The world’s who’s who of fashion will once again descend on Dubai for what will be a spectacular celebration of fashion and emerging designer talent at the third edition of Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience, the largest of its kind fashion event in the Middle East, to be held at The Dubai Mall.

The flagship fashion event of Emaar Properties, organised in partnership with Vogue Italia, Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience continues to position the city in the premier league of global fashion destinations. Held over two days, October 29 and 30, 2015, the event is organised with the support of Dubai Design & Fashion Council, which was established to continue to strategically develop and position Dubai as a world-leading and credible fashion destination.

The third edition of Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience will again host an exclusive Designers Showcase organised by The Dubai Mall, BySymphony.com and Vogue Italia, to identify the next generation of fashion creative talent.

This year, Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience will also present the first edition of ‘Who Is On Next Dubai,’ a scouting contest open to all fashion designers from the Middle East, Asia and Africa. The contest is divided in three categories – womenswear, menswear and accessories – with the winners from each category chosen from a globally renowned committee. The finalists will have the opportunity to win prizes in 2016 including a fashion show in Pitti Uomo in Florence, Altaroma in Rome, invitation to thevoguetalentscorner.com during Milan Fashion Week, and to retail in a temporary store in The Dubai Mall and on Yoox Premium e-commerce platform. Some of the key committee names from across the fashion industry will include: Carlo Capasa, Raffaello Napoleone, Silvia Venturini Fendi, Franca Sozzani, Federico Marchetti, Salama Alabbar, Christopher Bailey, Christian Louboutin, Nez Gebreel, Noura Binzagr, Naomi Campbell, Godfrey Deeny, Seda Domaniç, Hanneli Rupert, Priya Tanna and Ritu Upadhyay.

As in the past editions, a fashion show featuring emerging international and regional designers selected by Vogue Italia, will take centrestage at The Dubai Mall’s Fashion Catwalk. Exclusive in-store activations by hundreds of participating retailers, live music and other lifestyle events will also be part of the high profile fashion experience.

Natalie Bogdanova, Senior Director, Business Development & Operations, Emaar Malls, said: “The third edition of Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience promises another amazing celebration of fashion and support of emerging fashion talent. In addition to welcoming fashion enthusiasts from around the world and presenting the latest style trends, the event serves as a true facilitator of emerging and undiscovered talent, underlining how Dubai is at the forefront of fostering the next generation of international fashion designers.”

Franca Sozzani, Editor in Chief of Vogue Italia, said: “Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience has achieved impressive stature globally in just two years. Today, it is much awaited by the international fashion circuit not only because of Dubai’s status as the new fashion capital but also to support and encourage next generation of fashion talent.”

Nez Gebreel CEO, Dubai Design & Fashion Council, added: “We are pleased to be officially supporting Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience. The event complements the ongoing concerted efforts of the Dubai Design & Fashion Council to set clear industry standards in the fashion industry and to enhance Dubai’s design scene more generally by continuing to elevate the city’s status as a leading global fashion destination. We are confident that the third edition of Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience will play a key part in taking Dubai’s fashion credentials to the next level by hosting some of the very best local and international talent, and by driving insightful discussion and networking among the world’s who’s who in the fashion industry.”

The second Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience, in 2014, welcomed over one million visitors across three days. In-store activities organised by over 200 fashion retailers in The Dubai Mall also contributed to the significant boost in footfall, further underlining The Dubai Mall’s credentials as the ultimate destination for luxury shopping.

The fashion show was a resounding success and attendees witnessed a creative presentation of the S/S 2015 collections of eight talented international designers. A charity dinner gala was also hosted by Vogue Italia and Emaar, which raised almost AED 4 million towards World Food Programme, and highlighted the role of the fashion industry in making a positive difference to humanity.

Celebrities who attended the event included Janet Jackson, Ciara, Latifa, Elissa, Lira, Soko, Lola Lennox, Franca Sozzani, Philipp Plein, Roberto Cavalli, Peter Dundas, Alberta Ferretti, Emmanuelle Seigner, Elisa Sednaoui, Farida Khelfa, Afef Jnifen, Ali Mustafa, Liya Kebede, and Lily Cole.

Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience also featured the International Talents Showcase, which served as an exclusive stage for 20 upcoming designers, selected by Vogue Italia and The Dubai Mall through a scouting contest. The showcase reported robust interest from buyers and retailers for the collections and several potential leads for business and marketing collaborations.

The Fashion Talks 2014 were led by international designers and fashion icons and saw huge crowds eager to gain insights into the fashion industry. Speakers included: Franca Sozzani, Roberto Cavalli, Peter Dundas, Philipp Plein, Alberta Ferretti and Sara Maino. The talks were moderated by fashion journalist JJ Martin.

The Dubai Mall, world’s most visited shopping and entertainment destination, welcomed over 80 million visitors in 2014. In addition to the 1,200 retail outlets, the flagship asset of Emaar Malls has over 200 F&B outlets and world-class leisure attractions. The Fashion Avenue at the mall has the largest collection of high-end brands under one roof and is currently being expanded by 1 million sq ft built-up area to welcome more than 150 new luxury brands.