Download the full report: Inside the Fashion Opportunity in Dubai.
Opens in new windowThe fashion and luxury brands operating in or entering the Dubai market must learn about the expectations of the Dubai consumer, from trending product categories to cultural opportunities idiosyncratic to their city.
The d3 x BoF Insights survey found that 65 percent of respondents believe that Dubai offers exciting fashion products and experiences. This sentiment varies across age groups, rising to about 75 percent for older cohorts and falling to 50 percent for 18-24 year olds. This take offers both learnings and opportunities to better understand what resonates locally.
In this final section of the paper, Inside the Fashion Opportunity in Dubai, BoF breaks down some of the behavioural trends of the city’s residents, as collated from the d3 x BoF Insights survey findings.
We share strategies and learnings on how to connect with and cater to the multi- faceted Dubai-based consumer.
Expand Luxury Category Offerings in the Region
For residents in Dubai, having a wide assortment of products and access to international brands are in the top five most important factors when choosing a retail location for shopping, according to the d3 x BoF Insights survey.
More than 30 percent of all age groups surveyed agreed with the statement that they can easily find fashion made by international brands, which increases to 40 percent for the 55+ age bracket. However, these older residents appear to resonate less with international brands — just 9 percent agree that they feel prestige when wearing products from them and 20 percent agree that they have exciting trends. It suggests an opportunity for international brands to improve their brand assortment and engagement in the market.
According to BoF Insights’ Middle East report in 2023, international luxury brands’ product assortments are 10 to 40 percent greater in the US than in the UAE, despite demand for everyday and special occasion clothes. There is also a stock keeping unit (SKU) imbalance towards more accessories and jewellery, largely due to an assumed desire for products that could be worn with traditional, modest dress.
By contrast, international mass market brands reportedly offer a similar product range in the UAE as they do in the US and have more than 80 percent of assortments devoted to apparel, with only 10 to 12 percent devoted to accessories.
“You cannot just treat [Dubai consumers] as everybody else because they are becoming more integrated in the global system,” says Gemma D’Auria, senior partner at McKinsey and global leader of the management consultancy’s apparel, fashion and luxury practice. “You have to recognise that they hunger for the same things that young people hunger for in Europe or in the US.”
Of high-earning respondents to the d3 x BoF Insights survey — those with a household income of US$100,000 per annum or more — nearly 60 percent cite a better selection of brands and more unique shopping experiences as their primary reasons for shopping abroad.
Luxury brands should therefore increase their number of SKUs in Dubai if they lag behind other geographic markets, to ensure their Dubai-based clientele does not feel undervalued compared to the global consumer base.
What’s more, brands that delay product delivery to Dubai may find a dissatisfied consumer who is increasingly aware of their hampered access to products. As Ingie Chalhoub — founder and CEO of Etoile Group, which operates more than 40 boutiques across seven countries in the region, including luxury brands such as Chanel, Etro, Ralph Lauren, Valentino, Tod’s and Aquazzura — explains, access to online shopping “gives you visibility over the borders”.
Consequently, “if you are late [delivering in Dubai] versus Europe, people notice — and you can’t afford to be late.” She adds that, despite increased attention on the region, timely delivery is still something they struggle with today.
This is important when capturing future discretionary spend too, with Dubai residents in the consumer survey expecting to lean further into the luxury fashion category. An impressive 55 percent selected luxury apparel, accessories and footwear as an expected top-five discretionary spend outlet for them in the next three years.
After luxury fashion products, consumers expect to spend more on experiential travel and home categories, opening up more potential for brands to explore these broader categories, like furniture or travel products.
At Roberto Cavalli, for instance, CEO Sergio Azzolari notes a general rise in categories across the brand’s 11 running licences, “from home to personal to travel,” he says. “We see a lot of traction in home [products] […] in general [with] the real estate development [in Dubai]. There is a renewed interest in spending money on your home but also on personal [categories], so eyewear and perfumes.”
In recognition of the increased traction in the homeware sector, d3 launched a new art and design fair, Editions, in November last year. Taking place during Dubai Design Week, it is the region’s first affordable art and art collectable fair, targeting a demographic looking for unique art and objects for their homes.
Combine Global Collections With Modest and Traditional Styles
Adding more SKUs to collections sold in Dubai and the wider GCC is not just about stocking the same product offering as Western markets.
