March 29 th , 2018 Dubai
The inaugural Pret-A-Cover TM Buyer’s Lane (PACBL), a modest fashion and design week by Islamic Fashion Design Council (IFDC) took off yesterday at City Walk in Dubai.
Dubbed as the ‘revolutionary fashion and design event’ for breaking away from the traditional cat-walk and innovative use of projection screens to showcase its collection, the event introduced the modest offering of over 30 international and local designers on the opening day.
In the spotlight were designers including The Modist, Astel, Isabella Caposano, Blue Meets Blue, Laurafed, Under-Râpt, The Hijab Lee, Miella, Kopenhagen Fur, Phi Casa, Huda Nagassi and Loretta Caponi.
Supported by Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre, the event challenges conventional fashion shows by providing the designers with an outlet for creating impact through immersive 360-degree video shows, interactive pop-ups, social media competitions, live expert interviews and post-show e-gift bags.
“We’re here to show to the modest fashion crowd, particularly expats and locals who often travel to Europe and other cold climate countries, how fur coats can blend well with their clothing without compromising on style and help stay warm at the same time”, said Viktoriia Pustynikova, International Sales Manager for Kopenhagen Fur.
“I really enjoyed the evening programme for it’s ‘wow’ effect. I think the cat walk format is getting a bit out dated, even though we still enjoy it. But exposure-wise, Pret-A-Cover Buyer’s Lane has really helped us meet several buyers and government officials which we hope will open doors to potential business opportunities”, she continued, expressing her satisfaction with the refreshing format of the event.
Among the presenting companies was Silverbac, creators of an antimicrobial technology that incorporates directly into the fibres of the fabric to eliminate odours and bacteria for the life of the garments, particularly useful for hijabs, abayas and thawbs.
Commenting on his participation, Zahir Ahmed, inventor of Silverbac technology said, “the organizers have done a brilliant job. It’s unlike anything we’ve experienced before. We met a number of key people from the government, got to interact with local as well as international media and a number of designers, so it’s been well worth our while.”
I am grateful for the immense appreciation we have received from the industry, retailers, and consumers. It was a lot of hard work and convincing people to buy into the completely new concept and revolutionary strategies is always challenging at first. But somehow, the most exciting partners got behind us, from Artist Playground by Pullman, to Nari Skincare, to the exciting technology of SILVERbac, and of course Aston Martin, Emirates Airline, Kanoo Travel, and more. We feel blessed to have this support and are excited to keep building this concept to new levels!
The event will continue through till April 2nd from 10 AM to midnight, with new shows every evening from 8 to 9 PM.
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