Shot on iPhone

It’s Thursday afternoon in Dubai, the weather is absolutely incredible at 86 degrees with less than 40% humidity (great hair day), and I am out on the town looking for the best fashion Dubai has to offer. I saw a sign for Fashion Avenue in the humongous Dubai Mall and my spider senses went into high gear. After traveling to the fashion capitol of New York hundreds of times, I did not expect it to be more than the usual line of luxury stores you see in every mall or fashion district similar to the infamous Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta who entices celebrities and wealthy people alike to shop at the Louis Vuitton store greeted by a security guard and if you are truly high status, get a glass of champagne to ease your decision to purchase. The Fashion Avenue section of the Mall is two floors of pure, uncut, opulent luxury which is why I had to write about this experience.

I started my opulent journey of Fashion Avenue on the second floor. I began noticing couture stores appearing and as the walkway curved, the view became breathtaking. Exquisitely designed storefronts facing each other in a couture war of the best of the best. And in the middle of this luxurious line of fashion, is a gorgeous display of feathered butterflies hanging from the top atrium of the ceiling. Natural lighting beams through the display which makes it perfect for photos.

Shot on iPhone

As I walked down mesmerized by the store fronts, one especially caught my fashion loving eyes which was the store called Agent Provocateur. 

Shot on iPhone

Agent Provocateur is a female lingerie store that focuses on female empowerment through sexy, strong, and confident undergarments. If you think you never heard of them as I did, think again! They have been in business for over 20 years and have recently been trending on none other than Beyonce’s pregnancy shoot. Yes that’s right, those lingerie sets are from AP!

Image credit: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/pregnant-beyonce-photographs-appear-online

What’s even more amazing about the company is that their creative director Sarah Shotton is an icon darling! She started working for AP as an apprentice in 1999 and worked her way to the top, can you say inspired?!?! The company website has a fabulous section called AP Talks that feature fabulous women making leaps and bounds in their businesses and careers. Make sure to check out their website.

Recreate the look here!

The next storefront that reeled me in was none other than Christian Louboutin.

Shot on iPhone

The store is beautifully decorated with exclusive red bottoms, handbags, and a men’s line to die for. Here are my personal favorites from their collections.

Shot on iPhone

Shot on iPhone

Recreate the look here!

The next store that had a minimalist flare but displayed the epitome of beauty in shoes is Giuseppe Zanotti Design. The store features a simplistic white shelving with three dimensional walls, perfect for the various collections. I have always been a lover of Giuseppe shoes from the days of Lil Kim and Foxy Brown flaunting theirs in their appearances and songs so to finally visit the store and gaze upon them was everything a fashion lover could ask for. And it was even more amazing to see all of the shoes that blessed the red carpet on display. My ultimate favorite comes from the the Puertorican Queen herself, Jennifer Lopez.

Shot on iPhone

My heart almost stopped when I saw one of my favorite designers’ storefront Roberto Cavalli. The store also has a minimalist storefront design but what makes it Cavalli are the door handles. Absolutely stunning!

Shot on iPhone

The store has Cavalli themed accents all throughout with a gorgeous Swarovski crystal logo on the back wall.

Shot on iPhone

Here are my personal favorites from the Roberto Cavalli collections in store.

Shot on iPhone

Shot on iPhone

Recreate the look here!

Honestly, I can spend eight hours in Fashion Avenue relaxing, bathing in the ambience, and studying the architecture and passion that runs through each store. Fashion Avenue gives you the inspiration to take your boutique to the next level. You must think about the colors, the feel, the comfort, the product, and most importantly the customer. How are you making your customer feel when they enter your establishment? Are you exuding couture or are you simply just placing product on a shelf? Design elements should not be taken lightly for any reason, you are what you attract.

Stay tuned for my visit of the Marchesa boutique! Thank you for reading and have a fashion fabulous day.

Syreeta R.B. 💋