The Bride Show ddraws in the most exclusive names in the industry

The Bride Show Dubai is drawing in scores of exclusive exhibitors from around the world who will touch down in the Emirate to showcase their collections to the public in April.

Among them, photographers of the rich and fabulous, Ronicka Kandhari and Vickrant Mahajan have chosen The Bride Show Dubai to offer their talents to UAE residents for the very first time. The famous husband and wife team, known for their work at weddings for Bollywood stars, industrialists and officials, will attend the four day exhibition to launch their service, a thorough photographic and artistic wedding portrayal.

The photographs they capture throughout the wedding experience are compiled into a custom-made handcrafted album, embellished with Swarovski crystals; to produce an ornate jewelled book of memories.

“We work with very exclusive, very discerning clients, and only undertake 12 to 15 weddings a year,” said Vickrant Mahajan, who recently returned from a 10-day wedding of a chief minister’s son. “The Bride Show fits our profile to a tee because of its exclusivity and the calibre of exhibitors we will be joining. We feel that it is an ideal venue to meet potential clients in the UAE for the very first time.”

The Delhi-based couple are joined by other international names who flock to Dubai for the largest bridal exhibition in the region. Mantra Living, a specialised couture fusion fashion that combines eastern embroidery and western silhouettes, will fly in from Singapore to meet brides-to-be and women with a taste for luxury fashion.

Hong Kong brand Fine n’ Rhine will offer evening and day bags, dripping in Swarovski crystals, as well as cashmere scarves and embroidered tops, while Bina Enterprises from India will exhibit their modern saris, Salwar Kammeez & Kurtas.

Many exhibitors will use The Bride Show Dubai as their only selling opportunity to customers in the UAE as they do not operate retail spaces outside of their native countries.

European services and products will also be available, including high end skin care products from NUXE, and the über chic floral arrangements of Space & Flowers, both of which originate from Paris, France. Gianni Piazza, an esteemed Italian jeweller, President of Belle Arti, will display ‘Dolce Vita’ inspired classic contemporary necklaces, earrings and rings, all with the signature flair of Italian colour and fantasy with his brand BELLAGIOIA, while German and Ukrainian bridal dressmakers, Cecile and Junist respectively, will display their collections.
“The Bride Show Dubai has grown so much over the years and we are excited that such exclusive international names have joined us,” said Daphne Cota, Exhibition Manager of The Bride Show. “We now feature 400 companies from 13 countries, showcasing everything from wedding gowns and international haute couture fashion to jewellers, florists, and photographers.”

The Bride Show Dubai will host 20 fashion shows from local and international designers demonstrating their eagerly anticipated collections as well as the creations devised by the finalists of the prestigious Swarovski Young Designer Award.

Exclusive discounts and daily competitions will be taking place and one lucky visitor will win the grand prize of a luxury honeymoon package.

The Arabian Home Show and Women’s Healthcare will run alongside The Bride Show Dubai at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre from 23- 26 April.

The Bride Show Dubai is open daily from 2.30pm – 10.30pm. Entry fee is 10dhs per person per day. To request an invitation to attend The Bride Show Dubai or to join the mailing list for regular Bride Show Dubai updates visit www.thebrideshow.com. Source

Dubai growing as International Fashion Hub

Planetfair Dubai, part of Planetfair Hamburg, Germany, has announced the fifth edition of its renowned international trade fair for fashion, footwear brands and lingerie, PRESTIGE 2007.
The continued success of the fair is seen as evidence of Dubai’s role as an international fashion hub, and the main driver of booming trade between Europe and the UAE.
Held in partnership with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) and Dubai World Trade Centre, the exhibition is aimed at the high-end fashion market and runs at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre from 23-25 October 2007. The event will cover more than 4,000 square metres and accommodate over 160 international fashion brands from 16 participating countries.

The three-day exhibition is aimed at showcasing the latest trends in women’s wear, men’s apparel, lingerie, swimwear, footwear, leathergoods, sport’s wear, children’s wear and accessories from participating brands’ 2008 Spring/Summer collections. The show will also provide a platform for buyers, retailers, distributors and sales mediators from around the Gulf to meet with leading international fashion houses and designers.
”PRESTIGE has proved to be an excellent venue for fashion houses across Europe, the US and Asia to exhibit their brands and further understand GCC markets,” said Michael Mueller, Managing Director, Planetfair Dubai.
”With the number of shopping malls increasing at a dramatic pace and Dubai now established as an international business hub, it is vital for these brands to gain a foothold here and play a part in the region’s rapidly growing fashion industry.”
PRESTIGE 2007 arrives during a period of substantial gains in the regional fashion industry. According to Reinhard Doepfer, Managing Director of the Brussels-based European Fashion and Textile Export Council (EFTEC), officially registered exports of textile fashion from member states of the European Union to the GCC countries increased from US$945 million in 2005 to US$1,023 billion in 2006, or 8.3%.
The United Arab Emirates is considered to be the most important export market for clothing in the Gulf region in 2006. The best performing exporter of textile fashion to the UAE was Italy, Doepfer said, followed by the UK, France and Spain.
The 2007 fashion fair will see France’s official debut at the fair with a national pavilion of 20 leading brands, organised by UBI France - the French Agency for international business development - as well as expanded offerings from Italy. Germany will be taking part for the fifth consecutive year with a national pavilion sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi). Other exhibiting countries include Australia, Canada, Greece, Latvia, Lebanon, Nigeria, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, the UAE, the UK and the US.
EFTEC – the initiator and sponsor of PRESTIGE – is representing various European fashion associations. ITMM (International Textile and Fashion Marketing and Management), a renowned fashion consultancy based in Stuttgart, Germany, oversees the quality standards of all collections on display.
“As Dubai is turning into an international business hub of this region, the Emirate has also set itself up as a cosmopolitan city of fashion and design," Nuha Safar, Director of the Marketing and Communication Department at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
"PRESTIGE 2007 is a significant fashion fair that Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry supports as it brings together many international leading fashion houses to Dubai where our members working in textiles and garments have the opportunity to interact with the exhibitors and get deeply involved in the development of the fashion industry in Dubai,” said Safar.
PRESTIGE 2007 has partnered with Dubai International Fashion Week, held at The One & Only Royal Mirage from 22-25 October. The collaboration of the two will create synergies for the success of both events. Fashion buyers will have the opportunity to build relationships with leading designers as well as negotiate business opportunities with exhibitors. Source

