DUBAI FASHION NEWS PODCAST

We can not understand fashion nowadays without the online democratization that e-commerce and social media is bringing to all. This podcast is a gold mine if you are starting an e-commerce, especially if you are in the MENA region. No matter if you are in the fashion sector or in fitness, consultancy, or construction. You need a website and if possible an eshop. There is a lot of questions when it comes to payment gateways to be able to take payments online. So, we got Sirish Kumar, CEO from Telr to answer all of them. Telr is one of the sponsors of the podcast and is offering to all the readers and listeners a very special promo code. Keep on reading and listening to the interview to get all the details.
ABOUT OUR GUEST: SIRISH KUMAR
I met Sirish at some event at In5 where we are incubated. We started talking and I saw in him a visionary. The kind of people that has a very defined vision, lots and lots of patience, knowledge and rare-to-find leadership skills.
He started Telr after being CFO of Paypal, because there was a gap in the market that needed to be addressed. It was not easy but his laser focus on his clients and his wish to serve them the better he can, it is making a difference. Today Telr is one of the preferred online payment gateways. We use it for Goshopia.com and we can only complement the service we have received so far. Today Sirish shares with us some of his knowledge on e-commerce, and entrepreneurship.
WHAT IS KEY WHEN SELECTING A PAYMENT GATEWAY FOR YOUR E-COMMERCE?
Sirish advises checking these three main things when looking for the payment gateway. First, we should ask ourselves if we would want to use social media as an additional sales channel. Right now, social selling is getting bigger and bigger and it is possible to have a link that connects directly to the Telr checkout. This means expanding your reach to new levels.
Second, is security. You shouldn’t underestimate the impact of fraud in any given business. It can damage not only your numbers but also your reputation. Online shopping is very much linked to trust. If your page is not trustworthy, you are doomed. Telr is offering one feature called 3D Secure. It basically requests a confirmation number sent as a message to the phone linked to the bank account. Without that confirmation, the transaction will not go through.
The third key is innovation and keeping up to date. Plugins get updated and if linked to a payment gateway, it might give errors. Telr makes sure the integrations are seamless and updates constantly with the changes in partner plugins. Also, there are so many innovations when it comes to how to serve better your clients, that you need to have an eye for all that. Like the QR codes that allow for remote payments instead of cash on delivery.
THE OFFER: OUR PROMO CODE WITH TELR
The offer that Telr has for the readers and listeners, for the friends and family is fantastic. It is zero setup fees, zero monthly fees and only 2.5% per transaction. This rate applies to whatever transaction volume.
If there are no transactions within the first three months, then a monthly fee of AED99 will be applied from month 4th onwards, for each month without transactions.
This means huge savings for startups. So go ahead and use it, share it with your friends or friends of your friends. To avail it, it is very simple. You just have to go to their contact page here and send a message stating that you have the promo code FASHION. If you have any question related to the offer conditions or to related to any other thing that we can help you with ( we are good at Marketing, SEO, Social media, Content creation, Podcasting and Setting up a business in Dubai) please feel free to reach out. We are happy to help in whatever way we can. Our email is hello@dubaifashionnews.com.
And now sit,

I enjoyed so much this podcast that I think you are going to love it too. Today we speak about the pretty and the ugly emotions you might face when starting your own brand. Mohammed Rabi, the designer, and entrepreneur behind the brand The Letter will share with us his journey and how he manages not only to stay afloat but also to thrive.

ABOUT TODAY´S PODCAST
Starting your business is not easy. It requires a lot of work and determination. Rejection, fear, frustration or even self-doubt hurts the entrepreneur. Much more if it is the creative brain behind the brand. We might even take it personally … At the end of the day, it is our baby and we are putting so much of ourselves in it. Mohammed Rabi is a successful designer opening up and sharing how he overcame all these emotions and kept his mind clear and focused to keep on working in his brand.
ABOUT MOHAMMED RABI
Mohammed is a reserved person, but once you start getting to know him, you see he has a really cool vision on life, work, family and also, success. Originally born and raised in Dubai, he studied Art Education in San Francisco. That, allowed him to venture and research into all sort of different ways of expression and creativity. Not only the traditional drawing and sculpture but also fashion and graphic design. Thanks to all the experimentation he found his passion and what he wanted to do.
His California period was amazing. After the initial culture shock, Mohammed Rabi got to know the locals and embrace the freedom and the essence of the place. There is something about it, that is simply put, COOL. Being Mohammed a total movie and pop culture lover, his inspiration started with leather jackets. You can read about this here as we did an article about his brand.
When it was time to come back to Dubai, he didn’t feel he would fit the 9 to 5 and started helping his sister with her bag business. That inspired him to actually start his own brand.
LAUNCHING THE LETTER
The Letter couldn’t have started any better. When they did launch the brand, sales started to come in immediately. It was something new and fresh in the market. It was a hit!
But Mohammed was already two steps ahead wondering… “ok, So now… How do I keep this consistent?”. Retail is now at his lowest, but at that time it was not so. Diversifying was suggested. And so, he started creating t-shirts that complement his offering and started developing other types of jackets.
He says it is better to start bit by bit and grow organically rather than his way. But one way or another you learn.
MOHAMMED´S GOLDEN ADVICE

* He learned that it is OK to say No to things. That, it is also Ok to have losses. It is part of the game and the blessing of being able to do trial and error and master your craft and your product.
* Follow your gut.
* Have a good support system. In his case his family.
* Prioritize your time and your energy well.
* Focus on the good things and the good people. Have the right mindset!
* Try making progress every day, even if they are baby steps.
* Have a good reason to do what you are doing.
* Appreciate the process.
* Embrace the struggle and my favorite…
* STAY HUNGRY!

SOMETHING WE DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE LETTER
He produces his leather jackets in a very small factory in India. The workers there are super creative and skilled. They do the hand paintings over the jackets. Mohammed appreciates their talent very much and wants to keep on helping them by being loyal. “I found my other family here”.
A jacket needs 4- 5 days to be produced without any artwork. If there is artwork involved it can take up to 10 days. There is a lot of love and dedication in every piece.
Mohammed likes to play in his mind with different fictional characters and imagi...

In today´s podcast, you are going to learn everything about fashion buying with the creative consultant Adela Alonso. She has tons of years of experience doing precisely that not only in the Middle East but also in Europe and Asia.
If this is a career path you thought you would like to explore, don t miss all her tips and comments. She didn’t keep anything for herself. Listen to the podcast here!
ABOUT ADELA ALONSO
Initially, Adela studied fashion. She wanted to become a designer. When she started working, she realized she loved following up the whole process and so her interest in fashion buying increased. The jump was easy as she is very analytical, and she did it for many years in different continents. One year ago, she decided to start her own company in Dubai.
She found that designers don’t get enough business training at fashion schools. And business people ready to invest in the industry have no idea what will work and what won’t as they don’t understand the nitty and gritty of the sector.
Alonso & Alonso was born to bridge that gap and it is doing really well.

ABOUT FASHION BUYING AND FASHION BUYERS
Most of the designers want to know how to get their collections in front of the buyers. They seem to be hiding and to be difficult to reach. Today you are going to learn what they are needing and how to get through to them.
Fashion buyers’ roles depend on the business model of the shops. Adela worked in Landmark and they have many brands and markets under their umbrella. They have teams of designers, buyers and factories and a very well-oiled work system. Other fashion buyers might be buying for multi-brand shops such as Debenhams, Galerie LaFayette, Bloomingdales, Robinsons or Harvey Nichols. In reality, designers and buyers need each other. You have to make sure that what you offer is right for the shop and their clients and send all the information they will need.
Adela explained to us the trilogy between the fashion buyer, the merchandise planner and the designer. They have to work in total synchrony to make sure the items designed, and produced are desired and bought by the clients. How the different departments work together in order to achieve good margins and benefits for the company.
If you are a designer, you might want to listen to the full interview to learn how to negotiate and leverage when dealing with factories among many other super juicy topics.
Check all the great tips that Adela shared with us in the podcast.
Play it here!
THE WORLD OF RETAIL
Buyers are required to know about trends and what is working and what not. Therefore, they normally visit the shops, read trend reports and watch the street style evolution.
What do shops do when the items are not selling? If you have only one shop, you can put the items on sale and offer them discounted. Also, you can save them for later when the sales are on. Retail space is expensive, and you need to maximize it as much as you can.
If you have more than one shop, you can see where those items have been selling better and send them to that shop using what is called Reverse Logistics. Zara is very efficient in doing this and has a very small ratio of items not being sold.
If the items don’t get to be sold still, you can repurpose it by changing the color or adding some embellishment or something trendy.
If you want to get in touch with Adela Alonso, don’t hesitate to send her an email to adela@alonso-alonso.com and check her website www.alonso-alonso.com.
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In today’s podcast, we interview Winde Rienstra. She is the mastermind behind some of the most daring shoe and clothing designs out there. You can see her pieces in museums and in celebrities like Lady Gaga or Selena Gomez. She uses cardboard, glass beads, wood, lego blocks, plastic… there are no limits to her creativity.
With Winde Rienstra we are going to learn about her creative process, her personal and professional journey and how to live out of unconventional fashion. Click play and enjoy!
Today we are starting the third season of our Dubai Fashion News Podcast and we are really excited because this interview is different. We admire very much the people that decide to change the status quo of things, that challenge what is accepted and reinvent their own rules. Great couturiers are now remembered thanks to that daring attitude. Winde is sweet, shy, very observant, but it is a creative powerhouse.

