The hits and misses of Fashion

Moving from the Hai to the central quarter of Dubai Design District (D3), it was as if FFWD has taken over the whole of D3. The bigger space meant there were so many new elements to enjoy - be it the pop-ups, the cinema, the library, the retrospectives and three days did not feel like enough. In between shows there was so much to do, and all of it was fashion related. It truly felt like one large fashion community celebration. No other edition of FFWD has had the vibe of this season.
The Street Fashion
The Street Fashion at FFWD has always been able to rival that of Milan, Paris or London Fashion Week. But the backdrop of D3 just put everything onto a new level, thanks to the installations and the many Instagram worthy pop-ups - be it the Boomerang Booth or Animated GIF video studio. And attendees came dressed for the occasion from the bizarre to the beautiful, FFWD proved that Dubai knows its style and loves to dress up -  and is not scared to embrace the fun side of fashion.
The Talks
FFWD has always been able to attract important speakers that few other fashion events do - be it Yasmin Le Bon or blogger Bryan Boy. And this year, the main headline speaker was Mary Katrantzou. The Greek British designer is a true success story, and is considered the queen of digital prints. Her label has always had a loyal fan following and she spent a whole afternoon at FFWD on opening day and was available to talk to anyone who stopped by The Modist pop-up before her talk. So approachable, she attended a few catwalk presentations and really gave FFWD that international seal of approval.
The Standout Show
That had to belong to Syrian British designer Nabil Nayal - known to be obsessed with the Elizabethan period. He has shown at Paris Fashion Week where he caught the eye of Karl Lagerfeld. And from the minute it was announced that he would participate, this show was the one everyone was waiting for. And he did not disappoint. From merging sportswear with his love of the Elizabethan period came a collection in black and white, where poplin was the material of choice. And if you are thinking it was full of pomp, due to its royal inspiration, this was a collection whose power was yet fresh. The large ruffle shirts were so beautiful that every woman in the audience longed to own one, because they are just so wearable - wear them on their own for a boardroom meeting or dress up for a cocktail hour, there was something delicate about them yet they had drama. We totally loved it.
The Shopping (Garden)
There was so much to shop - with a unique flash retail experience created just for the three days called The Garden. Here over 45 regional clothing and accessory designers set up special pop-ups such as FFWD regulars conceptual jewellery designer Vinita Michael and handbag label Rula Galayini. Some of the city's best loved concept stores such as Boom and Mellow and The cARTel also participated this time and you could spot some great new hidden gems like online store Coterique stall at The Garden. And it did not end at The Garden; The Modist, the pioneering luxury modest wear website had its own little shop as did S*uce. They presented a special capsule collection that had been designed in collaboration with fashion influencer Natalia Shustova of Shoestova.

The International Element
For the first time, the home-grown platform allowed international designers to take part and this just upped the ante. Starting on Day One with the catwalk presentation of Eduon Choi who showed his Spring/Summer 2018 collection. The Korea-born, London-based designer showed a truly modern collection and his source of inspiration is the home of architect Eileen Gray in the South of France. Fluid and layered, it had details such as gathers and frills, but it was his use of menswear tailoring in such an easy and breezy manner that showed his maturity. Complete with bucket and cylinder bags and perforated pump shoes. And what made it truly modern was its verstality - you could wear a piece from his collection for a lazy summer lunch, for a morning wedding or for an important work meeting.

The Shows
There were a total of 28 shows and to say all the other presentations were not up to the mark would be a generalisation. Hussein Bazaza, the young Lebanese designer known for his love of fusing colour, metallic and surface ornamentation, managed to once again take you on a fantastical journey. Also Saudi Arabia's Utruj deserves a special mention for her modern abayas, as well as debut designer Roni Helou who proved that this region also has a good understanding of minimal design. Lara Khoury's use of volume and fluid shapes that had a real feel of ease was about effortless chic. Some of the menswear designers such as Zaid Farouki gave modern Arab menswear a new look. Behnoode fused Iranian tradition with men's tailoring. And a surprise was Mashael Alrajhi, who used texture, fluidity and gave a gentle nod to this region's belief in modest dressing in a very contemporary way. She had collaborated with Nike for the show.
But these shows were the exceptions. Many regional designers disappointed - there was some collections that were badly finished, some others were over the top and just too "princessy" and then there were those that were so inspired it was hard not to call them copycats. And the reason for not naming these designers is that there were elements of this in so many shows. It seemed like a huge missed opportunity as there is so much homegrown talent, but for some reason many of the more promising labels are choosing not to show at FFWD - and that is something FFWD needs to address.
Up close with Furne One
Just minutes before the Amato show was about to begin, the label's creative director, Furne One, looked composed and was happy to answer a few questions backstage. But that is because he is the one designer who has shown at every edition of FFWD - so this is his tenth finale for FFWD. "I love drama, and perhaps that's the reason they keep asking me to close the event," he said.
And he believes that regional designers have a duty to show at FFWD every season, "That is how the industry will grow. We need to work together," he said.
And he hopes to be a part of every FFWD. This season, his collection had all the usual drama Amato is known for. But it seemed light and a little cleaner than usual, with tulle being his favoured fabric and soft pinks, blues, greys and a pearlish white making up his colour palette. Of course there was beading, but it was mostly tone on tone and the use of sequins added that glimmer factor. The set, full of dark water and stone added to that dark side - but what is Amato without some fantasy?