Speaker Fatima Al Baloushi gives us a behind-the-scenes look ahead of Wednesday’s big fashion night in the capital
David Wright
published: Tuesday, July 21, 2020 at 6:01 pm
Last updated: Wednesday, July 29, 2020 at 11:54 am
It’s a groundbreaking luxury shopping experience, coming to your living room on Wednesday 23rd July. Multi-Platform Broadcast Shopping Showcase: Vogue Fashion Night, powered by Abu Dhabi retail store will feature over four hours of engaging, TV-style content covering three key areas – fashion, beauty and culture, and will feature fashion arabian Editor-in-chief Manuel Arnaut talks to Brazilian supermodel Adriana Lima.
Fashion Arab A pop-up content studio will be created at The Galleria Al Maryah Island, while exclusive segments are also filmed at The Galleria and Yas Mall.
We caught up with Fatima Al Baloushi, Events Calendar Planning and Development Manager for DCT Abu Dhabi, to find out more.
Teaming up with Adriana Lima is a great addition to any festival. How was the process of attracting superstars to the program? What does her name bring to the event?
Adriana Lima has graced the covers of hundreds of magazines, including the November 2019 issue of Vogue Arabia — and she needs no introduction. Recruiting Adriana to help us launch our new digital fashion showcase made perfect sense. An international icon, Adriana brings credibility and prestige to the region’s first social shopping experience, which in turn cements the UAE’s position as a globally recognized shopping destination.
How long after measures to deal with the pandemic were Vogue’s fashion nights considered possible in Abu Dhabi?
The Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) hosts an annual summer retail event; for this year’s edition, Unbox Amazing, we wanted to expand, innovate and bring something truly new and disruptive to the market and international fashion lovers.
There is no doubt that 2020 has been a challenging year for brick-and-mortar retailers. As such, our main objective with our wider Unbox Amazing campaign is to reinvigorate the capital’s sprawling retail sector and, where possible, capitalize on digital platforms that have seen a surge in popularity and customer engagement in recent months.
After two months of hard work and mutual collaboration, we have created something very special together with Vogue Fashion’s Night In Powered by Retail Abu Dhabi – a true regional first. In the current environment, bringing this innovative initiative to life will help inform and inspire shoppers as we welcome shoppers back to our malls in the UAE – and it will showcase what Abu Dhabi retail has to offer Serve.
How does it feel to be at the forefront of the “fashion goes digital” revolution?
Fashion never stands still and this relentless innovation keeps brands and organizations ahead. Vogue Fashion’s Night In Powered by Retail Abu Dhabi is just an extension of that. By leveraging new digital formats, we hope to keep the dialogue with our clients and stakeholders fresh and engaged. The online and offline experience is key to success across retail, and the realities of 2020 challenge us all to be more creative in how we stay connected to our communities. I believe we will always be chasing more of these integrated online and offline event concepts in the coming years, but the reality of the pandemic may accelerate adoption.
What’s the best way for those of you to experience this event at home? How has fashion consciousness in the UAE really become a part of it?
It’s simple, you watch it online.Fashion lovers can tune in starting July 23 at 7.30pm www.retailabudhabi.ae or www.voguearabia.me website. We’re gifting the nation’s biggest fashion fans with experiences that “money can’t buy.”
David @khaleejtimes.com
