You know it's going to be a good evening when not one but two supermodels are walking the runway. Such was the case at Manish Malhotra's show on Thursday as Adriana Lima and Valery Kaufman helped close the strongest Dubai Fashion Week to date.
Over six days, a plethora of regional and international names brought their A-game to Dubai Design District, sending out diverse collections themed for travels through Mexico, Iraq and Siberia, via inner dialogues and heavenly beings.
For the finale, the pressure is always on the designer to somehow raise that bar even further. As expected, the Indian powerhouse designer Malhotra - with 30-odd years of experience under his belt and making his debut at DFW - did not disappoint.
Speaking to The National at the event, the designer explained why the evening was significant for him. "It's such a pleasure to be at Dubai Fashion Week, especially after one year since we opened our first flagship store in the Dubai Mall," he said.
Under the title World Collections Dubai 2025, the show opened with the Russian model Kaufman wearing a fitted silvery gown, with an ostrich feather stole setting off a parade of looks that were smothered in sequins, beading and embroidery, yet felt as light as the muted silver and champagne palette.
An oversized masculine suit appeared in molten pewter cloth, and a fitted skirt in silver crystals was worn with a pale gold cropped jacket fitted to absolute perfection. A sculpted mermaid gown was covered in silver sequins, with a scattering of tiny delicate pink flowers. Then there was the fabulous golden sequined dress, wrapped in a stole of nude tulle, and an iridescent lime green dress, cut and draped like a sari in elegant folds.
There was a flowing grey abaya dip-dyed in turquoise with matching sheila, followed by a peplum top in black, stiffened to sit proudly on the hips, with embroidered foliage coiling around the body and down around the skirt. Malhotra even borrowed Giorgio Armani's famous trick of sending identical looks in different colours down the ramp - here as a hip-length tailored jacket over a drop-waisted long skirt, in pale gold or soft peach.
The designer's great skill, honed over a career that encompasses costume design, directing and fashion, is to blend the remarkable know-how of Indian ateliers - there is a reason why the big fashion houses of Europe turn to India to create their embroideries and embellishments - with cuts that will appeal to an Indian, and non-Indian customer alike.
Loose, oversized masculine suits will tempt those searching for effortless chic, while shouldered gowns with a richly beaded mantle are for those craving unashamed luxe. Malhotra's vast knowledge was utilised as well in snappy cocktail attire as in elegant modest wear, which showed how well this designer understands his UAE clientele.
There were a lot of suits on show - underscoring the changing tastes of what constitutes evening wear these days - as multiple trouser suits and as a tuxedo jacket expanded into a silver sequinned dress that was fabulous. And of course, there were plenty of evening dresses, most notably as the strapless, fitted gown worn by Brazilian model Lima, who sashayed like a queen to close the show.
Making evening wear is no simple matter, as it tests the skill of the designer in creating a va va voom moment that must be fresh and modern. At Dubai Fashion Week, Malhotra showed us all why he is so beloved around the world.
"Dubai is a very special place to me, and for us as a brand," he said. "It's part of our global expansion because it's a city that brings people together from all over the world. So tonight was very special."
Quizzed if he was creating a look for anyone at the coming high-profile Adani wedding, which is taking place this weekend in Mumbai, Malhotra remained tight-lipped. He only revealed he is dressing a guest, but we need to wait to learn who. The designer was the creative director for last year's Ambani wedding, which grabbed headlines around the world, and also dressed the groom's family on many occasions.
Given the wonderous collection of looks unveiled in Dubai, whoever he or she might be at the Adani wedding, we know they will be wearing something spectacular.
