Dubai: Last night, Dubai Fashion Week rounded off five days of high-fashion catwalk shows with a presentation by Bollywood's go-to stylist Manish Malhotra, drawing crowds of socialites and fashion insiders. The trade event is in its eighth season of showing collections by local and regional designers, but the question is, does anyone really wear the clothes? On the streets of Dubai, it seems, the answer is: not really.
Gulf News met ten Dubai residents at Dubai Mall and Karama, to find out what the style of the street is really about. We then asked gulfnews.com readers and a fashion professional, Marc Robinson, co-founder and show director of DFW, to vote on who they thought was the most stylish. "Dubai has its own unique style. It's very distinct compared to any other part of the world," says Robinson. "A mix of classy tradition from the locals with a flavour of western silhouettes, very brand related, a lot of bling."
* Style on the streets of Dubai
While the city has a reputation for being expensively fashionable and is a destination for its shopping malls as much as for its beaches, for the majority of women we spoke to, fashion is found at international chain stores like H&M, Zara and Forever 21, mixed with the occasional high-end piece. As for trends, they're not a driving factor. More important, said our style stars, is whether the outfit suits the wearer.
Indian MBA student Apeksha Mehta was spotted by Gulf News while eating an ice cream, wearing a white dress from Zara over black leggings and shoes from India. She was chosen by Gulf News.com readers as the most stylish, winning 36 per cent.
"I think style in Dubai is very trendy compared to anywhere else, because there are all kinds of cultures, all nationalities, so people wear whatever is trendy in the market."
Second place went to Esra Selvikavak, from Turkey, who works for Emirates as cabin crew, with 16 per cent of the vote. She was wearing a grey dress from Ted Green, with a watch from Donna Karan and a bag from Guess.
"These brands are not really expensive," she said, "but I just like the style. I am not looking for really expensive brands, just what suits me." The attraction of those international brands for women is that "[they are] available a few days after the premium brands show at their fashion shows," says Robinson. Shoppers can buy looks inspired by the catwalks of New York, London, Milan and Paris right away and at a cheaper price, leaving Dubai's designers fighting for recognition.
The purpose of DFW is to give local designer brands a platform to sell their designs to the country and the world he says, but he admits it's been difficult getting those designs to go beyond the city's high-fashion set and into the fashion consciousness of the real woman on the street. "It is happening but only with the celeb fashionable lot. I wish it would happen. Local designers need to produce pret in order for that to happen."
Robinson came to a similar conclusion as Gulf News. He chose Selvikavak and Anna Solomina, in a Ralph Lauren dress, from Russia, as joint winners. "Both are hip, pret and ready to wear!" he said.
(The poll was an exercise to gauge fashion and is not a measure of people. There is no intent of malice)
