Five minutes with Cheryle Dias, Organizer, International Fashion Week Dubai

Give us some background on International Fashion Week Dubai (IFWD).

IFWD was conceptualized in 2014. Being an artist, designer and the managing director of Opulence Event Management, I came up with this concept to bring top international designers from all over the world under one platform to freely showcase their talents and designs. Designers are entrepreneurs of their brands and this event gives them the chance to explore business opportunities in Dubai and add marketing values to their brands.

International Fashion Week Dubai season 1 took place in May 2015, whereas season 2 was held in December 2015. Both events ran for two days as high-end fashion show and exposition with international and local designers showcasing their products and services to the public and attracting many buyers.

Not long after its conception, IFWD currently ranks as one of the top Fashion Weeks of Dubai.

How different was the third edition from previous ones?

International Fashion Week Dubai Season 3 was held on December 17 and 18 at Sofitel the Palm Jumeirah. In this edition, we had designers from nine different countries and we increased the number of haute couture designers. moreover, a super star celebrity actor and show stopper joined us for this season.

What criteria do you consider when selecting the designers for each event?

Innovation in designs, the theme behind the collections and the business plans of the designers.

How do you describe fashion growth and local talents in the UAE?

Dubai is already positioned as one of the top fashion hubs of the world. The Dubai fashion council is now in place to promote local fashion talent in the country, hence this shows clearly how the UAE is growing and taking fashion forward in the country.

 

How do you plan to grow IFWD’s concept further?

Dubai is an international hub for business and IFWD is committed to bring a corporate ethos and professional touch to the show. We believe that the concept, the design, the choreography and execution of the fashion show and exposition constitute a gracious, and oftentimes, strategic message on a client’s behalf.

Our goal is to project the standards and integrity of our clients and have a long and very clear vision of being the foremost organization regionally and internationally in the field of Fashion Shows.