Indeed, the Dubai consumer represents hundreds of nationalities among residents and tourists. This might lead brands to assume that, by simply offering their core products and collections, it will appeal to a broader consumer base — and the d3 x BoF Insights survey did find that about 50 percent of respondents believe Dubai fashion caters to a variety of lifestyles including their own.
However, global brands and retailers that account for regional tastes within a wider assortment are the ones that will gain the most traction among regional consumers.
“The brands that have taken this customer as a very important customer and respect them are seeing benefits. The ones that approach this customer as, ‘They’re just going to buy what we make and we’re going to do […] a good enough job because we’re busy somewhere else,’ are not,” Khalid Al Tayer, CEO of luxury e-commerce giant Ounass, shared with BoF’s CEO Imran Amed in Al Tayer’s first public interview last year.
There is a demand across age groups for more modest fashion options, which cater to both traditional dress, like abayas, jalabiyas and kaftans, as well as modest non-traditional clothing like long-sleeves, non-form-fitting pieces or dresses of a conservative hem length. Just 28 percent of residents surveyed by d3 and BoF Insights wanted fewer modest options like sleeveless shirts, cocktail dresses or form-fitting styles, while only 22 percent wanted more resort and swimwear.
The greatest demand for more conservative dress comes from the younger regional consumers: those surveyed aged 18 to 24 had the highest ratio of respondents saying that they would like to have a wider selection of traditional styles available to shop. In fact, the two younger cohorts surveyed, aged between 18 and 34, were also the most in favour of more modest options available to shop.
Some global brands have catered to regional wear needs for some time by offering capsule collections with traditional and modest styles in mind. In 2016, Italian luxury house Dolce & Gabbana released a collection of abayas and hijabs in its signature prints, which were “a resounding success,” according to D’Auria.
Thirty-five out of 50 top international brands in the apparel, footwear and accessory segment, including Prada, Louis Vuitton, Dior and Gucci, have introduced Ramadan collections, according to the Fashion Futures Saudi Arabia report. Other fashion brands and retailers from DKNY and H&M to Tommy Hilfiger and Oscar de la Renta now offer modest collections tailored to the region.
“We, as Middle Easterns, are not interested in a brand if it’s irrelevant to us. Develop products and activations in line with the local taste and preferences‚” says Khadija Al Bastaki, senior vice president of Dubai Design District (d3). “A personalised or limited-edition collection can go a long way in terms of winning the trust of customers. […] There’s a regional pride with textile and […] handiwork. It’s appreciated aesthetically.”
Launching a range of abayas to capture commerce stimulated by regional cultural celebrations like Ramadan and Eid, or a jewellery collection channelling the colours of a national flag to coincide with founding days, are positive steps forward in localising. But more broadly, there remains a lack of nuance or significant focus and investment to truly tap into the opportunity — more must be done to match consumer preferences.
If you are late [delivering in Dubai] versus Europe, people notice — and you can’t afford to be late.
— Ingie Chalhoub, Founder and CEO of Etoile Group
Brunello Cucinelli, for example, is leaning into a multi-layered approach that fuses regional taste and references with its global design codes and product offering. The brand held an intimate and exclusive runway show for regional VICs and media players at Nara Desert Escape for the Spring Summer 2025 collection — previewed alongside a special abaya capsule collection. The colour palette was inspired by the desert, merging the luxury house’s Italian heritage with the earthy, natural palette of the desert dunes. Cucinelli himself, alongside his daughter Carolina — the brand’s vice president and co-creative director — introduced and attended the show.
This approach of mixing global design codes with regionally-relevant categories appeals to higher income residents especially, with 30 percent searching for more contemporary Arab styles, blending local and western fashion. Consumers are also searching for modest dress within brands’ wider assortments, rather than limiting themselves to dedicated capsule collections. Modesty is often achieved through styling, rather than requiring specific modest pieces.
“Usually, Ramadan is known for kaftans and dresses. But now, I could wear a dress with a modern twist and a t-shirt during a Ramadan gathering. It might just have a Ramadan embroidery theme,” says Al Bastaki. “The new trend is to be very modern, but you have this craftsmanship and element of local culture woven into the fashion.”
Semi-traditional items are also a popular category, which blends the traditional with western style. This can provide opportunities for brands to create regionally relevant items with global resonance for consumers in Dubai.
Rani Ilmi, founder and CEO of Frame Publicity, says brands should ask themselves, “How modest does it need to be?” when tailoring clothes to consumer needs in the Gulf. “If it’s an ankle-length dress, where does it need to skim? […] Certain footwear brands do really well in our market because of how little toe cleavage they show,” she adds, with more conservative women preferring not to show their toes. Brands might therefore consider tweaking their assortment for modest- wearing clientele with alterations to hem or sleeve length, even heel height, for the region.
