Amato's Furne One and Tony Ward among designers at Arab Fashion Week

The fashion line-up includes bespoke abayas, opulent Indian-wear, gorgeous evening gowns and even hand-knit celebrity dolls

The Amato show at Fashion Forward Dubai. Designer Furne One will showcase his pre-fall collection at Arab Fashion Week on November 15. Cedric Ribeiro / Getty Images for FFWD

The fifth edition of Arab Fashion Week will host 24 runway shows presented by some of the most creative regional and international fashion designers. The five-day event will be held at City Walk, Dubai, from November 15.

Abu Dhabi-born Lebanese designer Saher Dia will kick-start the five-day event on November 15. Known for his elegant style and rich fabrics, Dia is popular for his wedding gowns and bridal couture. Day one will also see collections by: Lebanese designer Aiisha Ramadan, whose handmade and intricately embroidered creations have been worn by the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Ariana Grande; and the bespoke abaya and sheyla brand Louzan Fashion. The evening will conclude with a show by Furne One’s Amato Couture, fresh off his well-received show at Fashion Forward Dubai.

Day two sees a slew of international names, including modern Indian-wear designer Kartikeya, Frenchman Christophe Guillarmé; sporty-chic label Viola Ambree from Switzerland; South African David Tlale; and from Italy the intriguing Mua Mua Dolls – which will present hand-knitted celebrity dolls, such as Karl Lagerfeld, Lady Gaga and Anna Dello Russo.

Vietnam’s Phuong My, Zambia’s Estelle Mantel and Humariff from Russia will present on day three, as will Italian designer Renato Balestra, who created the costumes for the cast of the Cinderella musical.

Day four sees the last of the runway shows, with collections by India’s Dimple Amrin and winner of the Lavazza Design Competition Aliyaa Al Faour from Jordan, while Lebanese-Italian Tony Ward – who has designed for  Whitney Huston, Mariah Carey, Pink,  Sharon Stone, Alessandra Ambrosio, Felicity Huffman and Beyoncé  - will end proceedings.

The last day is dedicated to the annual awards ceremony, which will celebrate outstanding contributions to Middle East fashion, followed by a gala dinner.

Arab Fashion Week is the brainchild of the non-profit Arab Fashion Council, and is held in partnership with Dubai-based companies Meraas and Sheikh Mohammed Maktoum Juma Al Maktoum Investment. The five-day event, which showcases “ready-couture”, is being held from November 15 to 19 at City Walk, Dubai.

Jacob Abrian, chief executive of the Arab Fashion Council, told The National: "Arab Fashion Week defined the term 'ready-couture' back in 2014. Looking back, the fashion ­industry started with haute ­couture then. With economic and social revolutions, the need for ready-to-wear and mass production emerged. Today, all the major fashion houses are ­creating exclusive and limited-edition pieces, but allowing clients to change fabrics and alter certain elements … and that's what we call ready-couture."

For the full schedule or to register for the event, visit www.arabfashionweek.org.

____________

Read more:

____________