ABOUT WINDE RIENSTRA
Winde initially studied Arts to become a teacher to later realize that, in reality, she wanted to be a fashion designer. In love with art and architecture, she always managed to impress her teachers. Thanks to that, she went to Australia as an exchange student. She loved the freedom of that semester and one of her assignments got the eye of Australian Vogue and was featured. All this, even before she graduated.
Regarded as a very promising star in the Netherlands, she immediately started producing fashion shows after finishing her studies. For three years, she prepared every single detail of the shows, and created absolutely everything that would go on stage. Not only the clothes but also the shoes, the bags and all sort of accessories.

Now she doesn’t do this anymore. “It is a lot of work, for a 10-minute show. Great for publicity, but not necessarily for sales.” At that time in her life, she realized that her priority was to safeguard her creativity, even if that would mean having less money or less visibility. She remembers the energy of friends, family, and interns working together to produce a show, the adrenaline that comes with the applause, the fun…
HER CREATIVE PROCESS
She loves art, architecture, nature and the small things. That is why traveling is a great source of inspiration. Dubai and Oman are now part of that inspiration after this trip. Oh! Our desert did leave quite an impression on her memory.
The designer doesn’t think of a particular person or muse when creating. She follows the material and what it can be done with it, using the moulage -draping directly the materials over the mannequin- instead of sketching.
Food for thought: Excessive knowledge might hinder our creativity.

HANDS ON!
When it comes to the production, and due to all the different materials Winde uses, her studio was not enough. Sanding machines, laser cutters, 3d printers… are part of the utensils she needs to create her pieces. Her father is very good with his hands and helps her a lot in transferring her ideas into the real world. It is an amazing team. We could say that the family that creates together, stays together!
WORKING WITH THE CELEBRITIES
Most probably you will work with their stylists, not with the celebrities themselves. Celebrities help put her name out there and it is great to get more people knowing what she is doing. “If only we could work with some more time”, says Winde. “Normally they come with very little time in advance. And because everything needs to be custom made, sometimes we end up running”.
Winde Rienstra has done already Opera-yep! the Madame Butterfly outfits. And she would love to be able to work on films. Taking into account her unique vision and talent, I am sure that is something to be happening very soon. I can see her dressing Khalessi and all the Star Wars cast!
WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF FASHION?

Modest fashion is a trending topic not only in the region but everywhere. Today we will speak about modest fashion with Alia Khan, president, and founder of IFDC which stands for Islamic Fashion & Design Council. She is also going to share her journey creating the council and how they are helping designers and other industry players succeed.
Have a listen to the interview here.
ABOUT ALIA KHAN
Originally from Pakistan, Alia Khan grew up in California. She moved to Dubai in 2005 to be closer to her family. At that time, she had a media company that created content for huge companies like Procter & Gamble. You can tell she knows how to express her thoughts and ideas when listening to her in the interview!
Eventually, she realized there was a huge demand and an even bigger gap in modest fashion and Islamic design. That is how the idea of a starting at fashion and design council came to life.
WHAT IS MODEST FASHION?
IFDC is not a religious body so the criterium is not something they will impose on anybody. Alia Khan explains that it is a matter of personal interpretation but there are some general guidelines.
• Clothes that are not too revealing
• Clothes that are loose-fitting
• That have an appropriate neckline and no open backs
• The sleeves should cover their arm up to the wrists
• The length of the dress or skirt should reach the ankles
• And the hijab
TALKING ABOUT THE HIJAB
Probably the most controversial piece of modest dressing, the hijab is more than just a piece of cloth. Alia shares with us what is behind it. “Not everybody is ready to follow it and they are many different ways to wear a hijab”.
Hijab means partition, veil, something that protects you from something… in this case, evil. But they are many different hijabs.
If you put a hijab in your tongue, you should not say bad things about people. Should you put a hijab in your eyes or in your mind, you should see the positives and not the negatives in people or situations. If you have a hijab in your heart, you wouldn’t harm anyone and try to be good, well-intentioned, and fair. All these hijabs come before the cloth over your head. It is a personal commitment to your beliefs.
I must admit that this romantic way to explain what the hijab is, resonates more with me. Of course, in the podcast, we spoke about how the hijab is seen in other places as something imposed. Not a choice. IFDC is trying to change the narrative. Hijab is a personal choice and it doesn’t necessary correlates with any sort of repression. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but to focus on the exceptions is what is damaging how everyone else wearing a hijab is perceived.
ABOUT THE IFDC FIRST EVENT: PRET- A- COVER BUYERS LANE
The event that took place at City Walk took Alia and her team good 10 months to put together.
“It took this long because it was the first event we were doing and because we wanted to do something original and never seen before”.
And so, they did! The catwalk didn’t have models, but rather projections of each and every designer showcasing. This way not only the clothes but also the vibe and energy, the story or the inspiration were part of the experience. 15 LED screens, water screens, and around 20-25 projectors did the job. Not sure if it was easier than having the models doing the walk but definitely it was a different and unique concept, we might see more of.
The sponsors seemed to be very happy and IFDC managed to get more sponsors interested in participating in the coming events.
Pret-a- cover displayed the collections of 35 designers. You can read here our review of the event, but we can tell you that there was a lot of talent and enthusias...

This podcast episode I know you are going to love! We interviewed Shahd Alasaly from Blue Meets Blue. This brand is making a difference in the world, one stitch at a time. Blue Meets Blue hires female refugees that come to the US running away from war-torn areas like Syria. They help them integrate by having a job they can be proud of and becoming part of a team with an inspiring mission. Help each other, work together and make beautiful garments.
THE STORY OF BLUE MEETS BLUE
The name brings an image to our minds once Shahd explained to us what is behind. When refugees have to flee their countries often they have to cross the Mediterranean Sea where the blue of the sky meets the blue of the sea. It is a journey to freedom and to hope but is full of uncertainty and fears. Will we reach the other side? What is going to happen to us and our families?
This fashion label started in 2015 in Chicago and they are everything about ethical, humanitarian and slow fashion. Where fashion meets Humanitarianism is their motto.
We met Shahd at the event called Pret-a- Cover organized by the Islamic Fashion and Design Council. In the US, the ethical fashion movement is taking momentum. People are happy to help the cause while at the same time they are getting a beautiful garment.
Initially, Shahd studied International Psychology and her thesis was about How to assist the refugees to integrate and be happy. As you can imagine, being able to find a job is critical in the process. It gives them a sense of dignity and belonging, allows them to provide for their families and also allows them to meet people and start having friends.
She learned from her grandmother how to sew when she was a child. Later, she took courses in fashion when she felt this was the right way to go and to help. Blue Meets Blue was about to be born.
THE LANGUAGE BARRIER
At Blue Meets Blue you can find refugees from different areas around the world. It is a bit of a Babel Tower. Shahd explained to us how they are coping with it. As they normally come through a relocation agency, they help them with classes. At the atelier, they have to use English to communicate and that makes them start using the language faster. There is a feeling of real community and everyone help each other.

TALKING BUSINESS
Blue Meets Blue is produced 100% in the US and they only use high-quality fabrics. They are proud to say that they pay fairly good salaries to their employees. Of course, all this impacts their bottom line. They are a luxury high-end ethical fashion label and their price is in the range.
We asked how the story behind helps Blue Meets Blue getting more sales. Shahd is very honest. “If you have a beautiful story but your product is not good, people will not buy it. That is why we focus very much on having an excellent product”.
Some brands are using the terms “ethical” wrongly and sometimes this leads to certain mistrust. But once they know your story and they get to know you, they are able to see through.

