Thursday, October 27th was a night of fashion and learning for young designers and fashionistas in Dubai. Four designers, Amina Hussain, Rhouda Alawadhi, Emily Amorello and Wajiha Tariq, presented their brands to a panel of industry leaders: Alia Al Mur (Dubai Mall), Debi Simcox (Sartori Sartori), Leila Al Marashi (SugarVintage) and Matteo Magnanini (Al Tayer Group).
Below we have included video clips of the four presentations.
The Beginner
Amina is the designer of a very new fashion line, just launched only 7 months ago. She asks the panelists for advice on approaching buyers while working with a limited budget. Debi Simcox stresses preparation and color swatches. Leila Al Marashi does not recommend exclusivity deals.
How do I sell my brand internationally?
Roudha, a co-creator of House of Bjayam, a boutique pajama fashion line, asks panelists for advice on bringing her brand to a global market. Leila Al Marashi , Matteo Magnanini and Alia Al Mur respond.
Sustainable Fashion
Emily has designed the Nomad Jacket, a jacket for middle eastern women that has been built using all sustainable design and fabrication practices. Emily asks the panelists how to get buyers on board with ethical fashion. Leila Al Marashi thinks she should approach regional environmental players. Matteo Magnanini thinks it will be a tough sell in the UAE
Tourists and Facebook
Wajiha is the designer of a success local clothing line. She asks the panel how she can take her product to the next level. Debi Simcox encourages tapping in to the tourist market and Alia Al Mur recommends creating a facebook community for customers.
-Mary
mary@shelter.ae
Warehouse 30, Al Serkal, Al Qouz
Phone: +04-380-9040
Fax: +04-380-9041
Mobile: +971-55-653-2084
In October, Shelter hosted a Master Class series for young, independent fashion designers and retailers in Dubai. Four upstart designers presented their brand and product line to a panel of local industry leaders. Read on for a summary of the advice and insights shared at the event:
Prepare. Prepare. Prepare.
The biggest first-step for a small designer is the initial meeting with a potential buyer. To make an impact, it is important to be prepared. You will need to be ready to show buyers your stock, complete with color alternatives, tell the story of your brand, and describe your target client. Debi Simcox advised designers to “take that extra couple of weeks to prepare” for the meeting.
Know Your Customer
In retail, the customer is king. The same rings true in independent fashion. To grow a successful brand, you need to know your customer. A strong client base is the crucial first step for growing your brand – whether the goal is to be picked up by a buyer for the first time, or to expand into a global market.
You Will Lose Money at First
Launching any business requires an initial investment, and a fashion line is no different. “Be prepared to lose money when you are starting out,” cautioned Leila Al Marashi. But there are steps you can take to ensure that you don’t lose too much. “Do not demand exclusivity,” says Ms. Al Marashi. And don’t be worried about a store only picking up a few of your pieces. “Even if you only have five pieces at Harvey Nichols, your name is out there,” Ms. Al Marashi adds.
Grow Your Brand Regionally First
The goal of many young fashion brands is to be successful on an international stage. But the first step is to grow your brand locally. Ms. Al Marashi recommends young designers to “take these first two years to grow your brand locally and regionally.”
Live up to your product’s mission
We know that when you post a photo on Facebook, or a tweet on Twitter, you are saying something about yourself to your friends, family and employers. When you sell a brand, your lifestyle will be tied to the image of your brand.
Sell Your Story
Who you are as a brand is as important as what your products are, especially when you are just starting out. Buyers and customers want to know the story behind the brand. “Tell your story,” Ms. Al Marashi says. “Have a photo shoot… build up a following. When there is a lot of demand for it, then you can penetrate the market.”
What does it take to make a film in 48 Hours? In Dubai? With only a genre, a character and a line of dialogue? What happens when you send teams of film crews into the city for two nights and one day, and tell them to make a movie out of it? We are doing it, this month. And we are letting you be a part of it.
The 48 Hour Film Project comes to Dubai on the weekend of November 10th. Filmmakers from all over the United Arab Emirates will compete to see who can make the best short film in only 48 hours. The winning film will go up against films from around the world.
On November 17th, we open the doors at Shelter Dubai and roll down the white screen to host the premier screening of the Dubai project. A week later, we invite you back to Shelter for an Awards Screening, where we will bid bon voyage to the winning films as they begin their global journey.
Munir Fasheh on Knowledge, Institutions, and Communities
This Open Diversity meet-up will revolve around Munir Fasheh’s key questions raised in a talk he delivered at TEDxRamallah last April: Where do we acquire our knowledge? What is our role in our community? What is the role of institutions in promoting social and community knowledge?
Munir Fasheh, a Palestinian educator, tackles community education through the nurturing of “learning environments”, building on what is beautiful, inspiring, healthy, and abundant in people, communities, and cultures, and making sense of one’s experiences.
Munir’s pre-recorded talk will be followed by brainstorming and dialog around the intersection of knowledge, institutions and community.
This event will be facilitated by Joumana al Jabri, co-organizer of TEDxRamallah. This event is free. Bring friends and feel free to share details via Twitter and Facebook. All are welcome.
What does it mean to be “Made in the UAE?” What does it take to stitch that logo into your clothes, stamp it on your product, and claim it on your business report?
