Dubai Design District (d3), in strategic partnership with the Arab Fashion Council, will cut the ribbon on Men’s Arab Fashion Week Ready-To-Wear SS23 on June 28th evening. Staged within the city’s design and fashion pulse, a total of 12 designers will unveil their season’s best between June 28-30 (7-10 pm).
The event will present a curated roster of fashion-forward designers from the Middle East, as well as key industry capitals. Among them, Maison Du Mec (Lebanon), Tagueule (Lebanon), Emergency Room (Lebanon), Michael Cinco (UAE), Amato (UAE), Heyun Pan (UK), Rian Fernandez (The Philippines), KA-1 (UAE) and Anomalous (UAE).
In addition, and a notable first for Men’s Arab Fashion Week, will be three special guest designers presented by The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode – Lazoschmidl, Arturo Obegero and Valette Studio. The three dynamic Paris-based brands have been carefully selected by the chamber to represent France’s menswear sector and are set to showcase designs that embody a fresh sense of individuality of spirit, matched with high-end European craftsmanship and innovative textiles.
Serge Carreira, Head of Emerging Brands Initiative at the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, comments: “While the world is evolving on a fast track and faces major challenges, emerging designers embrace these changes and contribute to rethinking fashion. They catch the zeitgeist and introduce it in their narrative with a bold and sensitive view. Fashion is about inventing a future; they make a better future. As we aim to support and empower our designers by forging promising commercial ties worldwide, our relationship with the Arab Fashion Council is important. It sees Parisian designers featured on the official calendar of Arab Fashion Week and vice versa for Arab designers who are members of the Arab Fashion Council.”
Also commenting ahead of opening night, Khadija Al Bastaki, Executive Director of Dubai Design District (d3) – a creative platform by TECOM Group dedicated to design, fashion, architecture, art and retail, said: “We are delighted to kick off this fourth edition of Men’s Arab Fashion Week, the only Men’s Fashion Week held throughout the Middle East and Asia, and our second edition this year. In addition to marking the 20th edition of Arab Fashion Week overall, the Spring-Summer 2023 Men’s Ready-to-Wear collections will bring an exciting mix of local, regional and international talent and opportunity to Dubai – to engage, rethink the regular, inspire and push the boundaries on the menswear fashion offering here in the region.
“Collaborating with the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, we are immensely proud to see the three special guest designers – selected by the federation – in the line-up, ready to take to our runway. The trajectory for menswear globally is an exciting one and we, in strategic partnership with the Arab Fashion Council, are committed to being at the forefront of this flourishing sector across the region, cementing Dubai’s status as a global creative and fashion capital.”
Further highlights of the upcoming edition will be the participation of two official sponsors that will design novel looks for models showcasing this season’s collections. All backstage hair will be done by SCHWARZKOPF, while Italian cosmetic company KIKO will create all the makeup looks showcased on the runways.
Arab Fashion Week-Men’s Spring-Summer 2023 is also an opportunity to highlight two remarkable collaborations that bring to the fore the Arab Fashion Council’s pioneering commitment to the worlds of sustainability and fashion tech.
Logistics company Aramex has teamed up with Lebanese designer EMERGENCY ROOM, who are leaders in the realm of upcycling and second-hand sourced fashions. The two will unveil, during Fashion Week, their campaign for the release of a collection that will be showcased in October. The objective of this cross-industry collaboration is to highlight the importance – and urgency – of implementing viable, enduring sustainable practices into each branch of the fashion supply chain. Mike Rich, Chief Marketing Officer at Aramex, states: “We are pleased with our collaboration with Emergency Room, which underpins our strong belief in the importance of empowering entrepreneurs, creative and sustainable businesses, and supporting them to create their own opportunities. At Aramex, we truly champion all sustainable practices, and this is what upcycled clothing is all about. Through this collaboration, we are keen to facilitate access to various logistical services and solutions, and we look forward to playing a continued, key role in the success of the Arab fashion industry”.
Also forward-looking is the collaboration between Swiss label Ferronato, the first luxury accessories range with full data privacy protection, and Lebanese menswear brand Maison du Mec. Their collaboration will see the two brands integrate meta-fabrics into high-end, accessories that are ultra-fashionable all whilst blocking electromagnetic interferences and unwanted tracking via devices. For the occasion, an opening surprise has been planned at the start of the Maison du Mec Spring-Summer 2023 fashion show.
“We very much enjoyed collaborating with Maison du Mec, and we believe our shared vision of aesthetics has succeeded in complementing both brands. With his design and our technology embedded, this new collection will be one of a kind,” said Alessia Ferronato, CEO of Ferronato. She continues: “Arab Fashion Week has a track record for connecting emerging brands with buyers in one place, driving awareness and commerce in a rapidly evolving market. We are elated to be taking part in Arab Fashion Week and look forward to a fruitful collaboration with Maison du Mec.”
Every year, the Arab Fashion Council, in collaboration with the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, hosts an exclusive showroom and presentation on the official Paris Fashion Week calendar aimed at providing a global platform to regional designers with a view to connect talent with international media and buyers.
The calendar for Men’s Arab Fashion week can be found here: www.arabfashionweek.org
