Arab Fashion Week 2016: Brighter and Better

After eight years designing abayas, Lamya Abedin is changing things up. The Emirati designer is debuting her first full collection of Western wear with her label Queen of Spades at Arab Fashion Week, to be held from March 16 to 19 at The St Regis Dubai.

“I’ve done capsule collections and custom orders for private clients, but this will be my first full collection,” she says.

Called True Love, Abedin’s show will be the grand finale at the four-day event, which will see 15 other designers from around the world showcase their latest collections via catwalk shows. Other events include seminars and talks by experts as well as an awards gala dinner and charity event where designers will be honoured with The Fashion Trophy.

Abedin said she signed up for the event because of the potential exposure.

“I’ve always wanted to take my creations abroad and this is the right platform for me to take it to the next step,” she says. “This is really a step forward for me.”

The first Arab Fashion Week was held last year in Dubai. Organised by the Arab Fashion Council, which claims to represent 22 Arab countries, with an aim to promote Arab fashion designers in the international fashion market, the council has Mario Boselli, the former president of the Italian Fashion Chamber, as its honorary president of the council.

New elements introduced this year include a kids’ fashion show on March 16.

The focus of this year’s event will be to promote art through fashion, says Ilham Abbas, the event’s chief strategy officer.

“We’re also focusing on climate change and the environment by encouraging eco-friendly creativity. At this year’s event, we will also have our carbon footprint calculated by an agency,” she says. “2016 is looking brighter and better for Arab Fashion Week.”

The focus is also on regional designers, she says.

Included in this year’s roster are Emirati designer Hamda Al Fahim, Qatar’s Alanoud Al Attiya and Saudi Arabia’s Turk Jadallah.

“This is my...