Emerging Local Creativity Shines at Dubai Design Week Marketplace

Supported by Dubai Culture and reflecting the distinctiveness and attractiveness of Dubai’s environment

 

• Mansoor Lootah: Dubai Culture is keen to create a sustainable creative environment capable of stimulating entrepreneurs and creatives.

 

Dubai, UAE, 12 November 2023: Mansoor Lootah, Acting Director General and CEO the Operations Support Sector at Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), has visited the Dubai Design Week marketplace that is organised as part of the activities of the ninth Dubai Design Week held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Member of the Dubai Council, with the aim of providing inspiring spaces for entrepreneurs to enable them to showcase their distinctive ideas and innovative projects.

 

Accompanied by Dr Saeed Mubarak bin Kharbash, CEO of the Arts and Literature Sector at Dubai Culture, Lootah explored the diverse works from emerging local brands supported by Dubai Culture. This aligns with the Authority's commitment to supporting entrepreneurs and talent in various cultural and creative industries.

During the tour, Lootah praised the level and quality of ideas participating in the marketplace, affirming Dubai Culture’s keenness to create a sustainable creative ecosystem capable of motivating entrepreneurs and creatives, and enabling them to transform their ideas into successful projects. This comes as part of the Authority’s responsibilities towards the cultural and creative sector in the emirate, which is in line with Dubai’s cultural vision to position the emirate as a global centre for culture, an incubator for creativity, and a thriving hub for talent. 

 

Lootah stressed that the Dubai Design Week Marketplace constitutes an innovative platform for the works presented by creatives that highlight their visions towards the future of design and reflects Dubai's attractive and supportive environment for the cultural and creative industries thanks to its integrated system for incubating emerging entrepreneurial projects.

As part of her participation in the Dubai Design Week Marketplace, artist Maisoon Al Saleh, author of the book '33 Years of Untold Secrets,' sought to highlight the value of creativity through her brand The Paintly Store, which she launched to enable the public to wear reasonably-priced limited edition products. Meanwhile, the SDM BRAND by Shaikha Alhosani reflects the intersection of art and aspects of cosmic beauty by utilising special fabrics to produce unique and artistic products for different purposes. 

 

Nada Sarhan, Founder of the Rewind Apparel brand, combines elegance, comfort and simplicity in her designs to reflect the ability of fashion to enhance confidence and productivity. Through her brand The Cloak Dubai, Shaikha Alkaabi offers a variety of abayas inspired by the beauty of nature, while The Noor Creative brand aims to bring forth the capabilities of local entrepreneurs and innovators by showcasing the creativity of people like Noor Mohamed Al Fahim, Khalid Al Hosani, Kalthoom Ali Salem, Sondos Eatamadi, Noor Abdulaziz Al Khamiri, and Eida AlMheiri.

Amna and Hesa Aldahel, founders of Wadi D, draw from the fashion trends of the 1940s and 1950s to promote awareness of sustainable fashion. They present an innovative collection featuring vegan leather made from cactus, mango, and other plants. Fatima Alhanaee, creator of 19th Street Nomadic Flower Market, offers a variety of carefully packaged dry and fresh blooms in inventive tote bags. Khulood Al Saleh's The Wander Camel products celebrate the enchanting beauty of the UAE desert and the richness of Emirati heritage through creative designs.

 

As part of her café, Dunes & Waves, Mona Zayed Rashed provides several coffee options and a selection of healthy products made from locally sourced ingredients. This includes camel milk-based coffee sweetened with natural local sweeteners like Ghaf honey and dates, along with gluten-free, sugar-free vegan products. Meanwhile, Amal Almarar, with her FLI Bakery and Café, seeks to show the essence of Emirati cuisine, highlighting its diverse foods and flavours.