Beauty & Style | Thursday 1 June, 2017 4:09 am |

 Robinsons, Singapore’s iconic department since 1858 and has been part of the Al-Futtaim Retail Group since 2008, officially opened their flagship store in the Middle East on 29th March 2017 in Dubai Festival City.  Spreading on three levels, across 200,000 sqft and with 600 brands, this oasis of inspiration will be the largest department store in the region giving home to 90 exclusive fashion and beauty brands, as well as John Lewis home collections, available only at Robinsons, on top of the large variety of carefully selected international and local labels.

 

Alongside the official opening, Robinsons launched THE COLLECTOR, a unique space dedicated exclusively to Emirati designers. THE COLLECTOR platform is being launched in partnership with Dubai Design & Fashion Council. Located on the first floor and covering 35 square meters, the space solely presents the exclusive, only at Robinsons, collections of five Emirati designers. Periodically the collections will change showcasing women’s ready to wear fashion collections and accessories of the selected designers. Together Robinsons and the Dubai Design & Fashion Council will select a range of designers each season to showcase their ready to wear and high fashion accessory collections.

 

Dubai Design & Fashion Council was established in 2013 as part of the Dubai Creative Clusters Authority and aims to raise the profile of Dubai as a regional and global destination for design and a hub for the design industry.  As part of DDFC’s mandate to enable the growth and recognition of designers based in the UAE and the MENA region, whilst also developing and nurturing a sustainable design industry in Dubai, THE COLLECTOR is a platform that truly encompasses the goals of the council.

 

Jazia Al Dhanhani, CEO, Dubai Design and Fashion Council, said: “We are excited to partner with Robinsons and offer this incredible opportunity for Emirati designers to be present in the largest department store in Dubai. Nurturing and supporting homegrown talent are fundamental elements of our mandate, and working with partners such as Robinsons is an essential step towards creating new platforms and avenues for designers. This collaboration is truly a milestone in our journey, marking a tangible step towards our commitment to establishing the design and fashion sector as a sustainable and competitive contributor to Dubai’s economy.”

 

“At Robinsons we are offering a well curated selection of international fashion brands, including 90 fashion, beauty and home brands that are exclusive to our store in the Middle East. It is also a part of our core values to support local creatives and talent through such initiatives as THE COLLECTOR.” said Thierry Prevost, Managing Director – Premium Fashion & Department Stores MENA, Al-Futtaim Retail. “It is through such a unique platform that we will provide customers the opportunity to discover exclusive pieces from Emirati designers.”

 

The first group of Emirati brands include three ready to wear collections from YNM, Mimi Fashion Designs and Twisted Roots and two accessories brands, Alia bin Omair’s jewelry collection and HanaH handbags.   

Established in 2014 - Y N M is a Dubai based ready-to-wear fashion label by Yasmin and Nesreen Al Mulla which specializes in simple, and elegantly refined contemporary hand-made garments that are entirely designed in house.

Mimi Fashion Designs a ready-to-wear fashion line from Mariam Al Mazro includes kaftans and dresses with detailed finishing and bold patterns, perfect for ladies of all ages.

Inspired by travel, exploration and architecture; Twisted Roots is a homegrown brand of Latifa Al Gurg, creating versatile, modest fashion with contemporary silhouettes and impeccable attention to detail.

Jewelries by Alia bin Omair are bold and intellectual, with natural yet functional elements. Featuring strong sculptural forms, highly contrasting materials and finishes, these jewelries are unique wearable artworks.

HanaH is an Emirati luxury leather goods brand created by Hana Al Matrooshi, specializing in modern interpretations of classic aesthetics to create unique pieces for women searching for exclusive handbags of quality and elegance.

At the Exclusive VIP opening of Robinsons on 28th March 2017 guests had the chance to meet with THE COLLECTOR designers, who revealed the inspiration behind their exclusive collections. The store will regularly host designers for meet & greets and other events, offering customers ‘behind the scenes ‘access to THE COLLECTOR, only at Robinsons.

Robinsons has elevated Dubai’s shopping scene with it’s pioneering spirit of supporting local talent and creatives, by creating a unique and innovative discovery platform, making it the ultimate fashion destination.