Fashion Forward’s third season ended with a Bollywood-soundtracked bang and some of us are still recuperating from the long weekend of street style, show, and event coverage. Here’s a roundup of the good, the feathered, and the ugly. And in case you want to relive the moments from Dubai’s most prominent fashion platform, all of the shows are also available for streaming at Style.com/Arabia’s Style Studio.
Style.com/Arabia’s photographer, Moez Achour, was on hand to capture the street style action at Madinat Jumeirah. See if you made the cut, here.
AMATO BY FURNE ONE
“With the intricacy of One’s designs, his celebrity endorsements, his international strategy, and beyond all, his brand vision, the Filipino designer is leading the regional couture pack.” Read our review of Amato By Furne One here.
ZAYAN THE LABEL
“Ghandour’s clothes, as do all her collections embodied a youthful, innocent spirit.” Read our review of Zayan The Label here.
TAHIR SULTAN
“No doubt, Sultan’s target client is avant-garde, but even the most conceptual women still want to feel special while investing in up-and-coming designers.” Read our review of Tahir Sultan here.
ZAREENA
“Perhaps this is what the modern Arab woman should strive for: revisiting her own geographical and cultural identity at the crossroads of Asia and Africa and celebrating her traditional-wear in a contemporary way.” Read our review of Zareena here.
HOUSE OF RONALD
“Ronald Abdala ‘has made edgy designs his focus, and drawing beauty from unexpected places his signature.” Read our review of House of Ronald here.
GRAZIA EMERGING DESIGNER: ArAm
‘The little caplets were cute, but paired with overdone tulle skirts, they reminded of costumes for a high school theater production of Anne of Green Gables.” Read our review of the ArAm show here.
VELSVOIR
“Velsvoir showcased a respectable collection, but only time will tell if the three brothers will be able to stand on their own creative feet.” Read our full review of the Velsvoir collection here.
RAMI KADI
“Indeed, it was a parade worthy of Cinderella and her counterparts at Disney World.” Read our full review of the Rami Kadi collection here.
TALLER MARMO
“Providing balance to all the conceptual safety armor, feminine vulnerability was also thematically explored.” Read our full review of the Taller Marmo collection here.
SAID MAHROUF
“Despite the evident technical bravura, only a few pieces tugged at our heartstrings.” Read our full review of the Said Mahrouf collection here.
ESSA
“Then, out emerged a coal-black bell coat with pleats at the hips and dagger-straight feathers dripping from the hem—severely feminine.” Read our full review of Essa’s collection here.
BASHAR ASSAF
“This show strengthened Assaf’s position as a promising designer of the region’s new guard.” Read our full review of Bashar Assaf’s collection here.
EZRA
“The fashion show format seems to overwhelm Ezra, who has a couturier mentality but perhaps isn’t enough of showman at heart.” Read our full review of Ezra’s collection here
ASUDARI
“Asudari’s ‘back with a strong collection that left us wanting to see more in the future—minus the distracting bleached blond wigs.” Read our full review of Asudari’s collection here.
JEAN LOUIS SABAJI
“Although Sabaji’s world is not strictly defined by the proficient hands of the members of his atelier, they allow this young hopeful to execute a variety of looks with ease.” Read our full review of the Jean Louis Sabaji collection here.
THE EMPEROR 1688
“This is the gentleman (and now the gentlewoman’s) brand.” Read our full review of The Emperor 1688’s collection here.
KAGE
“The Kage designers are romantics, but creatively speaking, they need to start moving outside of their comfort zones.” Read our full review of the Kage fashion show here.
STARCH FOUNDATION
“We can imagine these prints transferred to various accessories and even homeware. Freshly squeezed, of course.” Read our full review of the Starch Foundation collection here.
Ennio Capasa, the designer and creative director of Costume National, delivered a talk on the fashion industry and current trends in the Middle East. Here are the highlights from his conversation.
