‘La Moda Italiana: Dubai Edition’ spotlights Italian fashion at DFW
29 Aug 2024
Fashion from DFW.
Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer
Italian fashion excellence is set to take the spotlight at the upcoming Spring/Summer 2025 edition of Dubai Fashion Week (DFW, Sept. 1-7), at Dubai Design District or d3. Part of TECOM Group PJSC, DFW is hailed as the city’s definitive fashion showcase and the inaugural edition of “La Moda Italiana: Dubai Edition,” organised by Italian Trade Agency (ITA) in collaboration with DFW, is an exhibition that is debuting in the UAE for the first time. It will provide fashion enthusiasts an opportunity to see the latest in fine Italian fashion. Open to all and taking place from September 1-3 at d3, the pioneering exhibition also highlights the growing significance of Italian fashion in the UAE market.
The collaboration between the ITA and DFW highlights the robust cultural and economic ties between Italy and the UAE. Leveraging the Spring/Summer 2025 edition to promote Italian brands underscores DFW as a gateway to strategic partnerships and markets and reinforces Dubai’s position as a global fashion capital, says DFW. “La Moda Italiana: Dubai Edition” will welcome 25 prestigious Italian brands to present designs across a wide range of fashion categories, including clothing, footwear, leather goods and eyewear. Each brand has been selected by the ITA to represent the heights of Italian craftsmanship and quality, bringing the country’s fashion renown to Dubai. The exhibition joins a packed calendar of designer runway shows and exclusive citywide events for DFW, which recently also announced legendary Italian luxury label Roberto Cavalli as Guest of Honour.
Lorenzo Fanara, Ambassador of Italy to the United Arab Emirates said: “Italy is synonymous with style and beauty, passion for quality lifestyle, culture, art, fashion, food and well-being. Italy is the second exporter of apparel in the world, thanks to a successful integration of the finest design and production, with a focus on the high quality and sustainability of textiles used in cloth production. Italy’s fashion exports to the UAE have reached €838 million in 2023 and are continuously growing. Fashion represents also the most important sector of digital exports, amounting to about 66 percent of online exports of Made in Italy consumer goods. With the new flagship initiative “La Moda Italiana: Dubai Edition” launched by the Italian Trade Agency together with the Dubai Fashion Week, Confindustria Moda and 25 leading Italian brands, we will showcase the best that Made in Italy has to offer in the fashion scene to a distinguished audience of key stakeholders.”
The Italian luxury label of late Roberto Cavalli is DFW Guest of Honour.
Valerio Soldani, Italian Trade Commissioner to the UAE and Director of the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) Office said: “We are thrilled to finally start, for the first time ever, the Italian Fashion Showcase at Dubai Fashion Week. We have been working hard to deliver this first edition as a key milestone: one more opportunity to innovate, increase and improve our portfolio of activities meeting the growth of fast-paced industries driving the constant growth of Made in Italy in the key global market of the Emirates. Italian exports of fashion products have reached 378 million Euro (+38 percent) to April 2024, delivering excellence in all the “total look” industry verticals Italy is famous for.
“The event will showcase 25 brands from different product categories (clothing, textiles, footwear, leather goods, eyewear) which will deliver the best of Made in Italy production quality at the most important event for the fashion industry in the United Arab Emirates. The exhibition area of the Italian companies is at the heart of the Dubai Design District, in Building 6, a few steps from the Fashion Week catwalks, and will be visited by a delegation of buyers from the whole GCC region as well as media representatives, influencers, trend setters and opinion leaders in the industry.”
Khadija Al Bastaki, Senior Vice President of Dubai Design District (d3), said that “the UAE and Italy have long shared a mutual appreciation for culture, heritage and passion, which has enriched our bilateral trade and cooperation. DFW’s collaboration with the Italian Trade Agency strengthens those foundations and promotes collective economic and commercial growth through the fashion sector. ‘La Moda Italiana: Dubai Edition’ will reinforce DFW as a gateway to new business opportunities and markets and bolster Dubai’s position among the world’s fashion capitals.”
Jacob Abrian, Chief Executive Officer of Arab Fashion Council said: “With ITA’s participation, ‘La Moda Italiana: Dubai Edition’ becomes a key highlight of Dubai Fashion Week, reflecting our ongoing commitment to supporting international talent, particularly the outstanding creativity and craftsmanship of Italian designers. We commend the inspiring work of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the dedication of ITA in promoting and uplifting the creative industry worldwide. This collaboration not only deepens the cultural ties between Italy and the UAE, but also reaffirms Dubai Fashion Week’s mission to bring diverse and exceptional fashion experiences to the region.”
The Italian Trade Agency (ITA) is a governmental organisation that with the guidance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, supports the business development of Italian companies abroad and promotes foreign investment in Italy. For the ITA, the Dubai exhibition represents a significant opportunity to showcase the best of Italian fashion to a new and influential audience in the Middle East, and to introduce one more important new event to their activities in the UAE market. It also sees them align with the constant growth in the fast-paced fashion industry, further underscoring their dedication to strengthening economic and cultural ties between Italy and the UAE.