Italian fashion brands to take the spotlight at Dubai Fashion Week with inaugural ‘La Moda Italiana: Dubai Edition’ exhibition by Italian Trade Agency

Dubai, UAE, 27 August 2024: Italian fashion excellence is set to take the spotlight at the upcoming Dubai Fashion Week (DFW), the city’s definitive fashion showcase, with the inaugural edition of “La Moda Italiana: Dubai Edition.” Organised by the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), in collaboration with DFW, the exhibition is debuting in the UAE for the first time and will provide fashion enthusiasts with an opportunity to see the latest in fine Italian fashion. Open to all and taking place from 1-3 September at d3, part of TECOM Group PJSC, the pioneering exhibition will highlight the growing significance of Italian fashion in the UAE market. The Spring /Summer 2025 edition of Dubai Fashion Week, which is co-founded by Dubai Design District (d3) and the Arab Fashion Council, is set to take place from 1-7 September.

La Moda Italiana; Dubai Edition will welcome 25 prestigious Italian brands to present designs across a wide range of fashion categories, including clothing, footwear, leather goods, and eyewear. Each brand has been carefully selected by the ITA to represent the pinnacle of Italian craftsmanship and quality, bringing the country’s fashion renown to Dubai. The exhibition joins a packed calendar of designer runway shows and exclusive citywide events for DFW, which recently also announced legendary Italian luxury label Roberto Cavalli as Guest of Honour.

The collaboration between the ITA and DFW highlights the robust cultural and economic ties between Italy and the UAE. Leveraging the Spring/Summer 2025 edition to promote Italian brands underscores DFW as a gateway to strategic partnerships and markets and reinforces Dubai’s position as a global fashion capital.

Lorenzo Fanara, Italian Ambassador of UAE: “Italy is synonymous with style and beauty, passion for quality lifestyle, culture, art, fashion, food and wellbeing. Italy is the second exporter of apparel in the world, thanks to a successful integration of highest design and production, with a focus on the high quality and sustainability of textiles used in clothing’s production. Italy's fashion exports to the UAE have reached €838 million in 2023 and are continuously growing. Fashion represents also the most important sector of digital exports, amounting to about 66% of online export of Made in Italy consumer goods. With the new flagship initiative “La Moda Italiana: Dubai Edition”, launched by the Italian Trade Agency together with the Dubai Fashion Week, Confindustria Moda and 25 leading Italian brands, we will showcase the best that Made in Italy has to offer in the fashion scene to a distinguished audience of key stakeholders.”

Valerio Soldani, Italian Trade Commissioner of UAE: “We are thrilled to finally start, for the first time ever, the Italian Fashion Showcase at Dubai Fashion Week. We have been working hard to deliver this first edition as a key milestone: one more opportunity to innovate, increase and improve our portfolio of activities meeting the growth of fast-paced industries driving the constant growth of Made in Italy in the key global market of the Emirates. Italian exports of fashion products have reached 378 million Euro (+38%) to April 2024, delivering excellence in all the “total look” industry verticals Italy is famous for. The event will showcase 25 brands from different product categories (clothing, textiles, footwear, leather goods, eyewear) which will deliver the best of Made in Italy production quality at the most important event for the fashion industry in the United Arab Emirates. The exhibition area of the Italian companies is at the hearth of the Dubai Design District, in Building 6, a few steps from the Fashion Week catwalks, and will be visited by a delegation of buyers from the whole GCC region as well as media representatives, influencers, trend setters and opinion leaders in the industry.”

Khadija Al Bastaki, Senior Vice President of Dubai Design District (d3), part of TECOM Group: “The UAE and Italy have long shared a mutual appreciation for culture, heritage and passion, which has enriched our bilateral trade and cooperation. DFW’s collaboration with the Italian Trade Agency strengthens those foundations and promotes collective economic and commercial growth through the fashion sector. La Moda Italiana: Dubai Edition will reinforce DFW as a gateway to new business opportunities and markets and bolster Dubai’s position among the world's fashion capitals.”

Jacob Abrian, Chief Executive Officer of Arab Fashion Council: “With ITA’s participation, ‘La Moda Italiana: Dubai Edition’ becomes a key highlight of Dubai Fashion Week, reflecting our ongoing commitment to supporting international talent, particularly the outstanding creativity and craftsmanship of Italian designers. We commend the inspiring work of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the dedication of ITA in promoting and uplifting the creative industry worldwide. This collaboration not only deepens the cultural ties between Italy and the UAE but also reaffirms Dubai Fashion Week’s mission to bring diverse and exceptional fashion experiences to the region.”

The Italian Trade Agency (ITA) is a governmental organisation that, with the guidance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, is committed to supporting the business development of Italian companies abroad and promoting foreign investment in Italy. With a motivated and modern organisation and a widespread network of overseas offices, ITA provides comprehensive support, including information, assistance, consulting, promotion, and training to Italian small and medium-sized businesses.

For the ITA this exhibition represents a significant opportunity to showcase the best of Italian fashion to a new and influential audience in the Middle East, and to introduce one more important new event to their activities in the UAE market. It also sees them align with the constant growth in the fast-paced fashion industry and further underscores their dedication to promoting Italian excellence with strengthening economic and cultural ties between Italy and the UAE.

Visit d3 Atrium 6 to celebrate the fusion of cultures and Italian fashion at DFW from September 1-3, 12 PM to 5 PM. The exhibition is open to all.

Dubai Fashion Week returns to d3 from 1-7 September. For more information and the full programme, please visit: www.dubaifashionweek.ae.

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