Brands should also consider regional body shapes. For example, Kuwaiti footwear brand Thuna, which sells on UAE-based e-tailer BySymphony, offers shoes that account for the typically wider calves and flatter feet of women in the region. Ilmi also cites a preference for 1950s-style dresses with smaller waists as the “silhouette that works best here.”
“There’s never a day where you can’t wear a sundress. We’re seeing so many brands come in and, in slightly more modest silhouettes, owning that space,” she says, namechecking brands like Khaite, Aje and Zimmermann for their popularity in the region.
Collaborate With Local Creative Talent
Jacob Abrian, co-founder of Arab Fashion Council, argues that international brands’ increased efforts in regional collections means competition is growing between international and local brands. However, he sees the overall effect as “positive, because international brands are willing to collaborate with local designers and work with local creatives.”
To name a few: Berluti reopened its boutiques in the Mall of the Emirates and Dubai Mall with its logo reinterpreted by Dubai-based artist and designer Nadine Kanso; Loro Piana worked with Emirati artist Mattar Bin Lahej on 50 limited-edition cashmere plaids; Dior worked with Emirati designer Yasmin Al Mulla on a region-exclusive fragrance and packaging for Dior Beauty products.
“They are more PR than commercially successful,” says Ilmi, but adds that “[brands] do them to raise awareness within these micro-communities.”
Tapping into regionally relevant creatives and influencers who are recognised and celebrated in the community can strengthen brand resonance and relevance. Ilmi cites Chats by C.Dam as popular in the region. The Vietnamese brand names some of its designs after regional creatives with whom it works, like influencer Deema Al Asadi, jewellery designer Rima Zahran and stylist Soha Mohamed Taha.
We, as Middle Easterns, are not interested in a brand if it’s irrelevant to us. Develop products and activations in line with the local taste and preferences.
— Khadija Al Bastaki, Senior Vice President of Dubai Design District (d3)
Al Tayer of Ounass also notes “new design views” that are “moving away from that globalist, western aesthetic”. The luxury retailer has collaborated with British brand Represent Clothing for pop-ups in 2023 and 2024, leveraging Arabic script and imagery on products. An exclusive collection also featured 14 new styles with the Saker Falcon, the national bird of the UAE, and Arabian horses.
For Fahed Ghanim, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Lifestyle, he believes consumers are less concerned about the international versus local brand presence, and more concerned about exclusivity and newness — something regional brands are delivering on, by prioritising their regional consumers and surpassing their global competition on speed to market.
As a result, global brands should not underestimate the rising popularity of local design talent and regional brands. Thirty percent of surveyed Dubai residents believe that local fashion brands have exciting trends — this sentiment spikes to 38 percent for consumers aged 55+. All consumers believe local brands offer high-quality products, and consumer desire for access to international brands is quickly followed by access to local brands when choosing a retail location.
“Consumers want to support home- grown brands,” says Al Bastaki. “If it’s a Lebanese home-grown brand started in Dubai, the Lebanese community and the Arab consumers will support the brand.”
Alongside luxury and trend assortments, Ounass’ third core category assortment is dedicated to local talent, which is “the most successful subcategory out of all, the way it’s growing,” according to Al Tayer.
As an incubator for talent through In5 Design and DIDI, d3 is fostering emerging designers and artists with whom global brands can work, to create synergies with regional skillsets, culture and creatives. What’s more, with d3 as a business district housing large and small businesses side by side, the opportunity for tenants to meet future collaborators and foster connections is facilitated by proximity onsite.
Price With Caution
More than 50 percent of Dubai residents cite price as the most important factor when shopping for fashion. This sentiment echoes across all age groups, according to the d3 x BoF Insights survey. Women are more sensitive to price, at 60 percent versus 41 percent of men, and Dubai residents who spend on fashion abroad most commonly cite lower prices as an incentive to do so.
“No matter how much disposable income there is here, price sensitivity is huge,” says Ilmi. Indeed, 40 percent of respondents to the BoF Insights x d3 survey, across income levels, cited lower prices as a key reason to shop abroad.
After all, this price-sensitive consumer cohort has been on the receiving end of price arbitrage for decades. This relates to the practice of hiking prices to cover — and then some — hidden costs accrued from import tax, shipping costs and VAT. Some argue the practice was also taking advantage of wealthier consumers that could afford a higher price tag and were unaware of market cost elsewhere in the world.
