World Luxury Fashion week in Abu Dhabi

This coming November, between the 25th and the 28th, Abu Dhabi will be hosting the World Luxury Fashion week for the first time.

The event, that is set to become a permanent fixture for the United Arab Emirate’s capital, will showcase the world’s leading Haute Couture houses and high-end Prêt-à-Porter fashion brands to an invitation-only four-day event.

The four-day show schedule opens with two evenings of BMW Haute Couture shows, followed by two evenings of some of the most prestigious prêt-à-porter brands, featuring, amongst others, the likes of Carolina Herrera NY, Hervé Léger, Paule Ka ‘Black Carpet’ Collections and acclaimed regional designers, Walid Atallah and DAS Collection who recently returned from a successful London Fashion Week. In addition to this already impressive line-up, BMW will host exclusive customer evening events where several top Haute Couture designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier will present their latest Haute Couture collections.

The format for every show will offer a salubrious hospitality setting rarely seen at fashion shows, as guests indulge in a five-course gastronomic dining experience crafted by Jumeirah’s elite team of executive chefs in the Mezzoon Ballroom at Jumeirah at Etihad Towers. The hospitality concept allows for each dinner course to be served followed by a fashion show during each interval, so VIP guests will indulge in the best of fashion and food in a luxurious setting.

World Luxury Fashion Week is supported by iconic partners Abu Dhabi Motors, BMW, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, Rowenta, Etihad Airways and Avenue at Etihad Towers (Abu Dhabi’s first luxury shopping destination).

Abu Dhabi is fast becoming a city that is positioning itself as one of the largest luxury retail capitals of the world and the luxury fashion market in Abu Dhabi is one of the most strategically important, and indeed lucrative. Most of the premium brand retailers are planning a rapid expansion into Abu Dhabi and this can be seen with the much anticipated opening of Avenue at Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi’s first true luxury shopping district and premier lifestyle destination in the city.

The GCC region remains a hugely lucrative market for luxury goods and achieved significant growth of 15% in 2012, leading the strong performance of the global luxury market, which underlines the huge growth potential of the Middle East region. Globally, luxury goods sales are defying initial concerns and despite recent global economic pressures and this sector will exceed €200 billion in 2012, this according to Bain & Company Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Study, Spring 2012 Update.