Dubai Fashion Week

Following the Milan, Paris and New York, Dubai enjoyed its own Fashion Week from 1st until the 4th of April. The catwalk shows were running at the One&Only Royal Mirage Hotel, while the exhibition was hosted the Arabian Court.

The UAE has taken a giant leap towards placing itself on the style map by hosting the first Dubai International Fashion Week. Al those it wasn't exactly International event as most of the designers and the public were from Asia and the Middle East, the event was absolutely glamorous.
The exhibition was featuring handful of designers, who displayed collection of luxurious evening gowns in a mixture between Indian and Middle Eastern flair. Swarovski crystals were sparkling every where in the hall. The organisation and the catering were superb. Every single detail was worked out to perfection. We enjoyed the event and only wish that the models could smile a bit next time.

Dubai International Fashion Week

The Dubai International Fashion Week will kick off tomorrow April 1st at the One&Only Royal Mirage Hotel. The designers who have already committed their participation represent an international mix of talent, including JJ Valaya from India, Autandil Tsruitinidze from Georgia, Assanova Balnur from India, Autandil Tsruitinidze from Georgia, Assanova Balnur from Kazkhstan, Hassan Shahyar Yasin from Pakistan, Keneyoshi Kondo from Japan, UAE-based Mille Rostock and Meher Michandani and Lebanese born international designer Walid Atallah, who has been operating in Dubai since 1996.

Apart from presenting the already established designers, the organisers of the Dubai International Fashion Week conducted a talent search to encourage promising designers by providing them a cost-free boots to the international fashion ramps. The DIFW advisory board chose six young designers, to showcase their new collections of high-end pret-a-porter garments.

The catwalk fashion shows are by invitation only at the Palace Ballroom of the One&Only Royal Mirage Hotel.

The exhibition is open to the public at the Arabian Court, Palegrine Ballroom of the One&Only Royal Mirage Hotel.

Motexha 2007 to welcome more Pakistani participants

Dubai International Exhibition Center (DIEC) is hosting Motexha 2007 from March 19, 2007 to March 21, 2007. This year’s expo is witnessing the largest number of Pakistani participants till today.Motexha is the biggest annual textile, apparel, leather and fashion accessories event in Middle East region. Pakistani exhibitors will occupy 200 percent additional area than 70 square meters in 2006, which is a record for any trade event in UAE.Many women entrepreneurs from Pakistan will take part in the event under leadership of international designer Nadya Mistry and support from their Government in form of financial subsidy.Pakistani exporters are interested in further participation at Motexha 2007 owing to factors such as upswing in per capita income, fashion conscious consumers and developing Dubai Textile City (DTC). Another favourable fact is that distance between Dubai and main port of Karachi is just 737 miles.More than 220 exhibitors from 25 nations are supposed to participate at Motexha 2007, which is 35 percent up from last year. Women’s wear and fashion accessories are major attractions at the expo.

Cutting-Edge International Eyewear Fashion Heads for Dubai

The latest trends in designer frames, lenses and accessories will be on-show in Dubai this March, at the Vision-X Dubai trade exhibition.
To be held from 6 - 8 March 2007 at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC), the organiser, Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) is well poised to deliver one of the most spectacular exhibitions of its kind in the Middle East, as the market for fashionable eyewear continues to grow.
“Eyewear and optical products are now highly sought after in the Middle East and the market continues to offer significant potential for growth and development. Designed to meet the needs of the industry, Vision-X Dubai provides significant opportunities for international firms looking to enter this fast-developing market, as well as for regional groups looking to build their global profile,” commented Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General, Dubai World Trade Centre.
The region’s lucrative and aspirational eyewear market has grown rapidly in recent years, with sunglasses in particular seen as “must-have” fashion accessories and important signatures of personal style. In the Middle East, the market for high-end ophthalmic products and branded optical aids is now worth over USD 2 billion.
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Motexha 2007 Drives US$ 12 Billion Regional Textiles Industry

Motexha 2007, the largest annual garments, textiles, leather and fashion accessories event in the Middle East, continues to drive the region’s textiles industry, currently estimated to be worth over US$ 12 billion. Established more than 28 years ago, Motexha 2007 will once again serve as an interactive platform for industry professionals with ladies’ wear and fashion accessories showing prominently during the three-day event to be held at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre (DIEC) on 19 – 21 March 2007.
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