Fashion Forward has become one of the most celebrated events on Dubai’s fashion calendar. It is an opportunity for established and emerging talents to showcase their latest creations in front of the media, experts and a style hungry audience.
But hearing or reading about Fashion Forward is not the same as attending it. I've had the opportunity to experience this event from its first season. And while I've certainly enjoyed the shows and beautiful designs, I've equally enjoyed observing what people do in such events and the things that take place.
As the sixth season of Fashion Forward approaches, here are some of the things/people you will definitely see at that event ...
1. Divas descending on the venue in fancy cars and immaculate attire to the point where you think you are at the Oscars.
2. Stylish attendees trying to hide inside the shuttle bus that takes them from the parking to the entrance, because they think it’s a very embarrassing medium of transportation.
3. Some magazine editors and little known bloggers trying to convince the staff at the reception desk to give them front row tickets instead of the second row or free seating area tickets.
4. Fashionistas trying to get the attention of Style Arabia or Harper’s Bazaar Arabia photographers to be featured in the "Best Dressed" list.
5. Stylish people enthusiastically greeting each other with warm embraces and kisses only to turn their backs afterwards and be like: "I have no idea who that was!"
6. Trendy males and females overdoing it with their mix-and-match street style attire to the point where they look more like fashion victims than fashion stars.
7. Men with capri trousers, fedoras and envelop clutches.
8. Fashionable people trying to maintain their cool when the doors of the halls open, pretending they are not racing each other to get the best spot in the front row.
9. Glamorous attendees trying their best not to have eye contact with the rival editor/blogger/stylist who is sitting opposite them across the hall.
10. Fashion experts smiling broadly and clapping feverishly as the designer takes his/her bow, while whispering in the ears of the person sitting next to them: "Where did they buy that fabric from? Karama?"
11. Photographers and stylists handing out their business cards like candy at a kid's party.
12. Anna Wintour and Rihanna wannabes who pretend they don’t know you even though you had countless conversations with them before.
13. Ladies who are doing their best to keep their poise and endure the pain caused by those Louboutin stilettos… coz being on trend is worth the pain!
14. The oh-so-glamorous Instagram personality who gets the royalty treatment and receives all the attention from the designer’s publicist.
15. The bored plus one who is dragged to the party by their fashionista friend in order to take street style photos of her, which she will later post on Instagram and tag "Dubai Streetstyle."
16. The serious fashion critic who wears all black and fluorescent yellow rimmed glasses and writes on his/her notepad words like: "dusty pink, epaulets, deconstructed cuts and avant-garde romance."
Fashion Forward will take place from March 31 to April 3.