Fashion Forward Dubai targets its digital-savvy audience with its brand new ‘See Now, Shop now’ concept
Hussein Bazaza’s show at Fashion Forward 2017
Back for its seventh edition, Fashion Forward Dubai is bringing a whole new concept to its four-day event this year. Taking place from October 30-November 2, FFWD 2019 will incorporate a fully immersive digital theme, having evolved to a ‘Shop Now’ fashion platform.
Put simply, this means that the collections showcased throughout four days of fashion shows, activations and presentations will be made available for purchase directly from FFWD, allowing you to ‘see now, buy now’ and enjoy the thrill of more instant gratification.
Michael Cinco’s fashion show at FFWD 2017
Founded in 2013, FFWD has become an important showcase for regional designers, offering new and existing creatives a platform to present their collections to buyers, consumers and regional media. The clear digital shift of FFWD 2019 embraces the fluctuating demands of the fashion industry to offer its consumers more immersive, immediate and tangible engagement.
Khadija Al Bastaki, Executive Director of d3, says of the new developments: “We’re delighted to welcome back Dubai’s leading fashion event, Fashion Forward at D3 this year. As a strategic partner and host venue for this season, d3 is again playing a critical part in the support of the regional’s fashion industry through an event which this year will see even more designers participating and a greater number of our own business partners playing a central role in the programming. As d3 evolves, it is vital that such platforms also grow, and this edition will allow collections to be purchased at the event through the ‘shop now’ fashion platform.”
With designers such as Madiyah Al Sharqi, Arwa Al Banawi and Essa using the platform to celebrate and elevate their brand reach, this year FFWD will also highlight special Middle Eastern collections created by international designers, in a bid to amplify collaborations between global and regional talent – all shoppable at the event.
“The opportunity to ‘buy it now’ is a key element of FFWD 2019, as we evolve one of the region’s most compelling fashion platforms,” says Bong Guerrero, CEO and Co-Founder of Fashion Forward Dubai.
“Given our long-standing and deep-rooted presence in the regional fashion industry, we have come to understand that this is the best way to merge the retail advantage that Dubai has to offer, with the commercial objectives of developing and established brands. Bases on this, we are connecting with dynamic designers, brands and retail partners to bring out innovative vision to life.”
A key fashion date in our calendar, we look forward to see what else FFWD brings to the table this year, and who will be the new faces of emerging Middle Eastern talent.
Find out more on past seasons of Fashion Forward here.
- Words: Emily Baxter-Priest
