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Showcasing traditional Arabic fashion

The traditional Arabian women’s outer garments — the abaya and sheila — have also evolved with changing fashions. A very important element of Emirati culture, the abaya and sheila are synonymous with notions of Arabian beauty.

Open to the public, this show is a great opportunity to catch up with the latest in abaya and sheila trends, see daily demonstrations on different abaya embellishments, and check out the creations of designers competing for the Swarovski Arabian Creation Award.

The show will be held from from 6:30pm onwards on all days except August 18, the Swarovski competition evening, when it starts at 7:30pm. The venue is the Observatory, on the first level of BurJuman.

The winner of the competition on August 18 will be awarded the Swarovski Arabian Creation Award. The competition is being sponsored by DSS, Bur Juman Centre, Swarovski, Sayedati, Saks Fifth Avenue and Virgin Megastore.

Five retailers, one professional designer and nine talented amateurs will be participating. The objective of the event is to highlight local abaya designers who work from their homes and mall retailers. The event will raise awareness about their work, giving them much needed media exposure.

The five-day event will have retailers showcasing their latest collections on the first and second day. On the third day, there would be a contest for budding designers to showcase their creations. The contestants would have to create a collection based on the theme given by DSS. On the last two days, contestants will showcase their individual collections. Apart from the fashion shows and contest, there will be daily demonstrations on different abaya embellishments for the audience attending the fashion shows.