Having absented itself from the fashion calendar last year, Fashion Forward Dubai is set to make its return in October 2019. While the FFWD stage was traditionally a platform for emerging (and some established) regional designers to send their seasonal collections down the makeshift runway at Dubai Design District, this year the event is pitching itself as a "shop now platform".
See now, shop now
The clothes, shoes and accessories that will be showcased at the upcoming FFWD show will be available for purchase instantly. Visitors will have access to a retail pop-up, while online shoppers from all over the world, too, can make their purchases digitally at the same time.
It's not confirmed yet whether all participating designers will make their wares available for immediate sale, but we do know that latest iteration of Fashion Forward will be open to both Middle Eastern and international designers who have expressed an "interest in this region".
The concept has been around since 2015, and is more commonly phrased as see now, buy now (SNBN). It has found both supporters and detractors. The former argue that by cutting that time lag between seeing clothes on the catwalk and in-store, SNBN offers a direct connection to a new, more demanding consumer, offering instant gratification to the Insta-generation. Critics, meanwhile, note that overhauling the system comes at exorbitant restructuring costs, and there's no way to tell how successful or in demand a collection will be.
"Fashion Forward Dubai was previously postponed to ensure that future editions are sustainable and address the needs of a rapid evolving industry. We have taken steps to understand what Dubai and the region need," says Bong Guerrero, chief executive and co-founder of FFWD. Either way, it's a bold move for Fashion Forward, and it remains to be seen how it will translate to the Dubai fashionscape.
Past year designers
The list of designers and brands at this year's FFWD will be confirmed by June 27, for the October 30 to November 2 shows. In the past, the event has welcomed Beirut's Roni Helou, Saudi designer Arwa Al Banawi, Emirati Madiyah Al Sharqi, Morocco's Amine Bendriouich and Dubai label Amato Couture.
It also included a smattering of guest designers from overseas, such as Mary Katrantzou at the 2017 edition, although we expect that list to grow this year. Burberry, Tom Ford, Thakoon, Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren are all fans of the see-now, buy-now model, so you never know.
