The inaugural Abu Dhabi Fashion Week opened with a bang with Vittorio Missoni of the renowned Italian fashion house, showcasing the fall/winter 2008/09  fashion collection on the opening night of this glamorous four-day event.

The opening night also featured runway shows demonstrating the tremendous fashion talent in the Middle East, with collections by Aisha Desmal, a national designer from Abu Dhabi, Milia Maroun from Lebanon, fresh from her triumphant debut in Milano, and a special collection designed and produced by the young ladies of the Sheikh Zayed Private Academy.

Staged in a magnificent, custom-built venue in the gardens of the Emirates Palace Hotel, the Abu Dhabi Fashion Week created a festival atmosphere to showcase all that is best about the fashion industry. 

Leading regional designers and fresh, new talent from across Arabia will rub shoulders with the great masters like Missoni and Laudomia Pucci. The collection of Albino D’Amato, whose work is creating such a stir on the international catwalks, will also be on display.

Missoni, Laudomia Pucci, Maria Luisa Trussardi, and Albino D’Amato will meet and interact with the rising stars in the region - Moe Khadra, Layla Khouris, Rabih Kayrouz, Gardem, Rabia Z, Amber Feroz, Hassan Yasin, Amina Al Jassim, Aisha Desmal and Milia Maroun. 

The whole of the fashion week promises glamour, beauty and fun – a true festival of fashion for the emirate. 

The significance of the event is underlined by the list of international guests, media and opinion-makers from the international fashion industry at the event.

Alice Teeuwen of Maven, commented “There is great excitement both from the international designers and guests, many of whom are coming to the region for the first time, and from the regional designers who are very focused on the opportunity to show their collections to an expert international audience.  It will be a great week.”-TradeArabia News Service