Nestled inside Burj Al Salam Tower off of Sheikh Zayed Road near Dubai World Trade Centre, Akin is the latest concept barbershop to lay roots in the UAE. The Luxury fashion team was up at the crack of dawn to shoot much of this issue's fashion editorial at the barbershop, before it opened for business in the morning.
Glossy monochrome tiling sets an upscale and upbeat mood to the interiors, which feature frosted-glass windows, exposed wood panelling and steely chalkboard-grey accents. Old-school indie tunes complete the laid-back, urban vibe, and one wall of the shop is set up like a boutique, giving customers the option to browse through the latest in niche and alternative hipster offerings.
At 10am, the Luxury team packed up and moved locations — this time, to Intersect by Lexus, the café-cum-showroom located in DIFC. The slick, monochrome tiling coupled with the luxe, industrial vibe of the location made an ideal backdrop for the second part of the shoot. Washrooms are compact, airplane-style cubicles, uplifted by marble accents and motor-themed aesthetics. Our favourite design touches consisted of a wall decorated purely of toy cars, and a glass floor lined with car parts, painted white.
With a huge selection of menswear looks from the fall/winter 2016 runways of Christian Dior, Burberry, Gucci and Hermes, along with key looks from local label, House of Nomad, styling the shoot was anything but boring.
See for yourself, in the October issue of Luxury magazine, out today with The National newspaper.