If you are considering shifting to ethical fashion, Shahd recommends to do it for the right reasons and not because of potential sales. Do it because it is what feels right and it is the right thing to do.
https://dubaifashionnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/DUBAI-FASHION-NEWS-PODCAST-21-BLUE-MEETS-BLUE-FASHION-MEETS-HUMANITARIANISM.mp3
THE TRUMP ELECTION
Trump election was a shock to many of us. The messages of isolationism and America for the Americans had a response in many cities. Chicago, in particular, is a sanctuary city. With Trump in power, there are a lot of people that realized that the message of hate was not for them. And as Shahd relates “It happened just the opposite… People were reaching out,

We have seen drones recording some catwalks and even recently Dolce & Gabbana used them as “models” to show their latest it-bag… But what is the future of visuals? How can we use the technology that is coming to promote our brands? We asked Fouad Choufany, the CEO, and entrepreneur that turned a passion into a profitable business and that thanks to that is helping NGO´s around the world.
In this podcast, we wanted to shed some light over the visual part of fashion. Visuals, whether photos or videos are key in this industry. It is not possible to sell a collection without them. You basically can not go around with bad pictures. Instagram, probably the most visual of all social media -together with Pinterest- need to have good images and now video is becoming the king.
ABOUT FOUAD CHOUFANY
Fouad started in this business 17 years ago. In reality, it was a family business and he took over and reinvented it by following what their clients were requesting. His company is called Inspiration Group. A very good name considering that you want to inspire and get inspired! Photography has been lately complemented- if not replaced- with video. TV, YouTube, and the many social media that are allowing videos now are turning videos a need in the Marketing strategies of brands of any given sector. In the fashion sector, it is almost compulsory due to the natural visual component of it.
So, Fouad shifted from photography into video production and now also uses drones to record takes and views that otherwise will be impossible. You have to be ahead of the competition. – he says.

TO DRONE OR NOT TO DRONE
Every country has specific regulations when it comes to the use of drones. Depending on the location you might need permissions from the army, civil aviation, or the municipality. When you are recording indoors, the venue has to allow it. For example, at the last Arab Fashion Week Fouad flew his drone and he had the authorization and the request of the Meydan Hotel. Mind you, to do this you have to be extremely skilled. You will be recording the catwalk, considering beams, lights, props, columns, and people.  In some countries and because of safety reasons, it is not allowed to fly over people.
Check the video they did for Arab Fashion Week here.

The truth is that we love the overhead shots whether with the drone over a never-ending landscape or over a kitchen counter (like tasty.com).
WHAT IS THE NEXT THING IN VISUALS?
Fouad Choufany told us about other pieces of equipment that make the recording, angles, or perception special and unique. Like the spider cam-used in soccer matches already, or the robot cam or the very much talked about virtual reality. Virtual reality happens thanks to a 360-degree film equipment. It is expensive to buy but, it is possible to rent for particular projects that might require it.
WHAT DO WE NEED TO HAVE IN PLACE FOR BASIC CATWALK RECORDING?
For catwalks, the minimum would be to have a tripod and a camera. It is very important for the photographers to liaise with the event managers and see the available light and space before starting shooting. So, if you are organizing a fashion event make sure you have the advice of the photographers and videographers to make the event a success after the event has finished.
The next step after the tripod and the camera would be to set up what is called a track cam or an A-B camera. A wire that will go parallel to the catwalk and that would be controlled by two people. One recording and managing the angle and the other controlling the camera to go at the same pace when the models start their walk.
AND FOR BEAUTY VIDEOS?
For beauty videos, the light is extremely important. You have to use soft lighting and the camera needs to be able to do close-ups in a gentle manner, with soft transitions. That means you will need special lenses.

We are thrilled to start the new season of Dubai Fashion News Podcast. In this first episode, you will be learning how to build your fashion brand with fashion consultant Maire Morris.
In fact, Maire Morris is coming back to Dubai to deliver a 2-day masterclass at D3 the 2nd and 3rd of November about precisely that. The podcast we recorded it when she came here for the first time to deliver her masterclass back in May. I am very excited to have her back! Why? Because she was simply awesome.
She has over 15 years of experience working in the fashion industry in different roles. Initially a fashion designer, she struggled to start her first brand. That helped her develop skills and knowledge in fashion buying, merchandising, and branding. Maire is an expert when it comes to sourcing and manufacturing too. She created her eponymous company: Morris Fashion Consultancy and started helping local and international brands. She soon realized that there was still a gap in fashion education and that there is a real need to reinforce and link creativity and business. Hence her masterclass was born.
Sit down now and hit the play button to enjoy the full interview.
HOW TO BUILD YOUR FASHION BRAND
According to Maire, the first thing designers need to do is plan their business and plan their product range. This is critical even if it is meant to change multiple times. The exercise of creating your business plan will allow you to think ahead and strengthen weaknesses your business might have.

In the business plan, you will cover market research, define your brand identity, make sure you have a financial plan so that you don’t run out of money before starting, develop your marketing and sales strategies, plan your inputs and where you would be sourcing them, etc.
We asked Maire how we can attract investors when we are barely starting or even when we are just a project. She advises preparing a very strong Business plan with very good financials. The only way to get investors at the very early stage is to convince them of the potentiality. Most of the fashion brands though start with bootstrapped funds. And having business partners is not easy either. You need to find the right fit for you and for your business. Someone that brings something you don’t have to the table. Finding a complementary profile to yours and making sure he/she is able to respect the division of tasks and is someone you can trust blindly.
SOURCING AND MANUFACTURING
This is a nightmare for most fashion start-ups. Maire recommends working hard on the initial product development plan. Thanks to that you will have an idea of what you will require to produce your product range: meters of textiles, cost of fabric, labor, set up, suppliers, shipping etc. Based on that you can start creating the samples. With those samples, you can approach the buyers. When the buyers are ready to sign a contract, then is when you can go ahead and mass produce.
MOQ or minimum order quantities is one of the many obstacles small fashion brands face. Maire Morris recommends looking for production partners and pay the surcharge fee they might be requesting. It is important to know the surcharge fee if any, as you need to add it to your costs and it will affect the final pricing or your margin.
When looking for suppliers, whether local or overseas, she advises to always visit their factories. Be attentive to potential red flags as poor communication, unethical behavior or disorganization and keep an eye open at any given time.
The keyword when selecting a supplier must be “reliability”, not price, or name… It might be a costly mistake.
TO COPYRIGHT OR NOT TO COPYRIGHT
When sharing your designs to get the initial quotes, you can have the suppliers sign a Confidentiality agreement. That way if the suppliers breach the contract the designers can have a legal case. Copyright takes long and in the fast-paced fashion ...

We met Silvia Lago at the past Arab Fashion Week. Her exquisite shoes speak loud about femininity and confidence, but also about fun and cuteness.
What was a surprise was everything else behind those pretty shoes. The comfort, the amount of time and care put into every little detail to make them shoes you want to wear all the time.

Silvia wants all women to feel beautiful and empowered while wearing heels, and if your feet are hurting it is not something easy to achieve. That is why she took the mission of making heels comfortable for all of us. And we thank her for that!
TODAY´S PODCAST
In today´s podcast, Silvia Lago will tell us about her journey and why innovation is so important for her and her brand.
“Innovation is part of the DNA of my brand”
Not every designer decides to invest in innovation. Shoes are particularly complex and that adds costs and time to the equation. But innovation is a necessity of our fast-paced times, a way to differentiate yourself. For Silvia, it is a bit more than that… She just wants us pampered.
THE BEGINNINGS OF SILVIA LAGO
Silvia Lago studied Business Management and soon she realized that there was an unattended niche: for luxury and comfortable shoes. The dichotomy was either to wear ugly (or not so pretty, let’s be diplomatic) shoes and have comfort, or have beautiful shoes that you just want to get rid of because they are killing your feet.
She studied shoemaking and got on board scientists and engineers to help her shape what today is called the LagosFit.
THE LAGOSFIT
In the podcast, she explains all the details of the LagosFit. But what I can tell you is that if you try one of her shoes, you will instantly understand. It feels like the shoe is hugging your feet.
There are cushions to protect the ball of the feet. Also, the heels are shock-absorbent, so your knees are not suffering. The inner lining has soft leather that has an antibacterial treatment. The shoe is well-balanced, meaning that the weight is distributed evenly.
Easier to say that to do. It took 3 years of research and many trials, errors, and adjustments. The good thing is that Silvia Lago was the first one to try and test and she is not easy to please. Her determination and passion are what drives her high level of demand.
THE NEW COLLECTION
Silvia is now back in Dubai to do the launch of her latest collection. We couldn’t miss it and there we went to the Five Palm Hotel. A gorgeous hotel with amazing views and a breathtaking architecture.
“Divas” is the name of the new collection. The inspiration behind it is the timeless elegance of the divas in the 40´s and 50´s. Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly… they became fashion icons and their style is always in vogue no matter the years.
These shoes are so elegant and so beautiful, that I am pretty sure the divas would have loved them. They come in vibrant colors: yellow, baby blue, shades of pink, fuchsia, green, and of course, red, off-white, and black.
Her shoes use Italian leather and Swarovski crystals. She chose to produce them in the Alicante area- in Spain- where traditional shoemaking passed from generation to generation for centuries. The best shoes and bags are done there and in the Ubrique area (in Andalucia).
Magic happens in the hands of these artisans and many Dubai Mall luxury brands know it and also produce there. The final result is a shoe that will take you to places… Beautifully and comfortably.
If you want to get in touch with her. Check her website, her Instagram, her Facebook page or send her anemail.

