万花筒2008-03-28:Abu Dhabi, the new capital of fashion

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Western and eastern styles met in the capital of United Arab Emirates last week, as Abu Dhabi held its first fashion show.

Plunging¹ necklines and audacious skirts, this isn't Milan or New York, but Abu Dhabi, the first Fashion Week ever organized in the region, and designers bold enough to present some pretty risky² models. 

(Alice Teeuwen) "We do not restrict. We let them fly, be free minds and show us what they are. It is a matter of respect for them to decide what they want to showcase. 

In the audience, traditional Islamic garments, the norm for woman’s clothing here. And on the catwalk, miniskirts and revealing lines, a surprising cocktail³ for some of the guests. 

"It’s so amazing here. I’m so proud that we can accept fashion as it is elsewhere in the world, in Paris, London or Milan." 

Breaking taboos⁴ was the price to pay to transform the United Arab Emirates into the cultural hub of the region. But for young fashion designers, the event is all about showing their collections to the world and eventually export them. 

(Rabih Kayrouz) "This gives us the chance to promote our clothing traditions, not just take what other people give us, but also start exporting our own styles and our own culture to others."

(Milia Marou) "Everything is new, embryonic⁵, and the results will probably only be seen in a few years' time. For now, it‘s a blank canvas. Everything remains⁶ to be done." 

A blank canvas with a big financial potential. It’s hoped Abu Dhabi will join the ranks of the top fashion capitals in the world.