A new concept store located in the heart of Jumeriah called the District is giving emerging local fashion designers a space to call their own
Published: Fri 29 Jul 2016, 7:33 PM
Last updated: Fri 29 Jul 2016, 9:40 PM
There is a new "District" in town. We've all heard of Dubai Design District (D3), but you may not have heard of a Jumeirah's "District" that, like D3, is all about homegrown talent. Dubai's newest fashion concept store, The District, is founded by five Emirati entrepreneurs - Alanood Al Mansoori, Fatma Al Habashi, Fatma Al Muhairi, Bakheeta Al Mansoori and Mey Al Suwaidi.
Three of these names come from the world of fashion. Fatma Bel Rmaitha is the owner and designer of Curves Vogue. She started her line by designing summery dresses and selling them in various exhibitions held throughout the city. However, after her first few events, she realised that the demand for her items was high so she now sells her items in The District, Abu Dhabi and on-line, through her Instagram page as well.
Alanood Al Mansoori is the owner and design-er of the Wings collection and started designing abayas around three years ago in various locations around the GCC. Alanood's creations have generated a huge following around the region where her collections were showcased in various cities, includ-ing Doha, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi. In Summer 2016, the brand has now become exclusive to The District and Abu Dhabi. Fatma Al Habashi is the owner and designer of the brand, Le Monochrome. She started her business around two and a half years ago when she entered the market with a collection of stunning kaftans made using unique textiles and materials. Her creations can be seen in The District Dubai and in various boutiques in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait.With a mission to provide a platform for up-and-coming international and local designers to show-case their creativity to the fashion savvy Dubai crowd, The District seeks to cater to the style of every individual.
Some of The District's most interesting regional brands include Monochrome Edition, Kristina Fidelskaya, House of Fatan, and Zena Presley. This is a hub for up to 64 'Made in Dubai' and international labels. With three of the found-ers being designers, The District understands what the consumers are looking for, and how to promote local brands. Al Mansoori says, "We are a group of family and friends who decided to join forces and develop our own brand which specialises in abayas, kaftans, casual and evening wear. When discuss-ing our initial ideas with our friends and family, we realised that we wanted to create a space where lo-cal and regional talent can have a space to display their pieces and this is what gave birth to the concept of The District." And so in May they opened the doors to The District. Guest of honour at the launch was Shaikha Hend Al Qassemi, and the event was hosted by noted fashion consultant and influencer Noha Nabeel. The large two-storey store with a warehouse feel - it has a little bit of everything a Dubai fashion girl could want - from bags to abayas to cocktail dresses.
"We were young homegrown talents when we first started and therefore we have a real understanding of the challenges faced by new businesses trying to establish themselves. It is always a struggle to learn how to fairly price items and to be able to understand local and regional demands, and to then adjust collections and featured designers accordingly."
The team at the District work closely with talents to help them grow, it's not just about selling for the District, it is about growing a market. Designers be-come part of the "District Squad" where they are guided on what trends to highlight and also when to expect low sales, and what the reasons for this could be. Curation is at the heart of the district. "We sat as a team, narrowed down what kinds of clothes we would like to wear and then started searching through our contacts in the fashion world to see which new, up and coming designers we could feature. This has been a real labour of love for us, and we are very proud of the collection we have curat-ed," says Almansoori. While they have a long list of designers they work with, they have rejected designers who they feel are not ready to retail. Some of the regions best known names are missing, such as Nathalie Trad or Rami Al Ali, which can disappoint when you first walk into the space, but The District is really a home of emerging talent from this region. Many of the younger designers who are a part of The District, are very happy with the initial response. Dubai-based fashion designer Fidelskaya says, "The District supports local and regional designers; it is the perfect place to retail Kristina Fidelskaya, a young and emerging fashion-brand based in Dubai and now ready to take on the international market. I think that in the past few years, there have been more and more boutiques, concept stores and showrooms, which are all welcoming local brands and designers amongst their already popular international names they carry.
It is important for Dubai to support homegrown talent and there is a lot here now so I think more retailers will begin focusing on Dubai and the UAE as a large market to look into."While Dubai is known for its love of fashion, it has always preferred to buy Made in Italy or Made in France when it comes to high fashion. Stores like The District are starting to change this perception.
"We aim to become an internationally recognised store that was founded by five aspiring Emirati women. We hope that someday, we are ranked amongst the exquisite luxurious multi-branded stores such as Harvey Nichols and Bloomingdales," the women say. Though they are not online for now, they do believe in the e-commerce space and hope to launch their own portal soon.With international fashion commerce websites such as Moda Operandi and Farfetch working with local designers, e-commerce may be the best way for The District to take its story international.
sujata@khaleejtimes.
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