A New Strategic Partnership as the Arab Fashion Council Prepares for the Launch of the World's First Floating Fashion Week in Dubai

1st May, 2018 - Dubai, UAE:  MBM Holding,  a leading investment and development company based in Dubai, and the Arab Fashion Council (AFC), the world’s largest not-for-profit fashion organization with a vision to establish a fashion ecosystem in the Arab world, have officially entered into a strategic partnership aiming to cement Dubai’s position as a leading business and creative hub.

On this new partnership, His Excellency Saeed Al Mutawa, CEO of MBM Holding, said: “We appreciate the achievements of the Arab Fashion Council in establishing one of the major fashion platforms in the region. In line with the role that Dubai plays on the international economic and creative scenes, we are confident that our joint resources will take the fashion sector in Dubai to the next level. Under this partnership, MBM will support AFC in positioning the UAE as a global sustainable nation in arts and creativity to create strong and active communities that compete internationally highlighting the UAE treasure in our human resources by supporting our talent into exporting the ‘Made in UAE’ to the world. This is indeed in line with the esteemed vision 2021 of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai.

Jacob Abrian, CEO of the Arab Fashion Council, said: “We are proud and honored by this strategic partnership with MBM Holding which aims to implement the vision of the Arab Fashion Council in positioning the UAE on the international map of fashion and design economy. This agreement highlights Dubai’s support of the Arab Fashion Council’s quest to develop the creative sector in the UAE by giving access to foreign brands and talent to invest in the country, providing them with the right tools and platform. The Arab Fashion Council, together with MBM Holding, will unveil at a later stage a strategic plan and a new initiative to implement this vision.”

The Arab Fashion Council, founded in 2014 in London as an international extraterritorial authority by a number of regional fashion pioneers, has been working closely with international experts 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), and Paris (PFW). Today, the Arab Fashion Week is considered one of the big five fashion weeks and the only official fashion week in the world to promote Ready-Couture and Pre-Collections, which defines the international industry scene of luxury fashion in Dubai and the Arab World. 

The concept of the event is not only to promote regional talent but also to allow international designers to showcase their collections and successfully establish their business in the region. 

Having successfully launched the first Arab Fashion Week in Riyadh in April, the Arab Fashion Council is making another first by hosting the 6th edition of the Arab Fashion Week in Dubai on board of the newly inaugurated naval hotel, Queen Elizabeth II, which makes it the first floating fashion week in the world for the only fashion platform dedicated to cruise collections.

Docked permanently at the Mina Rashid marina, The historic and newly refurbished Queen Elizabeth 2 is the Middle East’s first floating hotel - offering passengers a hub of culinary and nightlife experiences, a state-of-the-art events center, and a heritage attraction showcasing a rare and fascinating glimpse into maritime history. 

True to its reputation, the Arab Fashion Week’s sixth edition has attracted international and regional designers. This season designers from 13 different countries are participating including UAE, Russia, UK, Venezuela, Lebanon, USA, KSA, China, Taiwan, Portugal, Italy, Armenia, and Egypt. The Arab Fashion Week in Dubai will also see the launch of an eco-friendly collection under the name of AFC Green Label, which is a major move towards fashion sustainability in the region. 

The Arab Fashion Council will be joining forces with Dubai’s leading production and events company, Seven Production & Events, as the strategic Global Media Production Partner. Seven Production will have the exclusive rights for the production, photo & video-coverage of the world’s first floating fashion week in Dubai as well as future collaborations in the region in support of the Arab Fashion Council. Seven will be providing technical support to models, photographers, and designers working with the Arab Fashion Council in their studio facilities in Dubai.

Within the partnership, Seven Production will also produce a video campaign for the winner of the upcoming Fashion Film Contest newly organized by the Arab Fashion Council. 

The Arab Fashion Council will also host fashion panels inviting leading industry players to mentor the local designers in exporting their work to the international retail sector and establishing a world-class brand image.