Dubai: A second home for Indian fashion designers

With a large south Asian population and growing appetite for India’s traditional yet global designs, Dubai has become the place to be

- SUJATA ASSOMULL

When it comes to fashion, the relationship between Dubai and India is set to become stronger this year. Late last month, designer Manish Malhotra opened a 5,000 sq.ft store in the Dubai Mall, one of the world's most sought-after destinations for luxury brands. Situated above Valentino and Cartier, it is the first South Asian store to have a space in the mall's Fashion Avenue, a section dedicated to international luxury brands. Despite having a long relationship with Dubai, staging fashion shows and retailing in the city, this marks Malhotra's first standalone flagship here. It's also his first store outside India.

"My entry into Dubai was not just strategic but also deeply personal," Malhotra says, talking about the store, designed by Gauri Khan. "My advice (while zeroing in on a location) would be to delve into the intricacies of the city, its people, and the ever-evolving landscape, ensuring creations resonate with the people's spirit while staying true to the brand's roots." His store houses wedding lehngas and saris, besides evening gowns and kaftans, with some pieces made exclusively for the cosmopolitan Dubai market.

Like Malhotra, several established Indian designers, like Tarun Tahiliani, Masaba Gupta, and Rahul Mishra, are now aiming to expand internationally in the hope to become a global brand-and Dubai seems to be an obvious port of call. "The region's recent growth trajectory has made it an enticing retail destination," says Yash Dongre, the business head at Anita Dongre, a designer brand that opened its first store in the city earlier last year. The 1,600sq.ft Dubai store, the second international address after New York (inaugurated in 2019), opened its doors just in time for Ramadan.

"We always knew our second international retail outpost had to be in Dubai," says Yash.