I know you are going to love today´s podcast. Why? Because it is full of insights and great information. Today Shruti Jain, Co-founder of Address Chic is going to tell our fashion community at the podcast, what vegan fashion is and how she started her ecommerce site Address Chic.
ABOUT ADDRESS CHIC AND HOW IT STARTED
Address Chic is not a very common website.  It is a digital magazine and a shop that is home to vegan and ethical products and articles.

We might think that Veganism is only related to food, but in reality, there is a lot more. The philosophy behind is based on being compassionate and do not hurt animals. So, vegans not only don’t eat meat, fish, eggs, etc… they also avoid animal products such as milk, honey, etc…Why? Because more often than not, the process or ways to get them are not too respectful or may hurt or stress the animals.
Behind this, there is huge respect for every living being. Shruti has been a life long vegetarian, and eventually, she moved to veganism. “It is a change that takes time and is a personal journey”.
She realized that keeping her philosophy in all the realms of her life was very difficult. And that is how the idea to curate and select products that will follow the requirements for a cruelty-free lifestyle started. Address Chic was born.
VEGAN FASHION?
In vegan fashion, there are certain materials that are not used, such a leather, wool, silks etc… Instead, they use organic cotton and new high-performance textiles that don’t contain any animal fibers, such as tencel, pinatex or mushroom leather.
It is not easy to find products that use these materials and are fair trade. Of course, if veganism is about compassion, not fellow humans are underpaid or mistreated in the process of producing the garments or accessories.
Stella McCartney is a vegetarian fashion designer that helped the world see that there are other possibilities, more environmentally friendly and more animal-friendly. The movement got a real push and exposure.
Shruti shares with us vegan designers that we can find on her page and that are worth watching.

* Veerah vegan shoes: http://shop.addresschic.com/designers/veerah.html
* Matt and Nat vegan handbags: https://mattandnat.com
* And their own label Faeth (from Fashion+ Ethical) vegan clothing & jewelry: http://shop.addresschic.com/designers/faeth.html

THE MARKET
The vegan market is very niche but there is a lot of space to grow. At the end of the day, the products might be attractive for many reasons: the design, the innovation behind, the comfort and of course, the cruelty-free care.
USA and Europe are bigger on it. In UAE, it’s still very incipient. That is why Address Chic ships worldwide. Also, because their products are produced all over the world, they are more kind of an e-marketplace. That means they don’t stock the items but make sure the selected suppliers do ship the right goods to the clients.
COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR AUDIENCE
Shruti wants to break the image that vegan, ethical or vegetarian fashion are only for the hippies or for the beach. She is taking her time to source stylish and cool garments and accessories that follow her requirements. But once you have them, you need to communicate and change the misperception the world has about these alternative proposals.

Of course, thanks to their digital magazine they have already a voice in the community. But as they are the first ones, they needed to go further. That is how she decided to do a vegan fashion look book. Using products in or out her website, she put together different looks for different occasions. Have a look at the

On the previous podcast, we enjoyed the conversation with Ujjawal Dubey from Antar-Agni. You can listen to that podcast here. He told us how it was the experience to prepare and win the Regionals of the prestigious Woolmark Prize in menswear and many other fashion awards. Today, we have with us the winner of the womenswear prize: Ruchika Sachdeva from Bodice.
She is going to share with us her journey, what is Bodice about and how she lived the process so far. Listen to it here. Hit play!

RUCHIKA SACHDEVA: REGIONAL WINNER OF THE WOOLMARK PRIZE IN WOMENSWEAR
ABOUT RUCHIKA
This is how the journey of Ruchika started. Ruchika Sachdeva is originally from New Delhi in India. She later went to live and study in London at the London College of Fashion. There, she found that people dressed very freely and that there were endless possibilities to express yourself through your clothes and your style.
Soon, she became proficient in “speaking the language of clothes”. After studying, she came back to India and started developing what is today her brand: Bodice.

ABOUT BODICE
Bodice is the most elementary building block when pattern making. Mostly you can drape around the body or you can make patterns. She uses pattern making and because she believes in the beauty of simple things, she called her brand Bodice.
This brand is pretty special. She started it in 2011 with the help of a tailor, with not much money but a clear philosophy about what she wanted to create.

Ruchika wants to be different to what is out there. Her clothes and designs are full of meaning. She enjoys contrast and contradiction, opposites, and parallels. For example, she mixes artfully the old traditional Indian techniques with contemporary designs. Tradition that everybody can wear on a daily basis, and feels modern and fresh.
Bodice has received many fashion awards and prizes already. From Elle, Grazia, to Forbes, where she was even on the cover.
She loves what she does, and you can tell. In a way, she is on a mission to get her clients to feel happy and empowered, to boost their self-confidence.
ABOUT THE WOOLMARK PRIZE
Ruchika Sachdeva had 3 months to prepare for the competition. All candidates had to submit quite a lot of papers about themselves and their brands and of course needed to create something within the requirements of the Woolmark Prize. The major requirement was that you have to use minimum 80% merino wool.
BODICE PROPOSAL FOR THE WOOLMARK PRIZE
Wool is versatile and ductile. Ruchika´s proposal included a jacket with 2 layers of handwoven wool fabric and to sew them together she used a very antique technique. This technique is used by grandmothers in India when babies are born. They will use their sarees to do bed linen for the newborn and stitch the layers together. The jacket looked great and totally modern. I wouldn’t have thought that so much tradition and meaning would be on it.

But the jacket had more surprises in store. Inside the jacket, there is another piece- kind of like a scarf but sewn to the sides. That inner fabric was handwoven again, but this time with stripes. Each line is different in size and in the space in between is also different. She didn’t want a “perfect looking print” motif. She enjoys difference and freedom. So, the stripe pattern came out of instinct instead of measurement.

The dress uses color blocks and pleats using a technique that will save you to iron pleat by pleat in the future.
Ruchika will start preparing the rest of the looks required for the finals that will take place in Florence in 6 months. She deserves to keep on winning fashion awards and recognition for all the thought and effort to make things different.

In today´s podcast, we are going to learn how fashion awards work directly from the designers that just won the Regional Woolmark Prize.
Dubai Fashion News team congratulates the two winners: Ujjawal Dubey that won the menswear with his brand Antar- Agni and Ruchika Sachdeva that won the womenswear with her brand Bodice. We had the pleasure of interviewing these two creative souls and that is why you have a part 1 and a part 2 of this podcast.

They will share with us their individual visions, how they lived the submission and preparation for these regionals and how will they prepare for the prestigious global Woolmark Fashion Prize. Ujjawal Dubey from Antar- Agni will be the first audio you will hear. In 15 days, you will have Ruchika Sachdeva from Bodice.
ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL WOOLMARK FASHION PRIZE
Well, you guessed it! The sponsors are the Woolmark Company. The Australian wool growers association that today are a worldwide reference when it comes to wool. Wool is not only a top-quality natural fiber, it is also super versatile. It will protect you from the cold and also from the heat. It stays dry which is very important because it avoids bacteria to grow. Wool is pretty awesome indeed.
The International Woolmark Prize rewards textile innovation applied to the fashion industry every year. They divide the entire world into regions and select the best textile innovation proposals from the nominated designers. Yep! Nominated because every region will have a number of bodies that will propose fashion designers that can come up with good ideas related to this. Dubai belongs to the region that encompasses the Middle East, India, and Pakistan. Once the regionals happened, there is a second round… the globals, the finals.
This last week at the Hotel Five Palm Jumeirah Dubai it took place the Regional Woolmark Prize gala dinner where they announced the winners. Just picture it… a beautifully arranged dining area, with low light and flowers in each table.. and you hear…
AND THE WINNER IN MENSWEAR IS… UJJAWAL DUBEY FROM ANTAR – AGNI!
He jumped. His face still showing disbelief… yet, we all push him.. Go! Go!.. Hugs and Congrats on the way to the stage. Ujjawal just won the menswear category.
That is how it happened at the magical night. Ujjawal tells us how he started Antar- Agni in March 2014 and that it means “Fire Within”. Famous for its cuts and drapes and its eco-friendly and genuine approach to fashion. That is probably what the judges of the panel liked from his proposal.
But he has won many fashion awards already with Antar- Agni. From Fobes India- 30 under 30 to GQ- 50 Most influential, Grazia, Elle… He is very humble but his journey is very impressive.
Hear it all here or on iTunes.
HOW FASHION AWARDS HELP YOUR BRAND?
The regional winners won AU$70.000 (around 205,156.00 AED), receive mentoring support from a global panel of experts along with being granted a Woolmark license. And the opportunity, of course, to compete in the finals.