Al Tayer refers to global price arbitrage as “cowboy country. […] The brands didn’t know. But the brands now know and if you continue to misbehave, [regional businesses] will stop working with you,” he adds.
No matter how much disposable income there is here, price sensitivity is huge.
— Rani Ilmi, Founder and CEO of Frame Publicity
In some instances, price arbitrage has also accounted for the historic “souk culture” and its affiliation with bartering on price. This allows brands and their store managers to give a discount when requested, as is culturally practised in the region.
In fact, cost negotiations are also commonplace outside of consumer environments. “If I was quoting a local business, I would go in 50 percent higher because I know they’re going to ask me to come down,” says Ilmi. “If I’m pitching an international business, I go in at the expected rate.”
However, brands must not take advantage of a previously customary market price set as high as 25+ percent before VAT refund. Al Tayer instead recommends between 5 and sub-10 percent for luxury and fashion brands, as “that’s pricing with integrity” and a “fair adjustment” to allow for inflation and currency fluctuations.
Price arbitrage is also becoming less common because the consumer will simply shop elsewhere if they feel the price is unfair — whether at different brands or even in different countries.
In 2018, the UAE and Saudi introduced VAT at 5 percent and 15 percent respectively. Now, “a lot of Saudi clients come in [to Dubai] and shop because they’re not willing to pay that 15 percent locally,” says Ilmi, who cites a similar practice for Saudi nationals travelling into Bahrain.
Luxury consumers are also exploring brands at slightly lower price points, with Ilmi referencing Australian brands like Aje and Zimmermann, as well as Chats by C.Dam, as hitting what she calls the “sweet spot” between US$500 to US$700 for ready-to-wear.
At THAT Concept Store, the retailer has lately resonated with the “middle segment [of brands] because [consumers] are looking for those individual expressions of style, of fashion, of brands,” says Ghanim, who cites recent success with the introduction of menswear brand Psycho Bunny, which sells polo shirts at around US$120.
“[It’s] not luxury, but […] it’s fun and it does extremely well across multiple age groups. […] It’s important to continue bringing newness into the market.”
Design a Regionally-Relevant Social Media Strategy
Local social media content creators and/ or influencers are the primary source of inspiration for fashion purchases for about 45 percent of Dubai residents, according to the d3 x BoF Insights survey. International creators or influencers sit
As a result, when designing a social media strategy for the region, leveraging local content creators offers a key opportunity to inspire and resonate with the local consumer.
However, brands should demonstrate a “sensitivity towards cultural affiliation and affinity, particularly for the high- net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth [individuals],” according to D’Auria. “They will have a greater loyalty to a brand that tries to cater to their specific context.”
What people react to is, “‘I want to do that too,’ as opposed to, ‘I want to buy that’,” says Azzolari. “[That’s] the important difference between the western style influencers of yore and modern influencing in the Middle East.”
Dubai-based influencers — from Karen Wazen (8.1 million followers) and Deema Al Asadi (1.1 million) to Mariam AlYassi (1 million) and Nouf AlTamimi (552,000) — achieve the closest the country gets to cultural celebrity status, with less regional affinity for western avenues of fame like pop culture and music.
At the end of the day, a wealthy person who boasts on her own Instagram is already an influencer.
— Sergio Azzolari, CEO of Roberto Cavalli
There are also successful conservative content creators who won’t show their face on social media. Rather, they demonstrate their lifestyle through what Ilmi calls “wrist real estate” — posts of a luxury watch, designer bracelets or the steering wheel of a sports car. This approach resonates strongly with more modest regional followers.
What’s more, most social media accounts — even of content creators — are private. Snapchat is a popular channel due to the increased privacy of the format. However, these users still offer critical marketing avenues for international brands, with “word of mouth and social media by friends/family” one of the most common sources of inspiration especially for female consumers, according to the d3 x BoF Insights survey.
“At the end of the day, a wealthy person who boasts on her own Instagram is already an influencer,” says Azzolari.
Tap Into Local Social Calendars and Cultural Events
Dubai boasts a bursting social calendar, much of which is shaped by religious and cultural holidays throughout the year.
In the ninth month of the Islamic calendar — roughly between the end of February and throughout March in the Gregorian calendar — the Arab world celebrates Ramadan through a period of fasting, prayer and social connection. Ramadan is followed by Eid al-Fitr, the festival of the breaking of the fast, and two months later Eid al-Adha — the feast of the sacrifice — coinciding with the end of the Hajj pilgrimage.
