Dubai Fashion Week opens spring/summer 2027 season with Nafsika Skourti debut

Centre · 2Dubai Fashion Week opened its spring/summer 2027 season on 22 October at Dubai Design District, with the main runway programme running over five days. 1 2 Centre · 1Gulf News said designers came from more than a dozen countries, from Kuwait and Ukraine to Colombia and Vietnam, and described the city as a meeting point rather than a home game. 1 Centre · 2The runway programme opened with Kuwait's Yousef Al Jasmi, whom The National describes as having created looks for Lady Gaga and whose collection featured crystal-encrusted dresses; Gulf News called it his couture debut, in black, cream and silver. 2 1

Centre · 2Sara Pedram followed with her Simurgh collection (spelled Simorgh by Gulf News), inspired by the 12th-century poem The Conference of the Birds and by the mythical bird of rebirth and transformation; Gulf News adds that Pedram trained as a chemical engineer before founding her label in 2015. 2 1 Centre · 1The National called the Dubai Fashion Week debut of Palestinian-Greek label Nafsika Skourti the highlight of day two; its show, Sisters by Choice, closed the day. 2 Centre · 1The brand was founded by sisters Nafsika, the creative director, and Stephanie Skourti, the business lead. Nafsika described the show as a "happy protest" celebrating friendship, with slogans such as No Wrong Turns and Sisters by Choice. 2

Centre · 1The National said the label was returning to the runway after a nine-year hiatus with relaxed daywear in light fabrics. Stephanie Skourti said the brand had moved away from its earlier high-and-low approach to something more intentional while keeping its corsetry and detailing, and said "We feel very Arab. We grew up in the Middle East." 2 Centre · 2Indian designer Pallavi Puri showed Beyond Borders, with Lisa Haydon opening and Lebanese actress Cyrine Abdel Nour closing in a bridal look; Gulf News said the debut comprised 50 looks made by more than 150 artisans across over 21 traditional crafts. Kresha Bajaj also showed a beadwork collection, and Ukraine's KEL' showed Genesis. 2 1 Centre · 1According to Gulf News, Saturday was largely Colombian, with Adriana Capasso's TRACE; FADTALENTS marked ten years of the Dubai school FAD with more than 20 emerging designers; and Sunday brought the runway debut of Onori, the label of Emirati designer Sharifa AlHashemi. 1

Centre · 2Alongside the shows, a Dubai Design District showroom previewed emerging designers, including Bahrain's Touchless, Egypt's Amr Saad, Tunisia's Balga and Kuwait's Kochylia, while Gulf News noted a buyers' programme and a month-long Harvey Nichols pop-up. 2 1 Centre · 1Indian designer Tarun Tahiliani closed the week with The Many Moods of TT, ahead of his first Dubai store, according to Gulf News. The event took the Dubai Fashion Week name in March 2023, after growing out of Arab Fashion Week, which began in 2015. 1