Ujjawal shares that recognition and appreciation for his efforts are key for him. It is like a test. It means that what you are doing, the judges are liking and most probably the market will like it too.
Fashion awards help him build his brand and get its name out there, for shops, press, and further opportunities.
HOW DID UJJAWAL PREPARE?
Once he found out he was nominated ( by IMG India), he received the guidelines he needed to follow. Apart from a lot of documentation that he had to produce and submit. He also needed to come up with 6 looks for this competition that will fit the spirit of the contest. Only one needed to be produced,

In today’s podcast, we have the two masterminds behind Atteline, a lifestyle and fashion PR agency. Sophie and Brooke worked together in the past and after seeing their synergy, decided to venture together and create their own fashion PR agency. Atteline is assisting today many clients, from haute couture, jewelry, ready to wear, swimwear, accessories to flowers and interior designers to name a few.

One is coming totally from the fashion PR world, the other coming from a more corporate PR. The mix of their skills and experience is their strength as they complement each other.
Their clients sit very well together and they help each other in direct or indirect ways. They consider Atteline a brand so their clients also share the style and vision and not only the target audience.
Sophie and Brooke told us that before preparing a proposal it is very important to have a good conversation with the potential client and understand what are they expecting and how they want the brand to be perceived.
FASHION PR STRATEGIES
There are a lot of ways to assist brands and designers to reach their goals from a PR perspective. It is important to define very well the objectives, whether it is to impact the bottom line whether it is to get more visibility or create brand awareness.
As fashion is very visual, they will advise if they need to be stronger or what type of images are to be used. Events, media gatherings and press releases might also be part of the equation. Sometimes the brand is opening in the GCC but it is an international brand. In those cases, the objectives and visuals need to be aligned with the Head Quarters but having the local twist and knowledge to make sure they will work in the market.

Social media is huge in the GCC countries. They explain how for example Saudi Women use their phones to be connected to the world of fashion and beauty. Twitter and Instagram are massive and that leads to the use of local influencers as ways to reach to all that audience. But mind you, every Gulf country is different from one another. Kuwait, UAE, Saudi, Bahrain… are all different and will require a different approach.
INTERNATIONAL AGENCY STANDARDS
In the case of Atteline, they follow these standards, which are not complex but require a commitment from the agency. If in London, New York or LA… they will be a given. But it is not so often to see agencies following them in the Middle East.
These standards require from the agency to:

* Be specialized. Work in a particular niche.
* Have a maximum of 3 to 4 clients per team.
* Do not work on temporary projects but in full time retainers. This allows the clients to have a consist team and proper follow up on their needs. At the same time, it allows the agency to have not only a fix team of employees but also to bring to the table strategies that will have a bigger impact in the long term.

LOOKING FOR A FASHION PR AGENCY?
When it comes to select a PR agency it is very important to click with the team that will be handling your account. Therefor Sophie and Brooke recommend doing a proper research and make sure you shortlist agencies specialized in your sector and even your niche.
After that, meet them face to face, see if you like the team, if you share the vision and ways to work. Even ask around if they are good and make sure you receive a proposal with detailed deliverables. We know PR could be difficult to quantify. But it is key to know what you want and make sure the agency understands it well and has a plan for you to get there.
BUT WHAT IF THERE IS NO BUDGET?
If you are just starting or have no budget, there are things you still can do.

* Work in your digital brand awareness. Use Instagram, Twitter, Facebook…
* Work with your network. Networking can be key for you to start meeting influencers or buyers, or press.

In today’s podcast, we are going to learn a lot from Dina Melwani. This passionate Moldovan started her eponymous brand in Dubai in November 2015 and managed to get her pieces sold internationally in a very short period of time. How? Dina Melwani dreamt big and run away from the small atelier syndrome. Her system and way of working is eye-opening and you can’t miss it.
If you are a fashion designer or know one that wants to start selling international or simply could benefit from the many other topics we have talked about in Dubai Fashion News Podcast, share the love.
To subscribe to the podcast is very easy. Just clickhereor subscribe to the magazinehere. That way, you will receive every 15 days a newsletter with the latest news, including the latest podcast.
ABOUT DINA MELWANI
Dina showed signs of being super creative since a very tender age. She was inclined to the arts, specially drawing and painting. Later, she studied at Esmod Dubai and wanted to start her own fashion brand. A brand that would have high quality textiles and finishings at an affordable price. A brand that would have classic cuts as she wanted to offer timeless pieces, away from changing trends. These are today the values behind Dina Melwani and they definitely seem to work.

DINA MELWANI´S CREATIVE PROCESS
Dina has a particular creative process for her pret-a-porter collections. From an initial mood board, where inspiration and general direction is portrayed, she creates four different stories based on her same muse: Elegant, Daywear, Cocktail and Fusion.
These four stories or situations where she imagines her client, allow her to better cater the needs of different shops and markets.
After that the material selection, the final design, pattern making and sampling will follow suit.
HOW TO OFFER AFFORDABLE LUXURY?
Dina´s dream is to find people on the street wearing her pieces. She is very aware she cannot and doesn’t want to compete to mass producers like Mango or Zara.
Quality has a cost but she would rather reduce her margin and find ways to reach economies of scale to get her price point.
That means that instead of producing one piece every time, she works on volume with factories. She selected factories that are used to luxury clients like Isabel Marant or Lanvin. As one of her mottos says, she never compromises on quality. Her textiles are close to sublime, the manufacturing has to be aligned with that.
Dina Melwani has another line for Haute Couture. Here she offers a design from scratch to adapt to the client´s body shape, taste and special occasion. She loves this, but it is more of a hobby than a scalable business. Her main focus is the pret-a-porter collections.
Listen it all here.
DINA´S LESSONS LEARNT
Find reliable suppliers
She started in Dubai, using local suppliers and working only from her atelier. Once the first collection was out and orders started to arrive, she found out that the local suppliers were not able to provide the same fabric anymore. At the end of the day, they are distributors. She needed to change suppliers to be able to show consistency. Her suppliers now are textile factories directly.
Factories often work with MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) … but if you are looking to have volume it will provide you with better price per meter. Of course, there is a higher risk when buying more quantity in advance. Make sure to buy fabrics you will use one way or another.

PR Magic
In order to open new markets, Dina believes in PR´s magic. Having a person that knows the market on location will help you have your name out there and get the visibility to be attractive to shops. At the moment,

Shomaila Maurer is the name behind the Instagram handle Emirates Fashionista. She is now a fashion and beauty influencer with almost 100k followers, but we wondered how it all started.
Our Emirates Fashionista is very generous and today she is going to share with us how she started and how she is keeping her Insta feed fresh and with tons of likes and comments. Get ready to have your Instagram growing like foam.
Not only that, she is also a master networker and an event manager for Expat Connect. Want to know how to better network? Stay tuned and listen to this last episode of Dubai Fashion News Podcast with Shomaila Maurer.
EMIRATES FASHIONISTA INSTA TRICKS
First of all, to have this number of followers and this level of engagement is not something that happens overnight. She started in 2010 and spends daily around 5 hours on Instagram. There is sacrifice there, eh!
She confesses that she wakes up very early and the first thing she does is check what have happened during the night on Instagram. She loves talking and getting to know her followers, so that means that she responds to each and every comment that is left on her feed. And trust me… there are a lot!
Of course, the quality of the picture is key, but also you have to post things that your followers might like. The best advice then, is to be true to yourself from the very beginning.
Also, you have to post when most of your followers are online. There are some apps that will send you an alert like Crowdfire or Latergram.
BRANDS, INFLUENCERS AND VICEVERSA
She is working with brands already so she advises to both brands and influencers, whether bloggers, youtubers or instagramers, to be aligned and on the same page. Brands should target influencers that represent the demographic of their clients if they want to increase their sales and brand awareness. Numbers are not necessarily conversions, so it is more important to see the engagement rather that the amount of followers.

