Abu Dhabi Fashion Week to catwalk at Fashion Resources Park

The high profile event was launched in November 2007.

Since then, Abu Dhabi Fashion Week has heralded the Renaissance of Fashion, in the UAE and the entire Middle East region.

The premier world-class fashion industry event has earned global fashion calendar-status as those of Fashion Weeks in New York, London, Paris and Milan.

During the forthcoming week, 4 international and 16 regional designers will exhibit their Prêt-a-Porter Spring-Summer 2009 Collections to an international audience.

Abu Dhabi Fashion Week is being jointly organized by Maven Corporate Ltd. and the Fashion Resources Park, a state-of-the-art fashion centre that will be developed in Abu Dhabi, specifically designed for the promotion and development of the fashion industry.

The Fashion Resources Park is being created by Maven Corporate and Mr. Ali Mohammed Al Badi, an Abu Dhabi based fashion aficionado.

It was conceptualized and is being launched as a novel initiative to develop Abu Dhabi as a new fashion industry centre in the region and to propel the city to the centre stage in the Fashion World.

The forthcoming Abu Dhabi Fashion Week will be hosted at an indoor stage, complete with a sophisticated catwalk structure, at Fashion Resources Park.

Fashion stage experts are being flown in from the US to create a dazzling venue for the eagerly-anticipated show.

"Fashion Resources Park is the first significant new initiative aimed at creating a hub for the fashion industry within the country's growing and dynamic economy."

said Mr. Al Badi, director and major stakeholder in the park.

He pointed out that Abu Dhabi has embarked on an ambitious drive to diversify and restructure the base of its economy, with major development thrusts in transport, tourism, real estate and retail trade sectors, as well as in several culturally-driven projects.

"And fashion, which represents the expression of the talent and "savoir faire" of people, plays an important role in this milieu. This was the main reason for Fashion Resources Park to launch Abu Dhabi Fashion Week, which complements the dynamic new developments within Abu Dhabi's business and cultural communities," he said.

Mr. Al Badi added that the Fashion Resources Park, a $1.2bn mega project - the equivalent of a Fashion City - is being set up in a tax free zone in Abu Dhabi.

Spread over an easily accessible area of 200, 000 square meters, it will house, among others, showrooms, design centers, fashion schools, R&D facilities, technology centers, logistics, fashion media - all set amidst an original architectural scenario of great aesthetic beauty.

It will be in close proximity of hotels, exhibition venues and shopping centers.

Fashion Resources Park will reinforce Abu Dhabi's status as a 'City of Fashion.'"

Dr Alice Teeuwen, chairperson of Maven, pointed out that the Fashion Resources Park is a world-class development, supported by key corporations, institutions and associations in Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East.

"Fashion Resources Park has already gained global support, and its business activities are already in operation in the UAE and in the international markets," said Dr Teeuwen, who conceptualized the Fashion Resources Park and the Abu Dhabi Fashion Week.

She added that these twin initiatives, above all, would offer the most tangible complementary benefits to local and regional designers and others. She said:

"On one hand, Abu Dhabi Fashion Week will mainly serve as a PR platform, while on the other hand at the same time, Fashion Resources Park will serve as a business platform giving access to world-class expertise and facilities. Thus, with this unique combination, the regional fashion labels of today can...and will...turn themselves into international fashion brands of tomorrow."

Abu Dhabi Fashion Week is being sponsored by The Fashion Resources Park, Aldar, Mubadala and Etihad.