'Luxury' magazine May cover shoot: sustainable fashion amid Abu Dhabi's mangroves

A vision of a greener future in Jubail Mangrove Park

For the May issue of The National's Luxury magazine, and to mark World Earth Day, the team put together a fashion shoot that shines a light on the UAE's natural environment.

To highlight the crucial role that mangroves play in protecting the UAE coastline, Luxury visited the Jubail Mangrove Park in Abu Dhabi, which acts as a sanctuary for wildlife within the nation's capital. With its raised boardwalk meandering through the forest, it offers a unique opportunity to get up close to this unique and beautiful eco-system, without interfering with it.

The fashion industry is known to be a major source of waste and pollution, so the shoot naturally turned to brands that are working to improve their business practices, such as Stella McCartney, which has been an advocate of cruelty free, sustainable style since it was launched 20 years ago. Dolce & Gabbana, by comparison, is at the start of its sustainability journey, but recently vowed to end the use of fur, and is embracing natural materials (such as the handwoven bag featured on the cover of our May issue).

Dress, price on request, Bottega Veneta

Flared sleeve poplin dress, Dh4,400, Roksanda at Matches Fashion. Bag, Dh6,500, Dolce & Gabbana.

Belted coat, Dh14,400, Dolce & Gabbana. Headscarf, stylist’s own

Top, Dh1,310; and skirt; Dh1,415, both by Pleats Please Issey Miyake at Matches Fashion

Beaded dress, Dh51,000; and Loco bag, Dh13,800, both by Valentino

Long-sleeved top, price on request, Bottega Veneta. Dress, Dh14,355, Stella McCartney. Headscarf, stylist’s own

Beaded dress; and coat, both price on request, Del Core

Dress with detachable sleeves, Dh6,060, Johanna Ortiz

Italian label Bottega Veneta, meanwhile, is part of French luxury conglomerate Kering Group, which is investing heavily in new techniques and production methods. This earnt it a seventh-place ranking on the 2021 annual sustainable Global 100 companies list by Corporate Knights.

Roksanda, a past participant in the Green Carpet Challenge, is working to cut its carbon footprint by producing its garments more locally to its clients, while Valentino and industry newcomer Del Core are investing in a different type of sustainability, that of keeping the hand work industry alive. By using hand and not machine applied beading and other age-old crafts techniques, both are helping to sustain artisanal skills and livelihoods.

To highlight all of the steps, both big and small, that fashion is working towards a more sustainable future, naturally there was only one colour scheme that would work. Welcome to our vision of a greener world.