Shomaila selects brands that she would use as a consumer. If she doesn’t like a brand or what it represents, she will reject them and direct them to a better fit, that might be a fellow influencer.
HOW WAS SHOMAILA BEFORE BECOMING AN INFLUENCER?
She is a Pakistani girl that happened to move to Korea years ago. There is where she studied university and started her career. Eventually Korean Air asked her to move to Dubai to be in the Marketing division and here she came. Yep! Shomaila speaks fluently Korean… We couldn’t imagine that!

Our Emirates Fashionista has always been very creative. She studied grooming, fashion design, web design, and a myriad of courses… that are coming quite handy today when working with brands and putting together campaigns. And also in her job today, as Event Manager and Community Manager of Expat Connect.
Expat Connect is a huge community in Dubai that connects expats. It’s especially convenient when you are relocating to Dubai and want to meet people. Shomaila organizes events and guides each of the members about how is it to live in Dubai, where and how can they get things done, and also connects them, if they have common interests or similar professions… Because of this, she is the Queen of Expats.
Which lead us to the next segment…
HOW TO BETTER NETWORK
Shomaila meets her followers on Instagram but also invites them to her events. So, online and offline networking is part also of the secret recipe.
She advises people to come and join networking events such as Expat Connect, and not to be too direct. “Try to genuinely get to know the person in front of you,

In todays podcast we have as guest Tamara Hostal, co-founder of Esmod Dubai. She is going to explain us about the courses they offer in her school, how the fashion scene has evolved in the region over the years and key advice she gives to her students about how to be successful in fashion.
You can listen to the interview by hitting play here.

ABOUT ESMOD DUBAI AND TAMARA HOSTAL
Esmod is the oldest fashion school in the world. It started in 1841 from the skilled hands of Alexis Lavigne, the personal couturier of Imperatrix Eugenie.
He created a methodology and some elements that today are part of every fashion atelier: the mannequin and the supple tape measure.
Esmod Dubai is affiliated to the Paris fashion school. Actually, there are 22 Esmod schools around the world. Esmod Dubai follows the same program for the 3-year Higher Diploma of Fashion Design and Pattern Making as Esmod Paris. Additionally, they have created other courses more specific to the region like Modest fashion, Abaya design, Fashion Marketing or Luxury brand management… and now, they are open for registrations.
DO YOU WANT TO STUDY FASHION?
Tamara Hostal advises prospective students to be very honest about their reasons why they want to study fashion. Don’t do it just because now is trendy to be a fashion designer. Do it because you feel it and you are passionate about it.
Fashion is creativity and hard work. As a student you will need to attend to class (an average of 7 hours per day) plus homework, research etc… It requires time and dedication.
If you are not sure if fashion is for you, you can take the summer course. During the whole month of July, you will receive an induction to the world of fashion. If you are not 100% sure, this is a great way to find out.
And if you are working, Esmod Dubai has evening classes available. It will take you longer but you will be able to keep your job while learning.
COLLABORATIONS AND EXPOSURE TO STUDENTS
Internships are compulsory to graduate. Esmod Dubai has students in Gucci, Dior, Harper’s Bazaar…and Tamara is happy to confirm that many companies decide to keep them.
Esmod Dubai seems to be everywhere. They do collaborations with designers like Rami Al Ali or with brands like Puma or Marriott, or with fairs like Leatherworld ME. Tamara Hostal shares that they receive a lot of proposals and join competitions they are invited to. Their good reputation seems to be doing all the talking.

One project we like specially isPolette. A new concept store in City Walk recently launched by Esmod Dubai. This initiative provides a storefront to young graduates that are ready to start selling their creations. We all know how difficult is to start!

DUBAI FASHION SCENE
Tamara Hostal is a titan in the Dubaian fashion scene. She has been here for more than 15 years and saw the many changes UAE and Dubai have gone through.
In the podcast, she thanks the malls as they educated the population about beauty, fashion and quality and kept the door open to aesthetics from all over the world.
When asked about what would need Dubai to become a fashion hub, she is clear. “It takes time, but Dubai is on the good way”. Paris certainly didn’t happen overnight. She advises to focus on quality and creativity. Public institutions such as DDFC, fashion schools, malls, private companies, and designers are helping shape and get Dubai t...

In today’s Podcast, we interview Ahmad Ammar and Vincenzo Visciglia, the dynamic duo behind AAVVA Fashion. A brand that even though it is young it is becoming very successful. They share with us their secret recipe for success, how they started and how they managed to get in shops like Galleries Lafayette.

ABOUT THE BRAND: AAVVA FASHION
The brand started in 2011, although they became more popular around 3 years ago. They bring a fresh attitude to the saturated fashion world. Why? Maybe is because both masterminds behind are coming from not-so-fashion related backgrounds. Ahmad is a civil engineer and Vincenzo an architect. To add a spice to the equation, they are coming also from quite different corners of the world: Brazil and Lebanon.
All this mix of cultures, backgrounds and personalities influence how they do things and their design style. They are able to cater to both worlds: both the Arab women and also an international clientele.

Their designs play with the unexpected use of materials and structure. Fabrics like neoprene, thick fishnet or even matelasse fabric get mixed with delicate embroidery, bead appliques, felt or sheer fabrics. The results are feminine and fun.
ABOUT AHMAD AND VINCENZO
AAVVA Fashion was meant to be. It was latent somehow. They both loved fashion from their tender youth even though studied and worked in such a different field as construction. They knew eventually, they will start their own label.
Ahmad Ammar studied Civil Engineering because the family wanted him to secure a good job. Once that was achieved, out of pure pleasure and love, he took Fashion Design at Esmod Beirut.
Vincenzo Visciglia was a model back in the day. He later studied Architecture and Design as creating was his true calling. To be able to mix both passions together was a dream for him.
They met working at a construction project, realised they shared a vision and started working together to make it a reality.

Now they have AAVVA Fashion and also AAVVA Interiors. Their office and atelier are in Dubai Design District.
ABOUT THE RAMADAN COLLECTION
In the interview, they share they have two different women in mind when designing. You can see that in their past collections, and of course, also, in the Ramadan collection that is about to be released. For this collection, they both wanted to have versatile outfits. So that even though they can be used in Ramadan, they can be used in any other special occasion.

You have a very avant garde ready to wear proposal with neoprene in black, red and white and cute little Fridas adorning the fronts. And also, a more conservative proposal with more Arabic flavour, velvets and embroidery.  We specially liked the new set of abayas. Produced in thick fishnet, they are structured, very comfortable and easy to match with any other clothes.

We know you will love this collection, just because it’s stylish and fresh and because it speaks volumes about the woman wearing it.
More information on Ahmad, Vincenzo and their inspirations in Instagram and Facebook.
If you want to check a past article we wrote about them. Check it here.
ABOUT THE PODCAST
 

This podcast is full of fun facts and hands on tips about how they got where they got. If you are an emerging designer, it is one episode not to be missed. Now relax, and press the play button.
Don´t forget to subscribe, like and share!

I know you are going to love today´s podcast because it is so full of insights. This time we interview Dr Mansoor Al Obeidli and Aashifa Saleem. They are the masterminds and organisers of the World Beauty Championship. In this event, you will have under the same roof the best makeup artists and hairstylists. All of them competing to win the World Beauty Championship.

ABOUT OUR GUESTS TODAY
Dr Mansoor Al Obeidli is a visionary. He studied Medicine, that is why he is a Doctor.  Dr Mansoor was the first Emirati medical auditor in the UAE.

He has always been very entrepreneurial and founded a real estate agency, a media company and even worked as an actor. You have to check his movie “The Capital Garden” about Abu Dhabi. Besides all this, he is also the UAE National Director of World Beauty Congress and founder ofBedazzled, an event management company.
Aashifa Saleem is a bright young woman. She is helping him organise the many events that are in the pipeline. Aashifa started as usher, when she was studying and ever since, has done everything within the event industry: MC, Model coordinator, PR and now, as Event Director. She has taken part of quite cool events like the UAE Space Agency launch, the Global Space and Satellite Forum or the HR Summit and Expo.

