Untitled - Khalid Shafar

The
talking point
bui l di ng
th e
F UTU R E
OF
FA S HI O N
Dr Amina Al Rustamani
is the first member of
Dubai’s Design and
Fashion Council, the body
charged with making the
Emirate a world leader in
the creative industries. She
tells Bazaar editor-in-chief
Louise Nichol how she
intends to make it happen
Dr Amina Al Rustamani (on
far right) with a cross-section
of Dubai-based designers,
from left: Nathalie Trad,
Lamya Abedin of Queen
of Spades, Khalid Al Qasimi
and Ayesha Depala
Photography by SUSANNE SPIEL
140 | Harper’s BAZAAR | October 2013
October 2013| Harper’s BAZAAR|141
The
talking point
“O
f course I go shopping!”
exclaims Dr Amina Al
Rustamani, the group chief
executive officer of Tecom
Investments and the first member
of Dubai’s Design and Fashion Council, the body responsible for
steering the Emirate towards its ambition of becoming
a major player in the global fashion industry. “I was just telling my boss,
I think I’ll be broke with this new role.” She pauses. Reconsiders.
“Don’t write that.”
Sorry, Dr Amina, but the fashion industry needs to know that it
has someone who shares its passions championing its cause. With
10 business parks – including the likes of Dubai Media City,
Dubai Internet City and Dubai Knowledge Village, across the
Media, Education, Information and Communication Technology,
Manufacturing and Science sectors – already under her wing, it’s hard to
imagine where Dr Amina finds the time to hit the shops. But, as this
summer saw the announcement of a sixth sector for Tecom, Design, you
could say that shopping is now part of her job description.
As the government gears up to tackle the milestones it has set for the
year 2020, including its Fashion 2020 commitment to increase the
industry’s contribution towards GDP, Tecom is responsible for building
the foundation of the strategy with the launch of Dubai Design District
(d3), a new base for the creative industries. Set to open in January 2015
in a waterfront site close to The Dubai Mall and adjacent to Business
Bay, d3 aims to house not only the regional headquarters for luxury
giants such as LVMH and Chanel but also to provide a hub for the
region’s emerging designers, providing them with the infrastructure and
support needed to compete on an international playing field.
“Dubai hosts all these big brands and luxury brands, but in
a fragmented way. And it’s more about the end of the value chain – retail,
consumer interaction – rather than what happens before that, in terms of
creativity, production, logistics and manufacturing,” says Dr Amina.
Dubai Design District is looking to change that. And change it quickly.
“What makes Dubai different is time. If you have a deadline, you’d better
deliver on that deadline,” she says. “It’s very fast paced. Everything has to
be done yesterday. I guess this is what makes it exciting.”
While Tecom has a proven track record in growing industries in the
UAE – “when Dubai Media City was launched [in 2001] by His
Highness, the only thing you could see here were government channels
and newspapers. Now we have 1,800 companies, more than 65 TV
channels, 300 titles and a workforce of around 20,000,” says Dr Amina
– d3 represents the first of its projects that will also tap into tourism and
aim to lure the wider public. Recognising that young designers in
particular are in need of exposure to Dubai’s 10 million tourists, d3 will
include retail, public spaces, boutique hotels, event spaces and
a programme of pop-up shops and initiatives all designed to draw
potential customers into a creative community. “Dubai Design District
is more about the public. I see it as a global brand,” Amina explains.
“I hope that it will be a destination recognised by international
companies and designers as well as tourists. It’s a completely different
offering to whatever we have developed so far as Tecom.”
The first element of d3’s remit is to build a business district for fashion
brands to house their sales and marketing functions, showrooms and
related industries, “Like Dubai Media City but tailored for luxury and
designer brands,” Amina says. As well as providing physical buildings,
142 | Harper’s BAZAAR | October 2013
Dubai’s Design and Fashion Council,
along with d3, encompasses multidiscipline design. Here, Dr Amina
consults furniture designer Khalid
Shafar. Photographed on location
at Media One in Dubai Media City,
Mediaonehotel.com. Production:
Julia Maile. Set design: Victoria
Waller. Styling: Charlotte Blair.
