One of the capital’s first-ever evening-wear stores, Al Boushiya, has added a new label to its roster of international brands.
Among the floaty Marchesa dresses, structured shapes by Zac Posen and glittering creations by Zuhair Murad, visitors to the Corniche store will now find one of the hottest tickets from the latest edition of New York Fashion Week: Delpozo. The new label, which showed only its second collection this fashion season, was on everyone’s tongues after the designer, Josep Font, presented yet another delicate but strong collection.
Font was responsible for single-handedly revitalising the brand – which was started by the Spanish designer, Jesús del Pozo, in 1974 – using his background in architecture to play with shapes, combining hard silhouettes with fluid fabrics for a dramatic appeal.
Al Boushiya has already begun receiving pieces from Delpozo’s spring/summer 2014 collection, which was inspired by the French artist Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot’s painting of a gypsy. The voluminous pieces, in pastel shades of lilac and peach juxtaposed with neon florals, will continue to stream into the more than 20-year-old Abu Dhabi boutique over the next few weeks.
The family-run Al Boushiya first opened its doors in Kuwait City in 1979, before the Kaluti family handed the reins over to their daughters. With the third generation of the family now involved in the business, Al Boushiya remains one of the largest stores in the region specialising in evening-wear and bridal.
So, what to expect next from the Kalutis? Najwa, the latest family member to join the team, plans to expand the ever-growing list of designers on offer, with evening-wear heavyweights such as Giambattista Valli and Kaufman Franco, from September.
neldasher@thenational.ae