Today they are going to explain us how they are preparing their next big event, the World Beauty Championship.
ABOUT THE EVENT: THE WORLD BEAUTY CHAMPIONSHIP
The World Beauty Championship will have 45 teams, coming from 20 countries, competing in three categories: Hair, Makeup and Fashion look. Every team is composed by 2 or 3 members. Normally a model, a makeup artist and a hairstylist. If the person is an expert in hair and makeup, then it can compete in both disciplines. Those teams will have only 2 members.
UAE is competing with 7 teams. They were selected from the UAE Beauty Championship that took place in January 2017 in Dubai. If you are a makeup artist or a hairstylist and you would want to win the World Beauty Championship, this is your first step. Win the nationals, to be able to compete in the World finals.
The jury will have a tough job deciding. There will be 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize on each category. The event is taking place the 12th of May at the Dome in Dubai Sports City. You can find more information in this link.
ABOUT HOW TO ORGANISE FASHION AND BEAUTY EVENTS
First of all, there are a lot of permits to request and plenty of tasks to be organised and prioritised. So if you think you need assistance, go get the help of a professional event management company.
The first step is actually to request the permit to DTCM for the event to be happening.Take into account that there are many other permits to request depending on the type of event, if it is ticketed or not, etc.
For a fashion runway event, relatively simple when it comes to the set up, you might be able to organise them with only a month in advance if you are investing. If you want the support of sponsors, you will need at least 6 to 8 months in advance, as companies take their time to approve. Also it is quite important that your proposal comes in time when they are allocating their budgets.
Dubai Fashion News is supporting this first edition of the World Beauty Championship taking place in Dubai. So if you are attending, look for us and come to say Hi!.
Now, breath in, breath out, relax and hit the play button to listen to the full interview.

We want to thank the Ghaya Grand Hotel for their amazing hospitality. They let us record from one of their suites and they are a dream.

In today´s podcast we have with us Leila Antakly. She is the General Manager of Wilhelmina Dubai, an internationally reputed modelling agency. In the interview, she explains us how she attracts and selects talent and how model agencies work in general. We will speak about what type of models are in demand here, and some model hot topics: as to what happens when the models are too young, or too, too thin. Even we will speak about “embracing the difference” as a marketing tool as we saw recently in NYFW catwalks.
Hit the play button.. You can not miss this amazing interview!
ABOUT LEILA ANTAKLY
Leila Antakly is from New York City but has lived in Dubai for almost 4 years. She has a master’s degree in Fashion Management from Bocconi University in Milan.
After her undergraduate studies in Communications, she started her career in fashion producing photoshoots for Vogue Italia in New York.  She was exposed to the best of the industry and was surrounded by the best fashion photographers, designers, stylists, and models. Leila loves everything that has to do with the visual arts and has produced several films.
Leila is also the blogger behind Ninunina.com. Through her blog -which she started in 2008- she lets her creativity flow and shares everything that she finds interesting in her personal and professional journey.
But accomplishments on the side, Leila is a free and generous spirit. She loves non profit work and has spent a long time supporting NGO’s all over the world. In the podcast, Leila Antakly mentions the work of Aziza´s Place in Cambodia and the Baandek Foundation in Thailand which are very close to her heart and she has been supporting over many years.
Coco, her cute dog, is her greatest companion and she takes him on her many adventures and travels. Including today´s podcast!
If you want to get in touch with Leila, ask her any question or request a quotation, send an email to info@wilhelminadubai.com or check the website of Wilhelminadubai.com.
ABOUT WILHELMINA DUBAI
Wilhelmina models is one of the most respected talent management agencies in the world. Founded in 1967 by Dutch supermodel Wilhelmina Cooper, the agency has earned its prestigious standing as an industry leader by providing full-spectrum model management.
Wilhelmina Dubai was established in 2012 by Al Tamimi Investments. Thanks to the company ethos, mission and vision, they have raised the standards of the industry in the region. The agency is made up of three divisions; Models, Hostess and Creative.
Wilhelmina Dubai owes their competitiveness to their affiliation with Wilhelmina International. Thanks to this extended network, they are able to provide the highest calibre of professional models and industry experts from all over the world.
ABOUT THE PODCAST
From Dubai Fashion News we want to thank you for being there and support us in every step of the way. Our aim with this podcast is to bring closer the fashion industry to the people, to open the doors of this glamourous sector and let you see what is inside… from the experts, from the people that have been doing it for years and know very well the reality of this industry.
One question we get often is how do I give the 5 stars or leave feedback on iTunes. We have created a step-by-step guide that will make it really easy.
HOW DO I GIVE DUBAI FASHION NEWS A 5- STAR RATING ON ITUNES?
These are the steps:

* Launch the Podcast app (the purple icon on your Iphone).
* Tap the Search tab (the magnifier).

Kelly Lundberg is a celebrity stylist, author of two books: one on entrepreneurship called Success in the city. And the other, on styling called How to become a personal stylist. On top of all the writing and styling, she is the creator of the styling agency and academy called StyleMeDivine that provides education and useful insights to aspiring stylists.
In today’s podcast, Kelly shares with us her journey, what she learnt and how she started her business and took it to where it is now.

HOW IT ALL STARTED: THE STORY OF KELLY LUNDBERG
Having worked in the past in the retail sector, she took a job as cabin crew with Emirates when she relocated to Dubai. When Kelly was cabin crew, she couldn’t help herself and she used to give recommendations to the passengers about what to do and where to get the best shopping in Dubai.
She realized there was a gap as there was not a personal shopping service available in the city. So, Kelly as a firm believer of the Law of Attraction, started defining her personal and business goals and kept working towards them. Eventually she was ready to jump, requested a loan and started her own company. That was in 2005.
Initially the business was more focused on tourists, so she made connection with hotels to have her services offered. Later she realized that also the expat population and locals were demanding this kind of service. Now, she is between Dubai, UK, and LA… always working with very interesting clients.
“It takes 10 years to become an overnight success”.
Kelly Lundberg is now a very well-known stylist, but she worked very hard for it. Persistence and determination is what made it possible. What I like most about Kelly is her generosity. She is all about connecting, sharing, empowering, uplifting … The origin of the academy was her will to create a network of independent stylists that are able to help each other, live well out of their passion and to create awareness about this profession.
REFLECTIONS ON SUCCESS
Success for Kelly is doing what you love, being able to give back, earning a good salary, spending quality time with your friends and family… Success is a journey is not a destination. It is an ongoing process. Having a successful career as stylist means for her that she gets to constantly explore her creativity and enjoy freedom.
Style for her it is much more than the clothes you are wearing. It is like an aura, it’s how you are as a person, if you like makeup or accessories, if you like it basic or “all the way”. That is why style is unique. She shared with us two Instagram handles of local influencers that she follows.

* @donnaheartsbeauty
* @glorygirlfit

ABOUT THE WORK OF A STYLIST
When you are working as a stylist, there is no standard day. That is why structure and organization is very much needed. Kelly organizes herself in days that she blocks for the different tasks. So, one day she might record all the YouTube videos and social media, another day she will focus on her clients, another she would coach students… But this might change if an urgent job comes in for example.
Don’t miss the full interview. It is totally worthy! Just hit play and don’t forget tosubscribe and rate with 5 starts the Dubai Fashion News podcast.
If you want to get more information about Kelly Lundberg´s courses, interact with her through Instagram or see some of her videos. Check the links below.

* Kelly Lundberg Youtube Channel 
* Kelly Lundberg´s  official Instagram and

Today we have with us the knowledgeable Toby Meadows. He is a fashion business consultant and a visiting lecturer at the London College of Fashion where he teaches the course Starting your Own Fashion Label at Dubai Design District.
Toby Meadows writes articles for different media publications, including Financial Time and is also the author of the best seller book “How to set up and run a Fashion Label”. Do you want to win a signed copy? Read on and join this great giveaway.

THE INTERVIEW
THE JOB OF TOBY MEADOWS AS FASHION CONSULTANT
Toby answered all our questions. In the podcast, he will explain us what he does as fashion consultant and how he guides designers to mix creativity and develop a good business eye to make their business sustainable and exciting for the markets they want to operate.
“My best advice for new designers: Do your research.”
He advises designers to learn how their business would operate from every angle. He recommends also to do a proper research about competition, price points, etc. The so-called comparative shopping and what other brands would you want to see your brand together with is key to position your products.
ABOUT LONDON
He will share with us the secret recipe of how London became the fashion hub that is today. London has been able to attract amazing talented designers from all over the world thanks to its very supportive environment.
With high quality schools, government, public and private sector and with a fashion tradition all backing up creativity. He is concerned about the fragility of this ecosystem.
With the uncertainty that Brexit is meaning to the UK and Europe, we can only wait to see how it could affect the booming designing scene.
ABOUT DUBAI AND THE MIDDLE EAST
We are not going to deny that Dubai is working hard to be in a similar position to London. The city and the region will benefit greatly from it.
We ask him how are middle eastern designers perceived overseas. He says that the ones that are breaking the walls now have a huge responsibility. They are paving the way to the ones who will follow later. We have to put the region on the fashion maps … and it is not easy. But we are getting there. Fashion Forward, Dubai Design District, Dubai Design & Fashion Council and the many creatives blooming on the region are doing their part.
His advice for these pioneers to check where their creations are relevant and overcommit. Why? Because if you are the same as everyone else, you won’t get noticed.
You have to stand out in creativity, quality… and make sure you blow people away. Toby Meadows recommends the use of influencers if that is going to make people notice your work. Of course, it is key to select the right influencer.
NURTURING TALENT: THE INCUBATORS
Toby Meadows is also part of quite a lot of Talent incubators around the world. In London, the CEF (Centre of Fashion Enterprise), Fashion Incube in Istanbul, Fashion Forward in Jakarta and Inkubaator in Tallinn.
He shares with us that the most important requirement for him when it comes to select which designers will receive the support of the incubators is the personality and attitude.
It is critical that they join the incubators for the right reasons. They really have to have the passion, drive and also humility to listen and learn. At the incubators, they receive a lot of guidance and help but there is no guarantee of success.
WIN THE BOOK: HOW TO SET UP AND RUN A FASHION LABEL- COMPETITION ALERT!
If you are thinking of starting your own fashion brand, we recommend you to buy Toby Meadows book. It forces you to think on every aspect you need to consider to make it work: marketing, sales, production, financing, logistics, supply chain… We tend to concentrate on what we like most, but if we want to have a sustainable business in the long...

