Localization strategies adopted by luxury fashion houses to visit the Gulf in 2021.
There are no shortcuts to places worth going, but there are fashion collections, exhibitions and staples! Whether they want to celebrate the UAE’s National day or focus on Dubai as it hosts the world Expo to potentially exploring new horizons and markets like Saudi Arabia and Qatar, most brands adopted strong localization strategies across the Gulf in 2021 to fully benefit from a piece of the post-pandemic luxury spend. Today, FTA will take you to inspiring places across the region by remembering iconic moments when fashion houses visited our region over the year.
LOUBOUTIN IN BURJ AL ARAB WITH ‘THE GOLDEN CAPSULE’
Christian Louboutin took inspiration from the traditional ‘jalabiya’ for a fun pop art version of their red and white polka dots for ‘The Golden Capsule’ produced in honor of the UAE’s Golden Jubilee. The collection used rich Emirati textiles, ornaments and objects combined with materials from previous Louboutin collections that were showcased in Burj Al Arab, Dubai’s most iconic hotel and a symbol of the region. Traditional hand-woven embroidery, ‘Al-Sadu’, was featured alongside coins and gold embroidery to symbolize the Golden Jubilee and in homage to Emirati women.
SAUDI ARTIST MANAL AL DOWAYAN GRACES THE LADY DIOR ART BAG
Some art pieces are yours to carry! For the sixth edition of the Dior Lady Art project, Saudi Arabian artist Manal Al Dowayan took the bag as her canvas to highlight Saudi youth and address tradition and modernity. The set of three bags are a reflection of the aesthetics of her art practice and how it can be transformed into an object of desire. Creating a conversation at the intersection of reality and the imagined with blended shades of gold and silver contrasting against black and white lettering and the essential ‘Dior Charms’, the pieces feature details that become emblems of self exploration.
DUBAI HOSTS THE CHANEL CRUISE
Gabrielle Chanel was always before her time, the founder who freed the torsos of women from corsets and championed the concept of costume jewelry is definitely a key inspiration to Virginie Viard, who picked the it city for her Cruise 2021 show for Chanel staged on November 2nd. This was the second time the French fashion house held a show in the city, only this time it took place at the quarry of Dubai’s Creek Harbour. The location added a lot to the collection, which was first showcased at the Carrieres de Lumieres in the Village of Les Baux-de-Provence in the South of France earlier in May and evoked the atmosphere of the 1959 film Testament of Orpheus, which was made by friend of Gabrielle Chanel, Jean Cocteau, with projections of olive branches displayed across beige draped fabrics.
ARMANI PROVED ‘ONE NIGHT ONLY’ IN DUBAI CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING
The Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Fountains served as a dramatic, sparkling backdrop for Giorgio Armani’s One Night Only Dubai Fashion Show. After eleven years of absence, Giorgio Armani returned in full celebratory mood for the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Armani hotels in Milan and Dubai, an event which took place in conjunction with Expo 2020. Both men and women’s Spring/Summer 2022 looks along with a selection of Armani Prive Haute Couture looks from the Fall/Winter 2022/22 Shine Collection gracefully sparkled under our eyes on a catwalk put in place at the Armani Hotel Pavilion.
CHRISTIAN DIOR MADE DREAMS HAPPEN IN DOHA
Taking place in Doha until March 2022, the Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams exhibition marks the French fashion house’s first exhibition in the Middle East after its success at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris and museums around the world including London, Shanghai and New York, this time the show took place at M7, a design and innovation hub located in Msheireb, Downtown Doha. Curated by the inspirational Olivier Gabet, director of the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, the exhibition has been tailored to incorporate local culture as part of its display and includes ensembles from the private collection of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, a long-standing client of Christian Dior Couture.
