The third Arab Fashion Week Menswear autumn/winter 2022-23 has begun. Held at Dubai Design District in partnership with the Arab Fashion Council, the three-day event opened with a showcase by Dubai label Amato Couture.
Anyone familiar with the fashion house led by Filipino designer Furne One knows to expect extravagance, and they would not have been disappointed. The 30-piece collection titled Ambush was named after a group of tigers.
"It is all about getting out of your comfort zone, embracing the uncertain and uniting together to claim our collaborative power," said One, of the show.
Scroll through the gallery above for more pictures from the Amato Couture show at Arab Fashion Week Menswear
The black runways had male and female models saunter down, decked out in intricate ensembles in every shade of gold. Lashings of leopard print ensued, crafted into luxury leisurewear, such as pieces that offered up Arabian Nights-meets-Midsummer Night's Dream vibes. Billowing robes, capes, and trench-like jackets in glistening silk were the standouts, layered over matching shorts and loose-fitting trousers. There were also body-hugging jumpsuits that are just calling out for the likes of Lenny Kravitz and Steven Tyler to don them for a concert or two.
The opulence of the fabrics was elevated with exotic jewellery piled on. Necklaces arrived in heavy chains, and elephant heads layered up with claws and chain belts. Ready for the desert dunes, the men wore sandals or no shoes at all, with black and orange aviators, caps, and silk scarves the accessories to covet.
Even at a men's showcase, it would feel wrong not to catch a glimpse of the designer's famous show-stopping gowns. Having dressed everyone from Beyonce to Jennifer Lopez and Lady Gaga to Katy Perry, his eye for detail is second to none, making him a favourite of both stage performances and red carpets. On the catwalk, Bollywood actress Urvashi Rautela wore a floor-sweeping beaded gown featuring a thigh-high slit, an oversized gold lame cape with statement sleeves flung over her shoulders and a chain mail headpiece which added to the overall indulgence.
Nadia Ferreira, the reigning Miss Universe first runner-up and Miss Universe Paraguay, also joined the runway with Laura Olascuaga, Miss Universe Colombia 2020. Produced by Yugen PR, Tiktok Viral Star Elvir Aljicevic and Emirati YouTuber Rashed Belhasa "Money Kicks" walked the runway too.
"It was a star-studded show," said One, who took his bow alongside Rautela and Ferreira.
Alongside the collection, Amato held the premiere of a fashion film. Titled Eden, it featured the house's first-ever male muse, model Sajad Pourhasan, set in the dramatic landscape of Dubai's desert. It was directed by Pradhyumansinh Solanki and shot and edited by Crossover Studios.
