On Saturday April 8th, the first annual Royal Gala was held at the Palazzo Versace under the patronage of H.E Sheikha Hend Al Qassemi. Celebrating the melting pot of styles and nationalities in Dubai, designers from Russia, Iran, France and the Emirates showcased their collection to a concentration of royals in the region along with media and influencers.

Entertainment kicked off with Aiza Dzhabrailova of ASET who added a touch of ‘Arabian Nights’ to her exquisite embroidery and sharp silhouettes that dazzled with detail. After each show, one of the five-course dishes was served as models prepared for the next show.

Aset Luxury

Iranian designer, Nakisa, hit the runway next with a style and vision that floored the crowd based on Baroque inspiration recreating a nostalgic 16th century feel. Sheikha Hend’s collection from House of Hend encompassed Eastern and Western cultures, creating global silhouettes while Rodery Jewellery who launched in Italy in 1986, presented their precious gems during the show. Sheikha based her designs on traditional Islamic fashion and transforming them through a modern interpretation with embellishments of pearls and floral detailing for a soft, feminine touch.

Nakisa Sadeghi

House of Hend

Sara Mohamed, of Palais Des Argano, showcased a collection inspired by Moroccan Kaftans proving royalty was the theme of the night through colors, details and deluxe designs. Amato’s couture SS’17 collection delivered true avant-garde style aptly entitled ‘Flowers of War’, the collection was inspired by bold, brave women of war during the invasion of Japan on China. Amato portrayed dreamy designs brought to life through vivid colors and the tales of history.

Palais Des Argano

Amato Haute Couture

Yanina, the world-renowned Russian couture house, showcased for this first time in Dubai. The luxurious details, exquisite fabrics and serious attention to detail spoke to Yulia Yanina’s vision, creativity and powerful personality.

Yanina Couture

Closing the show was Parisian fashion house, Loris Azzaro who is celebrating 50 years of creativity with their SS’17 Couture collection. The collection was designed in collaboration with Bianca Brandolini and Eugenie Niarchos and pays tribute to the house’s most iconic dresses.

Loris Azzaro

Sadaf Dabiralai

Iranian designer, Sadaf Dabiralai presented her dresses in the main hall leading to the ballroom along with THARB who exhibited their elegantly designed handbags made with excellent craftsmanship. NC ROCKS exhibited jewelry designs from the mother and daughter duo for the contemporary and modern women and Hysideis, a leather fashion house from Italy displayed their signature leathers for the rock and roll chic crowd.

We would like to thank our sponsors whom without we could not have had such a successful event. First and foremost, thank you to Paris, London, New York Events & Publishing and the Versace Hotel for hosting the first annual Royal Gala under the patronage of H.E Sheikha Hend Al Qassemi. Thank you to Paris Gallery, the luxury retailer with a premium collection of over 450 international brands across several product categories including perfumes, skincare, makeup, watches, jewellery, fashion apparel, sunglasses and accessories. Thank you to the Schwarzkopf Professionals who styled the runway models with their products ensuring style never looked so sleek, along with Hair Creators Academy who created simple and stylish hair-do’s for all the shows tonight. Thank you to the Lipstick Makeup Institute who created flawless, fresh faces for the runway models and last but not least, thank you to Heart in a Box, the luxury florist who decorated the event.