Fashion Forward 2015 Recap: Fashionistas In Paradise

Season five of Fashion Forward celebrated another great run! As the fashion event for the Middle East, Fashion Forward is one show no fashionista can stand to miss. There was plenty to seen, as Middle Eastern designers converged on Dubai to show off the best of the best couture. Organizers reported 15,000 to 18,000 people to attended this year.

The public Fashion Forward event ran April 10 through 13 at the Madinat Arena in Dubai, but if you can manage to get your hands on the invitation-only event, you weren’t disappointed. The closed event was on April 13.

The exclusive event offered must-have clothing items from 25 of the best fashion designers in the Middle East. In addition to the 25 clothing designers, 40 jewelry and accessory designers were also  featured at Fashion Forward this year.

Photo Credit: Fashion GPS Radar

Browsing and buying whatever your heart desired at Fashion Forward is sure to make you a trendsetting diva and the envy of all your friends this season. The items for sale included this year’s newest and hottest offerings. Attendees also watched the many fashion shows as models strutted their stuff on the catwalk to get a taste of what next year will bring.

Additionally, for the first time, the private day of the Fashion Forward event offered for sale items featured on the runway during the event. This gave those who were lucky enough to attend the final day the opportunity to get their hands on the Spring and Summer items before the general public could buy them. Talk about chic!

Fashion Forward is a unique event not only because it offers the latest fashions all in one place, but it also provides networking opportunities for new, up-and-coming designers and a platform for them to be discovered—and not just discovered in the Middle East, but also internationally.

“What Fashion Forward offers is a single, unifying platform for Middle Eastern designers to hone their craft and show consistent collections at home,” Bong Guerrero, founder of Fashion Forward, told Time Out Dubai. “Bringing designers together as a collective offers so much more impact and visibility than one designer going it alone.”

Photo Credit: Fashion GPS Radar

Fresh new design talents who managed to capture the attention of big brands and designers who have already hit it big had the honor of selling and displaying their items alongside a wealth of experienced talent. Lebanese designer Aiisha Ramadan, who’s based in the UAE, was among the designers participating in Fashion Forward. Paris Hilton, Christina Aguillera, Jennifer Lopez and Charlize Theron are some of the celebrities who wear her designs.

Other big names at this year’s event included Elle Style Award winner Hussein Bazaza, who won in the category for Best Upcoming Middle East Designer; evening wear designer Shekha Madiyah Al Sharqi; Furne One, creator of the Amato brand, which is worn by Heidi Klum, Lady Gaga, Carrie Underwood, Katy Perry, and others; and Dima Ayad, who’s based in Dubai and has been honored to have her designs featured in Grazia Middle East, ELLE Arabia, Hello!, and other popular women’s magazines.