(MENAFNEditorial) Dubai Design and Fashion Council (DDFC) held its third 'DDFC Talks' session discussing the evolution of the Emirati dress during Meet d3, the community event held by Dubai Design District.
The talk was held to compliment the 'Evolution of Emirati Dress' exhibition, hosted at Meet d3 and curated by Futtaim Beljafla from Anthropology of Design, supported by DDFC. The exhibition focused on showcasing the different forms of dress worn by women in the UAE from 1960 to 2011, with an emphasis on the traditional Emirati thawb and kandurah throughout this period.
Bringing together experts on the history of Emirati dress, Dr. Reem El Mutwalli, Author of the book Sultani: Traditions Renewed, Changes in UAE Women's Traditional Dress during the reign of Sh. Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (1966-2004), and Khulood Thani, designer at KBT KONCEPT, the talk centered around cultural influences that had shaped the evolution of national dress, highlighting milestones and developments that impacted the shifting focus on design throughout the ages and how all these factors have resulted in the modern abaya,
Dr. Reem El Mutwalli, described the traditional dress of UAE women as it evolved through several stages of change during the past five decades, placing these changes in their historical, cultural, social, economic, political, and ethnic contexts. She also highlighted the impact of oil wealth, urbanization, access to the world market, and the pressures of globalization on dress and a conservative Arab-Islamic society.
There was specific emphasis on the traditional Emirati thawb and kandurah and their history and evolution, from the simple rectangular scarf, which covered the head and body made of various fabrics to the present-day black abaya.
Nez Gebreel, CEO of the Design and Fashion Council said: "Clothes and fashion can tell you so much about an era, a culture and the history of the particular country or region. How a community dresses communicates details of attitude, belief and opinion that is often left out of literature. DDFC supports discussions such as this one today to ensure the rich history of the Emirati heritage and culture is preserved.
"The Dubai Design and Fashion Council is committed to providing the region's emerging designers with a platform for collaboration and knowledge sharing for the benefit of the local design industry. Today, we were able to bring to the audience the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding and better knowledge of our past, which will hopefully serve as a source of inspiration to their designs."
Dr. Reem El Mutwalli commented: "It's important to have events like this where younger generations get the chance to live and breathe our history by understanding how designs, fabrics and colours have evolved over time.
I have always been captivated by the culture, traditions and history of the UAE. One of the greatest influences on the design of Emirati women's fashion has been the globalisation and the emergence of western designer labels in the country. This has brought in a new sphere of reference and influence, exposing designers from this region to other cultures. Alongside that, is the growing expertise in our industry. For example, there is now a greater understanding of textiles and the manufacturing process has matured. However, there is a great determination to maintain traditions. Our designers continue to hold to their Arab-Islamic identity.
The DDFC Talks series are monthly talks on a wide range of industry-relevant topics. Future events will focus on Strategy and Business Planning for Design Businesses, Intellectual Property, Social Media and Marketing Strategy, Company Registration and Legal Contracts and seminars on Design Thinking, Interior Design and Fashion Criticism. The DDFC Talks series provides an interactive environment for designers to learn vital skills that will add value to their design work and provide them with proper tools to develop their business.
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