During the past 4 days, I have attended Fashion Forward Season 2 in Mina Al Salam in Dubai. I have to admit, I am not a fashion guru nor a big fashion follower or anything like that, but I still appreciated what the event intended on achieving and that is to bring the local and regional talent together under one roof to give them the opportunity to showcase their work to those people who matter, and also give those designers a chance to grow their businesses by getting connected to potential buyers.
At first, this appears to be all beautiful for an industry that is all about beauty; but as I spent more days in the event, I started realizing a less attractive side to the industry; an ugly side:
1. If you don't know anybody...
The fashion industry in Dubai is all about the connections; whom you know, and more importantly, who knows you! It doesn't matter how good you are in what you do, connections in this industry is critical for survival.
Rule number 1: If you don't know anybody, then you are a nobody
Rule number 2: If you don't know anybody, then you are a nobody!
2. If you are a somebody...
If you are lucky enough to be part of the elite few, then there seems to be a perception that you can get away with practically anything! The red carpet is rolled out for you...you get free passes, free gifts, media attention, crowd attention...its the whole nine yards! Heck, I've seen strange designs getting praised like it's the next big thing just because the designer is a somebody. Being somebody in the fashion industry is what you should aim to be.
3. If you are a girl...
The pressure on girls in the fashion industry seems to be soo much more than that on a pregnant woman who is about to deliver a baby. It's all about your outfits, your designs, your hairstyle, your beauty, your friends in the fashion world, and even your heels...its truly hectic.
4. If they don't need anything from you...
Well everyone is in it for a reason. Whether it being about getting known, spotted or seen, everyone seems to want something from everyone. I saw many hugs and kisses during this event, but I did not see one genuine friendship developing or having been developed during this event. Friends were those people who knew the designers outside the fashion industry and visited them either for support or for the love of the industry. It's like it is taboo to be true friends with one another, you better keep your distance because you just never know when those you know will go down.
5. If you are a guy...
I discovered that the fashion industry in Dubai is not very male friendly. Though some of the biggest designer names in town are apparently guys, I rarely spotted any men fashion during this event. I was explained by a number of people that the main reason for this is because it is apparently easier to sell fashion to a girl than to a guy, yet I find this assumption a little premature given that this fashion landmark event is merely in its second season. Perhaps as it grows older, it will incorporate this? We can only wait and see.
Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy visiting Fashion Forward Season 2 during the 4-days it was running for, and I also did meet and have conversations with extremely interesting individuals. I just feel that this industry has the potential to be more beautiful if it tackles the above points and starts becoming more genuine to its followers. After all, its still in its infant years here in the UAE but it is these years that will define and shape how it will be in the future.
Follow me on twitter: @JaberRami
and on instagram: JaberRami
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| Fashion Forward Season 2 |
1. If you don't know anybody...
The fashion industry in Dubai is all about the connections; whom you know, and more importantly, who knows you! It doesn't matter how good you are in what you do, connections in this industry is critical for survival.
Rule number 1: If you don't know anybody, then you are a nobody
Rule number 2: If you don't know anybody, then you are a nobody!
2. If you are a somebody...
If you are lucky enough to be part of the elite few, then there seems to be a perception that you can get away with practically anything! The red carpet is rolled out for you...you get free passes, free gifts, media attention, crowd attention...its the whole nine yards! Heck, I've seen strange designs getting praised like it's the next big thing just because the designer is a somebody. Being somebody in the fashion industry is what you should aim to be.
3. If you are a girl...
The pressure on girls in the fashion industry seems to be soo much more than that on a pregnant woman who is about to deliver a baby. It's all about your outfits, your designs, your hairstyle, your beauty, your friends in the fashion world, and even your heels...its truly hectic.
4. If they don't need anything from you...
Well everyone is in it for a reason. Whether it being about getting known, spotted or seen, everyone seems to want something from everyone. I saw many hugs and kisses during this event, but I did not see one genuine friendship developing or having been developed during this event. Friends were those people who knew the designers outside the fashion industry and visited them either for support or for the love of the industry. It's like it is taboo to be true friends with one another, you better keep your distance because you just never know when those you know will go down.
5. If you are a guy...
I discovered that the fashion industry in Dubai is not very male friendly. Though some of the biggest designer names in town are apparently guys, I rarely spotted any men fashion during this event. I was explained by a number of people that the main reason for this is because it is apparently easier to sell fashion to a girl than to a guy, yet I find this assumption a little premature given that this fashion landmark event is merely in its second season. Perhaps as it grows older, it will incorporate this? We can only wait and see.
Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy visiting Fashion Forward Season 2 during the 4-days it was running for, and I also did meet and have conversations with extremely interesting individuals. I just feel that this industry has the potential to be more beautiful if it tackles the above points and starts becoming more genuine to its followers. After all, its still in its infant years here in the UAE but it is these years that will define and shape how it will be in the future.
Follow me on twitter: @JaberRami
and on instagram: JaberRami
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