The inaugural edition of Dubai Design Week, a citywide design festival, will take place from October 26 to 31, said event organisers.

The second edition of the Dubai Design and Fashion Council (DDFC)’s Urban Majlis today (June 10) welcomed the region’s design and fashion industry experts to announce their upcoming collaboration.

Set to take place under the patronage of Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice chairman, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, Dubai Design Week will be an annual citywide event which will place Dubai on the map as the emerging design capital of the world.

A panel featuring Nez Gebreel, CEO of Dubai Design and Fashion Council, Cyril Zammit, fair director, Design Days Dubai, Lindsay Miller, managing director of Dubai Design District (d3), Dr Noah Raford, advisor at the Prime Minister’s Office and Hamad Khoory, partner, Loci Architecture and Design, and moderated by Suzanne Trocmé, editor at Large, Wallpaper magazine, highlighted key aspects of the programme and discussed how both professionals and the wider public can take part in the event.

Dr Amina Al Rustamani, chairperson of the Council, said: “The establishment of Dubai Design Week represents a key milestone in the Emirate’s journey towards achieving global recognition as a leading design hub. DDFC is proud to be working closely with a team of renowned design visionaries to deliver this landmark event. Dubai Design Week will be an important platform for our design communities, providing an intelligently curated and inspirational environment where creative minds can come together to learn, collaborate and innovate.”

Nez Gebreel, CEO of the Dubai Design and Fashion Council said: “The inaugural edition of Dubai Design Week is a tangible step towards our commitment to raising the profile of Dubai as the emerging capital of design. This initiative marks a pivotal point in establishing a world-class design community in Dubai and being the catalyst that elevates the emirate’s design industry to the international stage. We look forward to creating a key gateway that brings together regional designers with creative thinkers from around the globe, right here in Dubai.”

Dubai Design Week

Established by Art Dubai Group (ADG), in partnership with d3, Dubai Design Week will coincide with Downtown Design, the region’s leading quality-driven design trade fair. Dubai Design Week will encompass culture, education and entertainment, with key initiatives spanning multiple disciplines of design, from graphic and product design to architecture and industrial design: ‘Global Innovation Design’, ‘Destination Dubai’, ‘Abwab’, ‘Education Programme’, ‘Iconic Installations’ and ‘Take Part Of It’.

Dubai Design Week’s ‘Global Innovation Design’ exhibition, to be held at d3, will feature some of the most innovative projects coming from postgraduates of the world’s leading design universities. Dubai Design Week will also see the launch of ‘Destination Dubai’, a unique alliance with six international design weeks whereby emerging brands from the participating countries will be given exposure at Downtown Design.

In 2015, Dubai Design Week will welcome San Francisco Design Week, Abierto Mexicano de Diseño (Mexico City), Helsinki Design Week, Istanbul Design Week, Beijing Design Week and Melbourne Design Week.

Dubai Design Week’s first edition will also mark the launch of the ‘Abwab’ initiative, as part of which emerging and established talent from participating countries will have their work showcased in individual pavilions designed by Loci Architecture and Design, a UAE-based architecture firm.

Made from locally sourced materials, the pavilions will be integrated into the walkways and open spaces of d3. A unifying concept will generate the design theme each year, with 2015’s theme being ‘Games: The Element of Play in Culture.’ This year’s showcase will be dedicated to designers from Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and the UAE.

Dubai Design Week will offer a programme of educational talks, lectures and workshops which will cover an extensive range of topics related to design that will educate, support and promote local talent to an international audience. From panel discussions on supporting design in Dubai, to workshops which will explore the fundamentals of different design disciplines, the extensive programme will encourage a greater interest in the regions design activity.

Placed in landmark locations across the city, a series of world premiere installations by renowned international, regional and local designers will transform Dubai throughout the Design Week, a statement said.

The installations will challenge convention and explore innovation, illustrating Dubai’s creative diversity, attracting the broader community these installations will engage and inspire visitors.

Dubai Design District, better known as d3, is dedicated to fostering the growth of the Emirate’s design, fashion and luxury industry. It offers businesses, entrepreneurs and individuals a creative community that will be at the very heart of the region’s design scene.  – TradeArabia News Service