80 new brands target Gulf's lucrative fashion and retail market

Held from September 17-19 at Dubai World Trade Centre, this year's showcase for high-end fashion players will welcome participation from Europe, North America, Australia, and exhibitors from across the Middle East. Reflecting the region's growing status as a world-class fashion retail destination, the German pavilion at Prestige 2005 will be 50 per cent bigger than last year.

According to Reinhard E. Doepfer, Managing Director of the European Fashion and Textile Export Council (EFTEC), the biggest fashion names are moving to take advantage of the Gulf's rapidly growing population, booming tourist numbers and its maturing retail market.

Dubai will be home to five of the world's seven largest shopping malls by 2008, says UK-based market research analyst Retail International, and retail space in the UAE alone will reach 30 million square feet by 2010. A similar trend is seen elsewhere in the region as government and private business continue to develop the tourism and retail sector.

"Tourist numbers in Dubai are expected to reach 15 million by 2010, and the increasingly sophisticated shopping environment taking shape in the region is a great incentive for the biggest names in fashion retail to develop their operations in this part of the world.

"Prestige 2005 is an indispensable platform for buyers, retailers, manufacturers and distributors to interact," said Michael Mueller, Managing Director, planetfair Dubai LLC.

Around 80 international labels seeking to enter the Middle East fashion and fashion accessories market will showcase at Prestige 2005. The brands include - from Germany - Carlo Colucci, Mustang Jeans, and Jean Paul. Scabina of Lebanon, Schedoni from Italy, Portuguese label Jersey Company, Nando Muzi and Suwen International from Turkey and Daniel Hechter Studios from France are also among the new brands at Prestige 2005 seeking to strengthen their regional presence.

"Prestige offers designers a direct link to local distributors, and this year's show will help brands achieve even greater visibility in the Middle East's evolving fashion capital of Dubai," said Ingo Kloever, Managing Director, planetfair, Germany.

Prestige 2005 will house national pavilions from Germany, Italy, Turkey and Hong Kong. Other exhibiting countries include Australia, Canada, France, Spain, Croatia, Holland and the United States.

To run alongside the exhibition, planetfair has also organised a one-day seminar on the development of store partnerships and franchise concepts on September 17 from 5.00pm to 9.30pm. Mustang Jeans and Carlo Colucci will demonstrate hi-tech shop-systems and customer care policies.

PRESTIGE 2005 will run from 10.00am to 1.00pm, and from 5.00pm to 9.00pm from September 17-19 in Hall Four at Dubai World Trade Centre.