When e-commerce meets luxury fashion

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When e-commerce meets luxury fashion

Dubai - With the seventh season of Fashion Forward Dubai around the corner, all eyes are on the international players coming to town.

By Sujata Assomull

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Published: Sat 26 Mar 2016, 8:19 AM

Last updated: Sat 26 Mar 2016, 11:41 AM

Next weekend sees the seventh season of Fashion Forward Dubai (FFWD) take place at the Hai, Design District Dubai (D3). Now, there have been many fashion showcases in the city recently, like Arab Fashion Week or The Collections, but FFWD remains the most credible fashion event in the region. And, to add another feather to its cap, it recently gained the endorsement of the Dubai Design and Fashion Council (DDFC).This edition of FFWD is going to be all about the 'Business of Fashion', as buyers from Fenwick (UK), Galeries Lafayette (France), Harvey Nichols (Hong Kong), Neiman Marcus (US) and Printemps (France) will be attending.
As you can imagine, this is a significant and powerful list of players, and all international eyes are now on Dubai. However, of the slew of powerful names, Deborah Nicodemus, CEO of Moda Operandi (MO), is the one designers at FFWD will probably be lining up to impress.Moda Operandi was launched in 2010 by former Vogue market editor Lauren Santo Domingo and Icelandic entrepreneur Aslaug Magnusdottir. It was well known right from the start because of its chic content and Domingo's insider 'know how', but when Nicodemus came in, she realised that there was a need to tweak the website to make it more user-friendly. Having relaunched their website last year, today, all the content is easy to find and as consumer-friendly as it gets. And of course, there's no question that Moda Operandi is one of the big players in the world of luxury e-commerce.The website allows women, who have a taste for high-end luxury, pre-order items straight from the runways of Milan, London, Paris and New York. It's perfect for those who live and breathe high-end fashion, and women are so comfortable with the site, it isn't unusual to see them buy a $10,000 couture dress from it. Nicodemus believes that by 2020, Moda Operandi's turnover will be around $500 million.
And there's no doubt that this region is an important part of that plan. After all, the Middle East is a leading market for the luxury industry and spends a whopping $7.7 billion on it annually.The brand recently announced that some of the Middle East's most impressive design names - Elie Saab, Maison Rabih Kayrouz, Mira Mikati and Zuhair Murad - are available for preorder. And, with Nicodemus coming to FFWD, more regional designers hope to be part of Moda Operandi's curation."We will certainly be scouting for new brands at Fashion Forward Dubai," says Nicodemus. "We are also very proud of the number of Middle Eastern designers that we currently carry on the site. At Moda Operandi, we like to be seen as global talent scouts and travel the world looking for new and emerging talent. The Middle East has recently been a significant source of talent and we are very much looking forward to seeing the fashion statements coming from FFWD".Of course, this is music to ears of designers at FFWD.
With this being her first trip to the region, Nicodemus is looking forward to seeing the FFWD venue, D3 and Burj Khalifa, as well as taking quick trips to the malls. "The Middle East has always been intriguing to us. And, with an ever-growing list of clients from the region, it is important for us to connect with them directly. Speaking at Fashion For 7ward is something that we have been looking to do for a while now as it is the perfect platform for intelligent dialogue about the fashion industry."There is no question that luxury e-commerce companies have suddenly been focusing on the region. Farfetch.com recently tied up with the DDFC to mentor the winner for the DDFC fashion prize. Matches-fashion.com was in the city last month and chose to work closely with Harper's Bazaar Arabia.
Moda Operandi is even planning to open an invitation-only showroom (they already have similar concepts in Lon-don). And since Moda Operandi's cofounder Domingo is expected to visit Dubai soon, FFWD is just the start of the company's relationship with the region. Says Nicodemus, "The UAE has become the fashion capital of the Middle East, with clients from the GCC looking to Dubai for an indication of what's to come in the world of fashion.
Over the last few years, clients are increasingly appreciative of e-commerce companies for their fashion needs after realising how much more choice they have when shopping online."And as the region becomes prouder of home-grown fashion labels, international players will need to embrace the local market too - and their buyers will need to present at important fashion showcases like Fashion Forward Dubai.
sujata@khaleejtimes.com
(Fashion Forward Dubai is to take place at the Hai at Dubai Design District, March 31-April 3) 


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