Traditionally, these significant moments in the Islamic calendar consist of family gatherings, majlis attendance, iftars — the evening meal that breaks the fast during Ramadan — and suhoors, which are meals eaten before dawn. In recent years, fashion brands and retailers have hosted their own events during Ramadan as a way to connect with customers and promote Ramadan and Eid collections.
For example, in 2024, Valentino, MCM, Miu Miu and jewellery brand Marli all hosted activations for top-tier clients and industry insiders across Dubai. Net- a-Porter hosted two back-to-back VIP suhoor events in partnership with Oscar de la Renta and Garrard. The activations were attended by Net-a-Porter interim CEO and president Alison Loehnis, aligned with a selection of exclusive designs from over 27 international and regional designers.
“It is more about being present [at] certain occasions and dressed for the occasion,” says Ilmi, who argues that receiving invitations to special events, based on your status as a loyal customer, is “appreciated in this region more than most. […] Money is not as big of a differentiator, but being invited to an experience, not because you purchased it, but because you earned it, is much more appealing.”
As a result, when brands provide consumers with unique access to events and experiences, it offers a new- found marker of status that consumers use to benchmark their perceived loyalty to, and alignment with, brands and their communities.
“There’s a craving for a sense of belonging — to be part of a community,” adds Miral Youssef, Kering’s MEA president. “Linking back to clienteling, we develop bespoke [activations], whether that be for them to attend global shows, global events, or even for local-level activations.”
A range of brands, from luxury to athleisure, are leveraging this approach: Roberto Cavalli invited its VICs to the brand’s latest runway show at Dubai Fashion Week; sportswear brand Adanola and luxury fashion house Valentino have hosted events at Dubai’s Matcha Club — Adanola held a pilates class and breakfast while Valentino tapped into the growing padel craze, with branded rackets and refreshments for an immersive experience.
“You need to really engage in the fabric of society and you do need to go beyond transactional in your relationship with the consumer, which has been the key. So, it’s about building communities,” says Ghanim. He references athleisure brand Lululemon’s tapping into local sports communities by hosting yoga sessions and running clubs across the Gulf, like at Dubai’s Kite Beach.
Money is not as big of a differentiator, but being invited to an experience, not because you purchased it, but because you earned it, is much more appealing.
— Rani Ilmi, Founder and CEO of Frame Publicity
The brand also hosted its largest community gathering in October 2023, ahead of World Mental Health Day (10 October), with an event at Jumeirah Beach Hotel Dubai. Two thousand participants came together to “move, connect, and engage in meaningful discussions around wellbeing” as part of Lululemon’s Together We Grow global initiative. The strategy was conceived in response to UAE audiences’ increasing interest in wellbeing after government campaigns and pandemic lifestyle shifts.
Dubai residents also value visiting museums and historical sites — these featured in the top three preferred cultural and creative activities from the d3 x BoF Insights survey. Such interest and engagement offer ample possibilities for brands to tap into relevant cultural programming.
For example, high jewellery brand Cartier collaborated with d3 for Al Manama — an exhibition and cultural programme celebrating UAE National Day in 2024 with a multi-disciplinary offering across architecture, design and heritage. The two-week-long initiative offered an array of cultural talks and creative collaborations that highlight the contemporary pulse of Emirati culture, hosted in the d3 district.
Stephanie Skourti, co-founder and business lead of Dubai-based womenswear brand Nafsika Skourti, shares how her brand is “constantly looking for opportunities to engage with [their] community that isn’t pushing product,” from a panel talk in Jordan to an intimate dinner in Dubai. She recognises that some people want to interact with Nafsika Skourti clothes without the expectation that they will spend money. So, before Dubai’s wedding season, they opened the NS Window Shop, renting a suite for a week and inviting people to “try but not buy our clothes,” she explains.
“We found a lot of the customers who came maybe didn’t have an occasion [to buy a dress],” she says. But by attending the event, the customer could try on different styles, discover their sizing and eventually convert to a consumer when an occasion for a Nafsika Skourti product arose.
Importantly, while brands should consider the benefit of hosting tailored events during times of cultural and religious significance, the months are also often oversubscribed, which can impact event planning and guest attendance. As a result, careful planning far in advance is necessary, as well as exploring opportunities in hosting events outside of the exceptionally busy Ramadan period.