I know you are going to enjoy today´s podcast a 100%. Our guest in Dubai Fashion News Podcast is the beautiful inside and out Joelle Mardinian. Named by many the Beauty Queen of the Middle East and from now on a Champion in Empowerment for us.
ABOUT JOELLE MARDINIAN
Let me tell you a bit about our guest today. Joelle is a strong, powerful, amazing woman. She is THE makeup artist in big caps. She has been the presenter of the TV programme “Joelle” in MBC1 for the last 13 years. Not many shows manage to be on air for this long and a huge part of the success of the TV show is the natural, direct and honest tone that is Joelle´s signature.

In the TV show they featured extreme makeovers and went through trends on fashion and beauty. The show evolved to one on one interviews with designers and fashion personalities such as Dolce and Gabbana, Zuhair Murad, Anna Dello Russo, Peter Dundas, Ivanka Trump and even Kim Kardashian. She is a major influencer, being the most loved female TV personality in the GCC.
Joelle is very energetic and in 2008 decided to start a business. Today she owns 9 beauty salons (Maison de Joelle), beauty clinics (Clinica Joelle), spas (Aurora), and whole product lines (Joelle Paris). In addition, she is also the brand ambassador of Max Factor, Pantene, and Braun. All this is coming out of pure love for makeup and beauty. Well, and also sacrifice and hard work. Lots of it!
She is the living example that with passion you can reach the sky. We are meeting Joelle at Galleries LaFayette at the Dubai Mall where you will be able to find her Joelle Paris products from now on.

IN TODAY´S PODCAST..
She will share with us her journey, how it all started and where is it leading to. Of course we will talk about skincare, makeup and having a winning attitude. Because confidence is a key ingredient. It makes us happy, and as a result, pretty.
Talking about empowerment, she is passionate and a total inspiration for us. That is why at the beginning of the podcast, I said she is beautiful inside and out, even though I´ve just met her. I would love to have her as a mentor. SO, she is from now on, not only the Beauty Queen of the Middle East, she is also a Champion of Empowerment for us.
ENJOY JOELLE MARDINIAN ´S INTERVIEW!
To listen to this episode of the podcast, just hit the Play button and enjoy. If you prefer to listen to it on the phone, it is very easy. Follow the steps in this article to subscribe to the podcast on itunes and don´t forget to give us your five-stars. 
You can follow Joelle Mardinian through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Today´s guest at the Dubai Fashion News Podcast is Victoria Carolina, the mastermind behind Victoria Senkpiel. She is going to share with us her secret recipe, her journey and how she is working to extend her brands reach and exposure in this region.

ABOUT VICTORIA SENKPIEL
Victoria Senkpiel is a Swedish brand of very high quality shoes that experienced a great exposure when the Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden wore one of its pieces to an official event. This happened the same day her website was launching. She got a lot of buzz at the right moment. What a great way to start your brand, don’t you think?
Victoria Carolina had a zigzag career. She turned from classic ballerina to investment banker, later to marketeer and now to designer and business woman.

The inspirations behind the designs are diverse. Animal prints- such as leopard or zebra- might be everywhere, but Victoria realised that many animals were not represented. She gave voice to the Wolf as part of her Nordic culture… and these were the shoes the Princess chose for her event.

As a ballerina, she takes care that the shoes are comfortable even being heels. Her motto is “Stand Tall” and this is because the aesthetic of ballet of elongated and graceful legs is part the vision of a delicate yet powerful woman. The posture is very important and if we want to be the leaders of the pack, we have to portrait that energy.
These shoes will make you feel like a million dollar, the alfa female. And talking about the alfa female, another of her designs is called the Lynx, the companion of the Warrior Goddess Freya. Her latest designs include a beautiful blue and green patent leather shoe called Raukar and loafers. Soon ballerinas, boots, bags and even jewels will be part of this brand´s offering.
I´M BLUE!
Victoria Senkpiel is produced in Italy but all the rest is Swedish. Blue is the national colour and we can see it in the logo and in the sole. If from now on, you see a pretty shoe with a blue sole, you can say it is a Senkpiel. Same as the red soles are the Louboutin’s. Good branding and identity is critical to the success of any brand, whether in the fashion industry or not.Victoria Carolina managed to get her shoes in the red carpet too with an Oscar nominee. She also has participated in catwalks with Laura Mancini in Milan. She is open to opportunities and guess what… she is coming to Dubai. Get ready for these killer shoes!
Don’t miss the entire interview right here. It is very easy just press play and enjoy!

Marie de la Roche is an incredibly talented and determined handbag designer. Her eponymous brand is relatively new but it is catching fire thanks to her bold designs and colours.

We met Marie de la Roche in Kuwait City. The place were the brand started only 2 years ago and a fascinating corner of our beloved Middle East.

MEET MARIE DE LA ROCHE
Marie is definitely a citizen of the world having lived in, and travelled to, every continent. When she was only 4 years old, she knew already what her calling was. She wanted to become a Fashion Designer. And so she did!
Her journey started studying Industrial Design to later study Fashion at Maragoni in Milan and Raffles in Singapore. There, she experienced discipline and perfectionism as never before. She started working as an editor, as a creative consultant and also as a buyer. Today, she is fully dedicated to her own brand. Although she does collaborations with other brands if requested and aligned with her own interests and curiosity.

In today´s podcast Marie de la Roche opens up and share with us how is her designing process, her production and also how she promotes and create brand awareness for her brand. From working with bloggers and influencers to observing the data and her clientele attentively. She keeps on trying to break the ever changing code of today´s markets.
Now Marie is extending Marie de la Roche´s reach to a new and quite interesting market: Korea. How is she planning to do it? Find it out by hitting Play.
Listen to the full interview in the audio file or directly on iTunes. By the way, and this is a serios disclaimer. Marie´s energy is so contagious and vibrant, that don´t worry if you feel like doing everything she has done after listening to her. This girl is pure dynamite!
If you want to know more about her gorgeous handbags, check her website here. Very soon you will be able to buy them from the magazine´s e-shop : Eushopia.

THANKS AND LINKS!
From Dubai Fashion News: the magazine and the podcast, we want to thank you so much for your support. These last months since we started it has been simply amazing and we owe it all to you.
We really hope you enjoyed the interview. If you liked it, hit the subscribe button and give us your 5-star rating onItunes, Your 5 stars will allow this podcast to grow and get more visibility within iTunes. And don’t forget to leave a comment please. Your feedback is super important for us. We want to know your thoughts to keep on improving. If you dont know how to do it. Here is how.
You can subscribe to our digital magazine dubaifashionnews.com. There you can find also all the archives with past podcasts. In case you want to catch up.
If you want to communicate with us send us an email to Hello@dubaifashionnews.com or use our Facebook or Instagram accounts.
Thank you and see you in the new podcast!

Today we have with us Iban Salgado, a very niche fashion designer that transitioned from professional ballroom dancer to ballroom costume fashion designer. He has dressed ballroom champions all over the world but he used to be one of them!. In the interview he will explain us how is his creative process and how he is opening his brand to new possibilities.
Lets mambo!

Today we interview Georgina Leibovich from Bagmaleon. She will share with us how she started her brand, how she does the production and how she sees entrepreneurship. Also we will learn from her about the process of getting your ideas or designs patented and how to organise and launch a Kickstarter campaign to get funds and visibility for your new products.

The podcast where you can get to know everything about the fashion industry. Here we will interview fashion designers, influencers, models, photographers, shop owners, you name it. And what for? To learn their insights, their stories and the lessons they learnt along the way.