nomad’ text which is what we’ve become known for.”
Presentation: Friday, October 21, at 9:30pm.
Go get yours
Fashion Forward (FFWD) runs from October 20- to 23 at the Dubai Design District (d3). Limited tickets priced at Dh100 (one-day pass) and Dh200 (three-day pass) are available on platinumlist.net. Registration is mandatory. Go to fashionforward.ae.
