Avenue at Etihad Towers officially opens its doors

The launch of the stunning retail offering, which is an integral part of the capital's landmark Etihad Towers development, saw some 1,000 guests invited over three sessions and presented special in-store boutique displays, live entertainment, gourmet food provided by Avenue's own Fauchon Le Café, a live and virtual hologram fashion show that was the first of its kind in the Middle East and spectacular flower arrangements.

Commenting on the grand launch, H.H Sheikh Suroor Bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, whose brainchild and vision saw the creation of the whole Etihad Towers development, said: "I am extremely proud to be here this evening to officially open Avenue. Avenue is the final component of the Etihad Towers offering, and one which complements the sophisticated residential and commercial towers, as well as Jumeirah at Etihad Towers - Jumeirah's debut hotel in Abu Dhabi. With Avenue we are bringing many of the world's finest brands to Abu Dhabi - and the UAE - in one single destination, serving the needs oftrue aficionados of fashion and luxury and also firmly placing Abu Dhabi on the international retail map. We look forward to welcoming those with a taste for the best to this very special, luxury retail experience."

And commenting on the event's live and virtual fashion show, Mr. Sami Al Khuwaiter, Projects Director at SSPD (Sheikh Suroor's Projects Department), stated: "Avenue is - in so many ways-all about firsts: the first stand-alone luxury retail destination in Abu Dhabi; the first formal appearance of some 20 brands in the Abu Dhabi luxury market; and the first time others have made their debut in the region, and even the world. Avenue will also be bringing many firsts with regards to personalised shopping services in the coming months. We, therefore, wanted to mark Avenue's grand launch with a fashion and luxury experience never before seen in the region - a fashion show with a surprise virtual element."

The grand launch event commenced with an exquisite and intimate afternoon tea attended by H.H. Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, H.H. Sheikha Shamma Bint Zayed Al Nahyan, H.H. Sheikha Bint Suroor Bin Mohammad Al Nahyan, then saw H.H. Sheikh Suroor undertake the official opening moment with a special ribbon cutting, before the start of the evening's proceedings.

On arrival at Avenue, guests were first greeted and escorted by glamourous hostesses onto a black carpet that glistened with 10 kilograms of the finest iridescent crystals. They were then presented with beautiful and rare displays within the luxury boutiques, elegant Frenchcuisine and beverages from Avenue's own Fauchon Le Café, dramatic floral fountains and live music and entertainment from award-winning virtuoso musicians and Guinness World Record holders (for fastest performance of a violin), Fuse, who blend exciting pop tracks with electrifying performances on unique crystal electric violins.A spectacular virtual hologram fashion show featuring live models interacting with their virtual counterparts then took centre stage, with all of Avenue's brands showcased.

Prior to and after the fashion show, guests were invited to browse the elegantly designed boutiques of Avenue, all but one of which are now fully open for business. Many boutiques welcomed visitors with special edition pieces, the latest collections, models, one-off experiences or limited edition gifts, catalogues or books.

Special edition pieces or collections were on view, for example, at A. Lange & Söhne, Bally, Givenchy, IWC Schaffhausen, Montblanc, Officine Panerai, Piaget, Roger Dubuis and Rolex while at Chloé, Porsche Design, ManoloBlahnik and Tom Ford the latest collections were modeled.

In addition, Burberry screened a heritage video while at Lanvin an artist drew sketches of guests, and limited edition chocolates from Florence were enjoyed at Salvatore Ferragamo. Tom Ford also had a perfume and beauty expert on hand to assist and advise guests, and Stefano Ricci presented a tailor flown in from Italy to talk through materials and methods for any clients interested in any made-to-measure products.

Avenue at Etihad Towers is currently home to more than 34 luxury brands and brings 20 brands to the Abu Dhabi luxury market for the first time.It also sees a number of these brands make their debut in the Middle East and even the world. Avenue's impressive retail offering is serving Abu Dhabi's ever-growing desire for the world's finest brands and also firmly placing the UAE capital on the international shopping map.

Avenue brands include:A. Lange &Söhne;Bally; Breguet; Burberry; Bulgari;Canali; Cartier;Chloé; De Grisogono; Ermenegildo Zegna; Givenchy; Giuseppe Zanotti; Hermès; Herve Leger; Boss Hugo Boss; IWC Schaffhausen; Jaeger-LeCoultre; J.M. Weston; Kiton; Lanvin; Manolo Blahnik; Montblanc; Officine Panerai; Piaget; Porsche Design; Roger Dubuis; Rolex; Salvatore Ferragamo; Stefano Ricci; Stephane Rolland;Tom Ford; Van Cleef & Arpels;, Versace; and Vertu. Fauchon Le Café also makes its Abu Dhabi debut at Avenue and Waitrose is set to open in 2013.