Make-up: Natasha Ahmed at Illumin8,
Illumin8makeupstudio.com
d3 will also serve as the licensing authority for its tenants and regulate
the industry, just as it does in its other sectors. This is something that
Syrian designer Rami Al Ali, whose couture business has a staff of 42
across offices in Dubai, Paris and LA, welcomes. “The laws and
regulations here are difficult, particularly with importing goods,” he
says. “There’s also no protection for a brand and no legalisation for this
profession, which makes it challenging to gain trust in the local market.”
With a proper legal framework in place, operating as a designer should
become a lot more viable. In addition, the tax-free lure of Tecom’s free
zone business parks represents a substantial carrot for global brands
facing heat over tax issues in their domestic countries. So can Dr Amina
foresee international fashion firms relocating from their current homes
and setting up shop in d3? “Why not?” The ultimate goal, however, is
more akin to the reverse. “Our success will be measured when we have
a global brand that has emerged from Dubai Design District,” she says.
When might that be? “Hopefully soon. I’ll tell you, this city is full of
secrets. You go to Satwa, you go to Karama, you go to Jumeirah; you will
see designers who are on the cusp of making it internationally but they
say, ‘We struggle to do so, we want somebody to push us forward to
make sure that we are global.’”
“I
n Dubai we are enablers. We give the right
environment for companies to excel. If there will be a Dubai
brand it will come from one of the entrepreneurs”
amina al rustamani
U
p until now, the region’s most noted designers have
looked overseas for success; Elie Saab to Paris and
Reem Acra to New York, for instance. The purpose
of d3 is to nurture and retain Dubai-based talent.
“Our focus is to push creative industries forward
for Dubai by building a knowledge economy and
making sure we have the right base for companies to establish themselves
here,” Dr Amina says.
Running her eveningwear business between London and Dubai,
Marina Qureshi’s eponymous label has grown to five employees and six
retail stockists since launching two-and-a-half years ago. She recognises
that there is a shortfall of talent in the region. “Finding skilled and
experienced employees can be a challenge here as Dubai is not yet
a fashion capital. Most creative minds prefer the historic European cities,
but that is something that is slowly but surely changing,” Marina says.
One designer who has recently returned to the UAE in a bid to ride
the wave of the country’s reenergised design sector is Khalid Al Qasimi,
whose men’s and womenswear line was previously based in London and
has 11 international stockists in the UK, Russia, Italy and across Asia.
The Emirati designer maintains that it was a strategic decision for him
to launch his brand in a mature market first. “It was really important for
me to reach a certain level, aesthetically and business-wise. The
competition is really high in London so you’re constantly pushing
yourself,” Khalid explains. He admits that he was initially reluctant to
associate his brand with his roots in the UAE. “One of the reasons
I didn’t want to classify myself as a Middle Eastern designer in the West
was because of the taste level associations; a lot of drapery,
a lot of bling. The industry likes boxing people. I wasn’t in a box and
they kept trying to shove me in that box.”
It’s an unavoidable fact that the rest of the world views designers from
this region as being good for sparkly red carpet dresses and not much
else. “Designers originating from the Middle East need to prove
themselves twice as much in order to gain credibility among ➤
October 2013| Harper’s BAZAAR|143
The
talking point
“O
ur success will be measured when we have a global brand
that has emerged from Dubai Design District”
international press and buyers,” says the Dubai-based Lebanese
accessories designer Nathalie Trad. Indeed it was only when one of her
pieces was worn by fellow designer Mary Katrantzou at the Met Ball that
she was able to secure a retail stockist; her line is now sold in Harvey
Nichols Dubai, D’NA Doha and Riyadh, and Fivestory in New York.
That said, Dubai provides an incubator like no other for fledgling
businesses. “Being a pioneer is what Dubai is all about. There’s no room
for impossible,” says the Emirati designer Lamya Abedin, whose abaya
brand Queen of Spades has eight employees and five stockists. Zayan
Ghandour, the co-founder of S*uce boutique and designer of Zayan the
Label, which is stocked in 14 locations worldwide, says, “Dubai has
a wonderful energy that affects each person who lives here. Everyone
is encouraged to strive to realise their business dreams and aspirations.”