The Emirates are booming with business, but when it comes to local brands, the fight is on. How do local clothing stores, magazines, airlines and investors compete with their global counterparts?
Promise of a Generation is teaming up with Shelter Dubai to raise these questions, and hopefully answer them, during a Panel Discussion this Thursday, November 3rd, at Shelter. Join with HH Sheikha Hend Al Qassemi of Velvet Magazine, Thatcher Brown of Jumeirah, Olivier Auroy of BQ, the women behind BoumApp and Effa Al Dabbagh of EFFA Abayas for an evening of conversation about what it is to be Made in the UAE.
What does it mean to make a film in just 48 hours? What happens when you send a team into a city with one mission: to make a film, given a character, a genre and one line of dialogue?
The 48 Hour Film Project is coming to Dubai, and before we set you lose on the city with nothing but a camera, your friends, and a crazy challenge, we invite you to check out what the film project is all about.
Join us, Saturday, October 22nd at 6pm at Shelter Dubai for a pre-screening event. Watch films from across the world, all made in just 48 hours.
The first Open Diversity of the season brings together both our Learning and Innovation group as well as our Social Entrepreneurship group for discussion and activities centered around “open culture and sharing”.
Whether you are interested in open source software development, open education resources, peer production, open product development, applying “open ethos” to your workplace and projects, or just learning what “open” means, all are welcome to join in the discussion.
We will also use this meet-up to discuss the future of Open Diversity – new developments, community participation, volunteer opportunities, additional groups, and more. For further information about the event, contact Mahmoud Abu-Wardeh (Baraka, mahmoud@baraka.ae) or Anna Batchelder (Bon Education, anna@boneducation.com).
In September, Shelter Dubai hosted a panel discussion with regional experts in online business in the Middle East. What follows is a report on the conversation that unfolded:
Why online? Why Now?
To kick off the panel discussion, event moderator Danish Farhan, CEO and founder of Xische, questioned the panelist about the current boom in online business in the Middle East.
Michael Mansour, Group Director of Development and Platform Technologies for Microsoft in the Middle East, attributed the rise in Internet use among UAE residents to “the increase availability of internet-enabled phones, giving large swaths of the population access to the Internet by default,” Mansour said.
Akram Assaf, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Bayt.com, encouraged entrepreneurs to take advantage of the groundwork that has already been laid by web pioneers. “The pipes have been built. Start thinking about what can be put through those pipes, and how it can be monetized.” Assaf said.
Hot Topic: Social Media
As the discussion turned to social media and marketing, the panelists began to reveal some of the challenges and opportunities presented by the breakthrough technology.
“In two years, our advertising budget changed from being 90% spent on print advertising to 90% spent on digital ads,” said Narain Jashanmal, CEO of Voila Dubai.
Omar Kassim, Founder of JadoPado was quick to point out that social media is a requisite, not an option. “Every business is online,” Kassim said, “because someone [online] is talking about you.”
Hurdles Ahead
One challenge left unresolved by the discussion was consumer confidence in buying online. Customers in the Middle East are wary of online credit card transactions. The technology has not reached the level of ease and security as in Western markets and instances of fraud are not uncommon.
Further complicating the online purchasing process is the decidedly unclear postal system in the region. Lacking standardized street addresses, customers are asked to give their location using physical landmarks and neighborhood or building names.
Mr. Kassim shared a story of one customer who listed his location as simply “Al Barsha.” (Al Barsha is a sprawling neighborhood, encompassing apartment towers, villas, schools and the Mall of the Emirates).
To read the full report, including an overview of online business trends in the region, click here: The Case for Digital Start-Ups.
-Mary
mary@shelter.ae
Warehouse 30, Al Serkal, Al Qouz
Phone: +04-380-9040
Fax: +04-380-9041
Mobile: +971-55-653-2084
On the evening of the 27th of October, Shelter Dubai will offer a series of Master Classes for up-and-coming designers and independent retailers. The event will be a source of instruction and inspiration for designers and retailers in the early stages of development and production. The Master Class format means that select designers will have the opportunity to have their products reviewed and constructively critiqued by an industry expert in front of an audience of fellow designers and retailers.
Dubai is a global hotbed for fashion and retail. It is also home to a growing number of independent designers and retailers who are looking to break into a market that is eager for diversity. The Independent Fashion and Retail Master Class Series is an evening where like-minded designers and industry professionals can come together to share expertise and advice aimed at growing the independent fashion and retail “scene” in our region.
Designers, industry followers, fashionistas and the community are all welcome to attend this free event.
Independent Fashion and Retail Master Class Series Shelter Dubai October 27th 7pm – 9pm Networking Before and After
- Mary mary@shelter.ae
Warehouse 30, Al Serkal, Al Qouz
Phone: +04-380-9040
Fax: +04-380-9041
Mobile: +971-55-653-2084
Shelter Dubai is partnering with StartUp Weekend to offer an evening of free pitching practice and networking for local start-ups. Intel Capital and Innovation 360 will be on deck to offer advice on how to market your small business to investors. The event will be part panel discussion with local investors and start-up gurus, part networking and part practice at pitching your business. We welcome all potential attendees of StartUp Weekend Dubai to visit Shelter on Thursday night to get some high-quality, person-to-person insight and training on launching your idea.
Pitchers report October 6th at 7pm to Shelter Dubai.
