Spokesperson Fatima Al Baloushi lets us peek behind the curtain ahead of capital's big couture night on Wednesday
Published: Tue 21 Jul 2020, 6:01 PM
Updated: Wed 29 Jul 2020, 11:54 AM
It's a pioneering luxury shopping experience and it is coming to your living rooms on Wednesday, July 23. The multi-platform broadcast shopping showcase: Vogue Fashion's Night In, Powered By Retail Abu Dhabi will feature more than four hours of engaging TV-style content across three key segments - fashion, beauty, and culture and will close with Vogue Arabia Editor-in-Chief Manuel Arnaut in conversation with Adriana Lima, the Brazilian supermodel.
Vogue Arabia will create a pop-up content studio at The Galleria Al Maryah Island while also filming exclusive segments at both The Galleria and Yas Mall.
We spoke to Fatima Al Baloushi, Events Calendar Planning and Development Manager, DCT Abu Dhabi, to find out more.
Tying up with Adriana Lima is a coup for any festival. How was the process in attracting a super star to this initiative? What does her name add to the event?
Adriana Lima has featured in hundreds of magazine covers, including Vogue Arabia's November 2019 edition - she needs no introduction. Recruiting Adriana to help us launch our new digital fashion showcase made perfect sense. Adriana is an international icon who brings credibility and prestige to the first social shopping experience in the region, which in-turn reinforces the emirate's position as a globally recognised shopping destination.
How soon after measures to counter the pandemic were introduced was Vogue's Fashion Night In mooted as a possible event for Abu Dhabi?
The Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) runs an annual summer retail campaign; for this year's edition, Unbox Amazing, we wanted to amplify, innovate and bring something truly new and disruptive to the market - and international fans of fashion.
There is no hiding the fact that 2020 has been a challenging year for physical retailers. Hence why our primary objective with the wider Unbox Amazing campaign was to rejuvenate the capital's expansive retail sector and, where possible, leverage digital platforms that have seen huge surges in popularity and customer interaction in recent months.
After two months of hard work and mutual cooperation, what we have created with Vogue Fashion's Night In Powered by Retail Abu Dhabi is something very special - it is a true regional first. In the current climate, as we welcome shoppers back to the emirate's malls, bringing this innovative programme to life will help inform and inspire customers - it will show what Retail Abu Dhabi has to offer.
How does it feel to be at the forefront of the 'fashion-goes-digital' revolution?
Fashion never stands still, and this relentless innovation keeps brands and organisations ahead of the curve. Vogue Fashion's Night In Powered by Retail Abu Dhabi is simply an extension of this. By tapping into new digital formats, we hope to keep conversation with our customers and stakeholders fresh and engaging. Online and offline experiences are key to the success of retail sector at large and, if anything, the realities of 2020 have challenged all of us to be more creative in how we stay connected to our communities. I believe we were always going to pursue more of these integrated online-offline event concepts in coming years, however the realities of the pandemic may have hastened adoption.
What is the best way for those at home to experience this event? How can the UAE's fashion-conscious really become a part of it?
Simple, you tune in online. Fashion lovers can tune in from 7.30pm on July 23 on either of the www.retailabudhabi.ae or www.voguearabia.me websites. We will be giving away 'money can't buy' experiences for the biggest fashion fans across the country.
david@khaleejtimes.com
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