It also provides a steady stream of fashion-hungry consumers, which is
in itself inspiring for designers, says Marina Qureshi. “Keeping the
demographics of Dubai in mind I can experiment with vibrant colours,
cuts and embellishments to appeal to clients from all over the world,”
she explains, “the market is immense and that’s where all the fun is.”
Dima Ayad, the Lebanese designer whose label has five stockists, fully
agrees. “This city pushes you to the limit,” she says, “The opportunities
here are incredible. The tools to make it happen are the challenge.”
144 | Harper’s BAZAAR | October 2013
Most emerging designers agree that those missing tools centre around
a lack of access to competitively priced fabrics and manufacturing
facilities. “Sometimes a lace dress that I produce is more expensive than
that of a global brand,” Dima explains. “Last year I was in Paris and
I bought one roll of fabric for €60 a metre, while Lanvin bought 300
rolls for €20 a metre.” Lamya faces the same issue, saying, “The
minimums that mills ask for is way more than I need for my collections,”
forcing her to buy sample yardage – at a cost of up to 50 per cent more
than fabric sold for mass production. It is issues like this that the Design
and Fashion Council will look to tackle, ideally forging relationships
with the big European fabric fairs and mills and working to negotiate
better deals for Dubai-based designers.
Zayan says that if she could wave a magic wand over the infrastructure
of Dubai she would create, “great production facilities that do not
require huge minimum orders.” As Zayan and her contemporaries are
acutely aware, becoming a successful designer relies as much on business
acumen as it does on creative talent. More so, even. “Only upon
launching Zayan the Label did I realise that the actual design makes up
about 10 per cent of the entire process. The rest is all about production,
sampling, quality control, shipping and selling,” she says. Khalid agrees,
“It’s a business at the end of the day. It’s not an art. If you’re not selling
and you’re not getting returns on your
product then it’s a failed business.”
Setting the right infrastructure in place
will be key for the Design and Fashion
Council, which, alongside Dr Amina, is
made up of representatives from Emaar
and the Department of Tourism and
Commerce Marketing (DTCM) as well as
members from the industry itself, with
funding granted by Dubai Technology and
Media Free Zone Authority, which is in
turn owned by Dubai Holding, run by
chief executive officer Ahmad Bin Byat.
“The Council’s focus is to build the
industry in Dubai and have Dubai
recognised at an international and global
level as being a centre for design and
fashion,” says Amina.
That the government is committed to
achieving this aim is unquestionable.
“Firstly, look around: retail is an important
element that we offer tourists and
businesses,” says Dr Amina. “Number two,
Expo 2020 is all about innovation and d3
and the design and fashion industry is
Dr Amina Al Rustamani,
pretty much at the heart of all of this.”
centre, wearing Dior,
discusses the future of
In an environment where Dubai’s bid to
Dubai’s fashion industry
host the World Expo 2020 is spoken about
with potential d3 designers.
as a done deal, Amina’s already feeling the
From left: Zayan Ghandour,
Amina, Lamya Abedin and
weight of responsibility on her DvF-clad
Khalid Al Qasimi
shoulders. “I get three or four calls a day
from retailers and designers all wanting
to pitch ideas and see how they can help. The pressure is to get it right.”
At the end of last month another GCC nation took strides onto the
global fashion stage with the launch of its own home grown brand.
Qela, the luxury label conceived by Qatar’s Luxury Group, is designed to
export a fashion vision infused with Arabic DNA to the rest of the world.
Its launch follows Qatari investment in fashion businesses including
Valentino, Anya Hindmarch and UK department store Harrods. Has
Dubai been trumped by its neighbour in the style stakes, then? Absolutely
not, says Amina. “Whatever we do collectively in this region is very
important and beneficial for all of us. So to have that brand coming out
of Qatar makes us very proud. It builds credibility for the region.” As for
Dubai, “We are not into that business,” she explains, “in Dubai we are
enablers. We build the right infrastructure, we give the right environment
for companies to come and excel in what they do. If there will be a Dubai
brand it will be from one of the entrepreneurs. Our approach and
philosophy is different from what you see in other cities.”
