Accessories prove showstoppers at Fashion Forward Dubai

It was a balmy Friday, but the who's who of Dubai braved the heat to attend the first day of Fashion Forward Dubai (FFWD) being held at the Hai in Dubai Design District. The tone was set with a talk by the world's leading trend forecasting agency, WGSN's Jane Boddy. She spoke of all the new trends for Spring/Summer 2017, such as The Beachcomber, Riviera Sunset and Purity - all of which have a very resort feel. And, of course, since fashion is all about 'opposites attracting', we need to also look out for the costumes-inspired 'Future Past' style, which is a throwback to the times of the Tudors and showcases their love for details in a new, more contemporary way.
As Boddy took the audience through top trends of the next season, there was also a showcase of the collections of 14 accessories' designers. The resort trend was very apparent - be it in Madiso's fashion jewellery inspired by waves, Belquis bags' use of soft blues or Nathalie Trad's use of shells. Bana's retro round-shaped handcrafted glasses adorned with daisies and roses were all about "Riviera Sunset".
The first designer to do a full runway collection was Maram (it was her debut); but both hers and Saudi Arabian designer Arwa Al Banwai's showing lacked punch. In both cases, the finishing lacked finesse - and with this being FFWD's eighth season, there's no excuse for weak tailoring.
On the other hand, the detailing and finishing in all the accessories' collections were impeccable. But then, that should not be a surprise since, this year, for the first time, 11 designers participating in FFWD were selected to show during Paris Fashion Week. It was a fitting nod to the talent of designers such as Madiso and Rula Galayani, whose products received the most positive reaction from buyers.
sujata@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai