Achieving fashion feat

As Dune London continues to capture the hearts of fashionistas across the GCC in partnership with the Apparel Group, the brand is looking forward to engaging with customers with a renewed online presence.
"We are lucky to have been here for a few years now and we have a fantastic partner in Apparel. They understand the market and the customer, and they have done an great job of building brand awareness. Social media is a really key platform for us - Instagram, working with influencers who resonate with the brand and our customer in particular to not only get that added reach but also to generate exciting content," said Maria Vasconcellos, international marketing communications manager, Dune London.
Middle East a major market
Vasconcellos added that the Middle East being the brand's biggest region outside the UK, it aims to enhance the area with an e-commerce platform to make it more available and accessible.
"We want the customers to be always be aware of what is going on with Dune London via our e-commerce sites and e-mails even if they can't physically go to that store. We are currently on Apparel's 6th Street channel, but there will be a Dune London website for the GCC market soon. The rollout in the UAE is likely to happen in March and the rest will follow," she shared.
With Expo 2020 around the corner, Vasconcellos said that Dunes London is looking forward to creating an environment of experiences that customers would be drawn to. "We are very aware of a whole new customer line opening up and are working on it. Autumn-winter would be a key season for us this year," she added.
New in town
Last week, Dune London launched its latest Spring/Summer 2020 collection in Dubai, featuring an intricate balance between simplicity and minimalism. It also has a selection of stand-up styles in footwear, allowing wearers to flip between the two for different occasions.
"In the new collection, you will find a new range of different styles to fit different purposes and tastes - some may want to dress more minimally and others may want to have a more detailed look. There is a lot to choose from," she revealed.
Speaking about the theme of the new collection, Vasconcellos highlighted its use of delicate colours and exquisite materials.
"I am talking about textures as well - artisan and natural textures. We have got rainbow brights and a lot of bling, like crystals. We aim to have a nice scale between simple and really beautifully executed pieces that are a bit louder and a bit more colourful."
Customer is key
Dune London takes pride in understanding the UAE market well, and paying attention to its customer demand and what sells best.
"We make sure to keep things interesting for the wearers. We make it a point to introduce updates from time to time with different embellishments and colours and different profiles. But we always keep a close eye on what is selling fast," Vasconcellos maintained.
On top of that, Dune London adopts a playful attitude in its collection to experiment with interesting, new and fresh concepts. "What's benefitting for the UAE is that we have a dedicated buying team on the international range and exclusive to the UAE, making it 60 per cent of the collection. That's a huge range of exclusive styles developed very specifically for the buyout," she added.
A two-way street
Excited about Dune London's relationship with the Apparel Group for 12 years, Vasconcellos reiterated, "We are lucky that they have such a strong understanding of the GCC region. We work very closely with them on a daily basis, as we are all invested in the future for partnership with Apparel. It's a relationship we want to keep growing. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are the key regions for us to expand at the moment, while we continue to nurture the UAE business. We are proud of achieving so much because it is so collaborative."
The best foot forward
Among Dune London's latest show-stopper collection, hot-fix bling styles that give off a ornate Gatsby-inspired vibe are being bet on.
"Kitten heel mules, strappy sandals and classic courts have taken on a crystal bling and paired with rose gold, silver and rainbow hues. The latest collection has a number of standout styles with lots of bling, crystal and simple structures inspired by the 90s," she said, adding that a Ramadan special collection is also on the way.
"With contemporary women's priority in their heel profile, Dune London continues to deliver versatile pieces best suited for daily and evening wear.We introduce updates from time to time with different embellishments and colours and different profiles, keeping a close eye on what is selling fast." Maria signed off as saying.