But whereas Qatar is able to influence the aesthetic of Qela, and, one
presumes, the companies it now controls – Valentino’s new modesty has
been in part attributed to the conservatism of its new owners – Dubai is
opening its arms to a group of creatives known for being agents
provocateurs: fashion designers. Because while, as Dr Amina points out,
amina al rustamani
“There is huge hype about Islamic fashion and design,” there is also
a swathe of the industry for whom pushing the boundaries of
acceptability is par for the course. It’s hard to imagine the late Alexander
McQueen abiding by UAE standards of decency, for instance. Amina
aims to address the censorship issue in the same way Tecom has worked
with the media, internet and film companies under its umbrella. “I see it
like any other industry we have tackled so far. We have certain guidelines:
if they respect them, then they are welcome, if not, then maybe it’s not
the right place to be,” she says. “We don’t sit and censor. It’s more about
establishing the relationship when we give the licence. We say: these are
the guidelines, this is our policy, this is the expectation. We are giving
you the opportunity to establish your business, given that you respect
all this stuff.”
T
his month, Dubai’s fashion industry converges for
Fashion Forward, a series of catwalk shows
promoting emerging fashion designers from the
region alongside a static showcase of accessories, as
well as industry talks and debates. While many of
d3’s potential tenants value the exposure that such
an event offers, not all are convinced that Dubai is ready for the final
flourish of a fashion week. “I don’t think fashion shows are necessary
right now,” says Khalid Al Qasimi, “it’s like icing with no cake. Trade
fairs are where designers learn from buyers exactly what they want.
Fashion shows just expand ego.”
Bong Guerrero, CEO and founder of Fashion Foward (FFWD),
agrees that what is needed is more than simply catwalk presentations.
“Previously, for a fashion designer in our region wanting to gain
international exposure, there have been limited options. A section of
rack space in a multi-brand boutique, or spots in other markets’ fashion
weeks were up for grabs for the most talented and determined,” he says.
“What Fashion Foward offers is a single, unifying platform for Middle
Eastern designers to hone their craft and show consistent collections
‘at home’. Bringing designers together as a collective offers so much
more impact and visibility than one designer going it alone. What
FFWD also offers is the beginnings of a credible fashion community
and industry – not just a series of catwalk presentations – but talks,
discussions, industry debate and a dedicated time and space for these
designers to learn from experts, and each other. We are seeing the Middle
East emerging as a place that buyers, designers and media will look to as
a viable market to travel to, and not somewhere that the occasional
Middle Eastern designer will emerge from.”
How Dubai gets there might be up for debate, but one thing that
everyone is agreed on is that the establishment of a viable design industry
is long overdue. “We need to export Middle Eastern design talent to the
West,” insists Khalid, who adds that the region is well-placed to birth
the design talent of the future. “Inherent within our culture is a lot of
passion towards design in general,” he says, “Arabs are very emotional
people and when you are emotionally intelligent you are able to create.”
Now it’s over to d3 and the Design and Fashion Council to leverage
that creativity. ■
October 2013| Harper’s BAZAAR|145
2013
fine
dining
guide
P LUS
The
taste
The
perfect
host
What are the ingredients of a
fabulous night out? Celebrated
raconteurs and sultans of PR Dipesh
Depala and Ayman Fakoussa lend
us their secret recipe
Styling by tory waller
Photography by JULIET DUNNE
taste
The
Sharing platters
create a fun yet
intimate dining vibe
starters
Edamame
Seppuku - Sliced roasted duck salad
seasoned with vinaigrette
Bushi – Prawn spring rolls
Mains
Nigiri Platter – Salmon, tuna, yellow tail,
seabass, eel and saba mackerel
Sekigahara– Tepenyaki grilled beef
Emperor Kaika – Grilled lobster with
yuzumiso yaki sauce
Tokugawa – Charcoal grilled rib eye beef
steak with a spicy aromatic Asian sauce
Daimyo – Crispy fried sliced chicken breast
tossed in a garlic and pepper sauce
Katano – Stir fried mixed vegetables with
garlic sauce
Steamed jasmine rice
Desserts
Japanese green tea tiramisu
Fresh fruit carpaccio
H
The guest
list:
Dana Malhas,
Owner of Cream boutique, Jeddah
Doha Challah, Fashion Stylist
Lashley Pulsipher,
Communications Director, The Kempinski
Aamna Mani, Entrepreneur
Khatchig Mikaelian,
Owner of Brand Consultancy, Katch
Khalid Shafar, Furniture Designer
18 | Harper’s BAZAAR Fine Dining| 2013
Fan fun, adding props to
your dinner parties will set
a frivlous mood
The bar area is a
smoky seductive
setting for pre
dinner drinks
Chopsticks games
were on the menu
Doha
CHALLAH
Khalid
shafar
The best place to dine is at
the grill bar in Zuma’s main
dining area, but if I have a
last minute dinner to
arrange, I almost always go
for Teatro at the Towers
Rotana Hotel. My favourite
cuisine has to be Turkish. I
don’t entertain as much as I
used to. I’ll occasionally
invite friends home for
dinner and make my
signature roast shoulder of
lamb. Really, with all these
new restaurants opening in
Dubai, that’s how I prefer to
socialise with my friends.