Brands might also consider other diasporas’ culturally significant events: due to the large expat population, two of the biggest holidays outside of Ramadan and Eid are Diwali, the Hindu festival of light, and Russian Orthodox Christmas.
Plug Into Fashion and Design Events and Festivals
Outside of the cultural calendar, Dubai has amassed an array of pivotal design- led events throughout the year. Fashion and retail businesses can plug into these events for increased exposure to and integration into the local industry and consumer base.
Firstly, for fashion brands, there is Dubai Fashion Week. Taking place just before New York Fashion Week historically kicks off “fashion month”, Al Bastaki explains how the event offers a way for brands to “connect more immediately with the local and regional fashion community, which includes buyers, influencers, media and consumers.” It offers partnership initiatives and community building for international brands, who can invite their regional VICs to attend.
Al Bastaki also notes the popularity of Dubai Fashion Week among the younger generations due to its recent highlighting of brands with an environmental and ethical focus. “Brands like Pipatchara and The Giving Movement are part of our Fashion Week calendar — our popular labels leading conversations on sustainability, social responsibility and fashion,” she adds.
D3 has a strategic partnership with Dubai Design Week, the leading design fair in the Middle East, and Downtown Design is the trade element of the festival. D3 also organises the Dubai Calligraphy Biennale — a city-wide event celebrating the artform and its cultural resonance. L’École School of Jewelry Arts, based in d3 and supported by jewellery maison Van Cleef & Arpels, also hosts a robust programme of courses, talks and exhibitions.
Dubai Design Week offers another way in which brands can tap into key dates and collaborations in the events calendar. For instance, for the 10th anniversary of the design week, d3 launched Design Next — a first-of-its-kind exhibition on the circular economy, in partnership with Milan-based Isola Design. This platform is dedicated to international emerging designers and independent design studios, with a focus on innovation, sustainability and biomaterials.
The d3 events calendar also accounts for the city’s growing streetwear community via Sole DXB, the annual trade show and culture festival of global stature. What started in 2011 as a modest gathering
for sneaker enthusiasts in Dubai has evolved into a regional platform, where the likes of Nike and Adidas have unveiled exclusive releases. The co-founders behind the event have helped transform the streetwear scene in the wider GCC by attracting not only fashion and footwear industry leaders but also artists, athletes, celebrities and style icons from the hip- hop community. Other key events for retailers to tap into include the Dubai Shopping Festival, which takes place across malls in the city, and the 3-Day Super Sale (3DSS) at the end of May — a major discounting weekend.
The Dubai Food Festival, which typically takes place in venues like residential community JBR and City Walk, is another key opportunity for brand presence. The d3 x BoF Insights survey found 56 percent of residents cite food and restaurant experiences as a primary outlet for discretionary spend, while both fashion and culinary experiences were the top two local cultural attractions that residents prefer to engage with in Dubai.
“[Brands] don’t really tend to mix too much with food or experiences like that,” says Ilmi. Referencing Pangaia and Coach café experiences, she adds that these activations “last two weeks and then it sort of dissipates. The experiences aren’t starting here; they’ll still be franchised over […] but I think that will change soon.”
These tie-ups are not unheard of in Dubai, but it is arguably an underexplored opportunity for localised collaborations on buzzy food businesses. Other fashion and luxury retailers have approached longer-term branded hospitality or food and beverage opportunities for some time, like Roberto Cavalli’s Lounge & Restaurants, open since 2009.
“We need to go back to […] the experience of spending time within the brand,” says Azzolari. “We all know it’s not a physical item that makes it a luxury experience.”
Summary
The d3 x BoF Insights survey reveals the regional trends and consumer demand for more modest fashion options, more SKUs and regionally relevant brand collaborations with local brands and businesses.
Global brands must also address their strategic approach to pricing with sensitivity for consumers in the region who have been subject to price arbitrage for decades — hiking costs to hide those accrued from import tax, shipping costs and VAT.
Dubai has a lively social calendar and has amassed an array of pivotal design- led events throughout the year. Fashion and retail businesses can plug into these events for increased exposure to and integration into the local industry and consumer base.
Dive into the wider paper, Inside the Fashion Opportunity in Dubai, to learn more about the macro-economic shifts driving the change in markets and consumer behaviour in the market, and the infrastructural shifts and subsequent opportunities in its logistics and talent hub.
This is a sponsored feature paid for by Dubai Design District as part of a BoF partnership.
