Dubai Fashion Week has announced the dates for its next season, kicking off the global fashion calendar. Running from February 1 to 6, the event will take place just ahead of New York Fashion Week, which will begin the same day DFW is due to wrap up.
Returning to Dubai Design District to showcase the first autumn-winter 2025 collections, the six-day event will feature 25 regional and international names, with one major label expected to be announced as guest of honour. Previous names include the Italian designer Robert Cavalli and the American brand Carolina Herrera.
The arrival of a major label not only brings the creative director to the event and boosts the brand's visibility in the region, but also cements Dubai's desire to be a heavyweight player in the global fashion scene.
Over six days, designers will showcase ready-to-wear, bridal, event wear and couture collections in a schedule that includes runway shows, presentations, parties and intimate dinners for VIP guests.
For small and emerging brands, events such as fashion weeks are invaluable as it allows the creative directors to build contacts with clients, buyers and potential future collaborators. To help support this further, DFW will be launching a private Buyers Programme to help ensure those strategic partnerships are built.
Designers interested in being part of the Buyer’s Programme must apply online before December 22. DFW has already declared that only "innovative and market-ready" brands will be chosen, and these will be notified and announced early in the new year.
Speaking about the initiative, Mohammed Aqra, chief strategy officer of the Arab Fashion Council, explained that it will help the growth of the region's fashion industry. "We want to empower these talented designers to thrive and grow by guiding them to make the right business connections with top international buyers," he said.
"We aim to drive sustainable business expansion, stimulate economic growth, and enhance the global prominence of Arab fashion.”
In addition to UAE brands, DFW will be welcoming labels from Indonesia, India, France, Russia and Britain, as well as Kuwait, Libya, Lebanon and Palestine.
Speaking about supporting new names in the fashion world, Khadija Al Bastaki, senior vice president of Dubai Design District, said: "We continue our hard work and focus on nurturing incredible talent and look forward to bringing visionary designers and influential buyers together through our new Buyers Programme for 2025.
"This platform has been created to foster not only creativity but also impact business opportunity and support Dubai’s – and our region’s – rapidly evolving contribution in the global fashion space and creative economic growth," she added.