Favourite celeb chef:
Yotam Ottolenghi
Khalid wears blazer by Barkers,
shirt by Michael Bastian, belt by
Prada
Dana malhas
Like many people, my
favourite restaurant in
Dubai has to be Zuma, but
I’m a big fan of Italian food.
As everyone knows I’m
always entertaining – I love
to serve Mexican tacos. As
for my dress code for
dinner it has to be chic and
elegant but super trendy at
the same time.
Favourite celeb chef:
Gordon Ramsay
CREDIT HERE
ot new Japanese
restaurant,Kanpai,one
of the new guard of
Souk Al Bahar eateries
to liven up Dubai’s
dining scene, was the setting for one
spectacular evening. The hosts; Dipesh
Depala and Ayman Fakoussa, owners of high
profile PR agency, Qode, renowned for
throwing the most fabulous parties and
having the best black book in the city.
Celebrating two years of stellar success, the
boys threw an intimate dinner party and
invited Bazaar along for sushi and giggles.
Theguests;allrarebeautiesandpersonalities
of the beau monde, gathered to catch up on
the gossip, and be one of the first to try the
menu at Kanpai. The atmosphere; typically
informal and vibrant, lent itself to much
mischief throughout the night, while the
food had a starring role of course; as the
specialitieswerepickedthroughbydiscerning
chopsticksanddulydevoured.Naturally,like
all good dinner parties, the revelry carried on
late into the evening, the camera capturing
some of the best moments, both posed and
candid. And when the candles had burned
down to the wick, and the first guest began
trailing out into the night, it was agreed - a
sparkling time was had by all.
The menu:
CREDIT HERE
Nigiri Platter
Girls just want to
have fun and they
did. Aamna, Dana
and Doha
If I have to choose a
favourite restaurant in
Dubai, it’s La Petite Maison
every time. It’s a typical
answer, but the food and
service never fail, and if I
need a last minute table
somewhere fabulous, I
always rely on my AMEX
concierge. I have a sweet
tooth, and make a mean
Oreo fudge cake – my
friends love it. When
dressing for dinner it simply
depends on my mood that
night; my style is quite
eclectic, there’s no method
to the madness.
Favourite celeb chef:
Nigella Lawson
Sekigahara beef
steak
Doha wears Zara dress, booties
and gloves by Chanel
Dana wears dress by CREAM in
Jeddah, top from Top Shop, shoes
by Gucci, necklace by YSL
2013| Harper’s BAZAAR Fine Dining|19
taste
The
Time to party, the
boys share a toast
at the bar
The Rules of
En t e r t a inin g
D ub a i s t y l e
Ayman
Fakoussa
You have to love Teatro. It
was the first restaurant I
went to in Dubai, and has
never failed to be perfect in
terms of food and service.
When I lived in Montreal, I
used to entertain a lot,
when I would make this
fantastic rosemary infused
lamb with a side of pasta in
sun-dried tomato sauce.
