Fashion show raises Dh50,000 for Dubai charity

Designer clothes made in the UAE helped raise almost Dh50,000 for the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children at the charity's annual iftar event.

A crowd of almost 200 gathered to watch the fashion show in The Address Hotel at Dubai Mall earlier this week.

DUBAI // Designer clothes made in the UAE helped raise almost Dh50,000 for the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children (DFWAC) at the charity's annual iftar event. Almost 200 people gathered in The Address hotel at Dubai Mall on Tuesday night to watch a fashion show and survey clothing from six Emirati designers. Ohood al Suwaidi, the communications director for DFWAC, was thrilled with the turnout.

"This is the biggest event in terms of attendance and money raised since we opened in 2007," she said. "We are delighted to have received so much support." The money raised - ten per cent of sales from the event went to the charity - will help fund two of the charity's main projects: retaining psychologists and counsellors and providing indoor and outdoor recreational facilities for children helped by the foundation who have been victims of domestic violence, abuse and human trafficking.

Both programmes were essential to their development, said Ms al Suwaidi. "We combine the two programmes and the children also use play as a form of therapy," she added. "We have seen great results so far." Fatma al Hashemi, who brought abayas and jalabiyas from the fashion house Noon Haute Couture, said she would continue to help the DFWAC through her business. "Any sale I make off the back of this show I will donate a percentage to the foundation," she said.

"It does so much important work with women and children I want to support them as much as possible."
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