The Arab Fashion Council (AFC), a leading non-profit fashion organization, will this year host its bi-annual Arab Fashion Week (AFW) for the first time at Dubai's City Walk.

Developed by Dubai-based Meraas, City Walk seamlessly combines living, shopping, entertainment, hospitality and wellness options within one unique destination.

The announcement follows the recent signing of a long-term partnership  between AFC and Meraas.

The five-day event will take place from November 15-19 and is expected to attract a huge number of visitors and participants including industry VIP and celebrity guests flying in from all over the world for the occasion. With over 25 regional and international designers showcasing their latest creations every season, Arab Fashion Week is the first and only platform in the world dedicated to promoting Pre-collections and Ready-Couture.

“We are thrilled to host the fifth edition of Arab Fashion Week in partnership with Meraas as it presents an exciting opportunity to unite the Dubai fashion community. While Arab Fashion Week is an industry-focused event, we want everyone to feel that they are part of it, and together with Meraas, we hope to create another hugely successful event,” said Jacob Abrian, CEO of Arab Fashion Council.   

Meraas combines creativity and engineering to deliver a unique portfolio of urban and lifestyle destinations that are designed to make Dubai and the UAE a number one destination for people to live, work, visit and enjoy time with family and friends. As part of the strategic partnership with the Arab Fashion Council, Meraas will be hosting various events and activations in addition to City Walk across all its developments, including The Beach, Boxpark, The Outlet Village, La Mer and Al Seef in order to make Arab Fashion Week a truly city-wide celebration.  The five-day event will take center stage at City Walk and will include a schedule of daily runway shows, presentations, panel discussions and pop-up boutiques.

Sally Yacoub, chief malls officer at Meraas, said: “Dubai’s ambition is to become one of the world’s top capitals for fashion and design, and we are excited to support the growth of both industries by partnering with the Arab Fashion Council. Arab Fashion Week is an important event in the Dubai calendar, and we are ready to welcome thousands of people to City Walk Dubai, as we celebrate the very best the city has to offer.”

The Arab Fashion Council was founded in 2014 in London as an international extraterritorial authority by a number of regional fashion pioneers. The organization has been working closely with international experts in order to elevate and position the Arab Fashion Week alongside the other big four fashion weeks taking place in New York (NYFW), London (LFW), Milan (MFW) & Paris (PFW). The concept of the event is not only to promote regional talent but also allow international designers to showcase their collections with a possibility of being licensed with an official Ready-Couture license. - TradeArabia News Service