What I wear for dinner
really depends on where I’m
going, but generally a nice
pair of denims and a cool
shirt – throwing on a blazer
or cardigan if it’s more
formal. Favourite celeb
chef: Gordon Ramsay
Themed mocktails
look great on the
table
Lashley
Pulsipher
Ayman wears three piece suit by
Dolce & Gabbana, bow tie from
Zara
Bushi with sweet
chilli sauce
Dipesh Depala
Ayman busy
playing host
My favourite restaurant in
Dubai has to be Abshar on
the Jumeirah Beach Road,
but wherever I need to go,
the best person to contact
for a last minute booking
has to be Ayman! I adore
Mediterranean food but
when I entertain at home,
which is pretty often,
I love to cook Kashmiri
aubergine, and a prawn or
lamb biriyani.
Favourite celeb chef: Oriol
Balaguer for pastries, and
Raymond Blanc
I eat at Zuma a lot, so
always contact the
operations director,
Ajaz Sheikh if I need a last
minute table. I love eating
Mexican food, but at home
adore rich dishes, generally
anything covered in a
creamy, white sauce.
There’s no formula for
looking great on a night
out, but I always go for
something chic in a solid
colour, teamed with a great
pair of shoes.
Favourite celeb chef:
Jamie Oliver
Aamna wears black and gold
studded dress and shoes by
Louboutin
Seppuku, roasted
duck salad
20 | Harper’s BAZAAR Fine Dining| 2013
Ayman and
Dipesh give us
their hosting tips
Lashley wears dress by Essa,
necklace by Malene Birger, shoes
by Vera Wang
Dipesh wears jacket and trousers
by Raf Simons, shoes by Dolce &
Gabbana
Aamna mani
I love an intimate corner
table at Nina at the
One&Only Royal Mirage;
you’re guaranteed great
food, amazing music, a sexy
ambiance and it’s never a
scene. If you show up for a
late dinner you rarely have a
problem getting a table. My
favourite cuisine is
Burmese, but at home I love
to make vegan cakes and
cookies. With dining attire,
that’s easy; uber-fabulous
from head to toe – hair
done, nails done, bejewelled
and teetering on high heels.
It’s hard to be overdressed
in Dubai!
Favourite celeb chef:
Michael Mina
Samarai respect,
Khalid and Khatchig
Japanese whispers
at Kanpai
Lashley in signature
sophisticated style
Khatchig
mikaelian
I love Italian food, so the best
table in Dubai for me is at BiCE,
the Italian restaurant at the
Hilton on JBR Walk. I haven’t
entertained at my home yet,
but once I do, my signature
dish would have to be Veal
Escalope. I eat out often, and
keep my style casual, but
always with one ‘pow!’ item of
clothing.
Favourite celeb chef: Jamie
Oliver
Khatchig wears suit by Dolce &
Gabbana, shirt by Christian Dior, shoes
by Paul Smith
1. Most important is a carefully chosen
guestlist - a diverse mix of people on a
similar wavelength. Differences in
wavelengths can sometimes lead to a very
strained and uncomfortable evening, and
nobody wants that!
2. With such a variety of health and dietary
restrictions, try to select a restaurant that
offers multiple options in order to minimize
difficulty for your guests in ordering dishes
that they know they will enjoy.
3. Place guests at the table in a way that
inspires interaction and sparks great
conversation because of their different
backgrounds, interests and occupations.
4. Choose a table that is somewhat private,
but still part of the main restaurant, so that
you do not lose on the atmosphere, as is
sometimes possible with the private dining
room or the chef’s table.
5. Hosts should place themselves
somewhere within the centre of the table,
and not the head, as this will bring you
closer to more of your guests. Make sure to
place the person you know the least next to
or opposite the host in order to make them
comfortable, and feel more included.
6. Arrange for decorative elements like
flowers for the table as well as personalized
table ornaments for the guests, special
mementos of the evening which the guests
can take with them as a small souvenir. This
always adds a personal touch, and makes
your guests feel extra special.
7. Send a personalized invitation by email
to each of your guests. Even though it’s a
small dinner party, along with a phone call
its always nice to receive a personalized
invitation, albeit in a modern electronic way.
Printing is just SO not green chic!
8. Considering the Dubai obsession with
documenting every moment, it would be
nice to send a little photographic memento
the next day to your guests.
2013| Harper’s BAZAAR Fine Dining|21