OMG ladies and gentlemen this week has been absolutely awesome! Is this my first fashion week? YES! Being an avid follower of all things fashion in the UAE, I was blessed with an invitation to attend the week of festivities. I hurriedly scrounged through my availability in my schedule and was able to attend shows every evening. I did not attend all of them, but the ones I did attend were freaking epic and I was able to share Facebook live videos for most. To give you a little background on AFW, this is their fourth year in production. This year the venue was at the luxurious Meydan Hotel and Grand Racecourse just outside of business bay Dubai with the Burj Khalifa in view from the Sky Bubble rooftop event space. The Meydan is also home to one of Dubai’s prominent night spots called club White which hosts celebrities from all over the globe with a kick ass, laser lit, fog filled rooftop colossal party. The entrance to the event was filled with none other than red carpet, step and repeat wall (with poor lighting which was a bummer) and beautiful white flags displaying sponsorship logos. When you entered the lobby, you walk through artists paintings and head to the diamond encased elevators to the 8th floor. Even the elevator was gorgeous because the lighting changed as you passed each floor, love! 
Once I exited the elevator, there was a little confusion as to where to go, but once I found the various lounge areas and the runway, I quickly knew how to get around. The smoking/bar area was located in the open terrace and the decor was fabulous darling. Sponsored by Phillip Morris tobacco, you had to smoke their cigarettes which was a little weird but they gave you a cute lighter that matched with the rose gold and white ambience. In this area also was an Atelier photo box. Yes I took a photo there almost everyday haha!
There was also a makeup artist station there to touch you up and place diamonds on you, a virtual reality experience, and two huge promo screens. Even the ashtrays were glam! The entire event featured three levels, 1) the bottom level was where the boutique experience was located 2) the middle level is where the more vogue based fashion art and registration tables were, and 3) the top level where the massive runway and seating was located. So now that you get the ambience, let’s get to the fashion! Oh before that, some of my pictures are not the best of quality. The struggle was real holding two phones at the same damn time.
Here is a recap of all of the collections I was so honored to view and of course critique! Now to be certified Edgy Opulence, I am looking for risk, pure beauty, a play on colors, fabulous fabric, a little sexy, wearable, music selection, and finally some edge mixed with fierce. The scale goes from 1 crown 😒 to 7 crowns 😍 based on these metrics. Let’s get started!
Day 1:
MRHUA MRSHUA 👑👑👑👑
A twist on black and white with funky tights! Overall the collection was cool, I love the piano piece.
MARCHESA 👑👑👑👑👑
Glam your heart out! That tulle gown at the end was GORGEOUS! I love the silver fringed dress as well shown on the right top picture.
Day 2:
LAURA MANCINI 👑👑👑👑👑👑
Utterly fabulous and very dramatic. I felt like I was in an opera and I love the Egyptian style. Too fabulous!
ISLE JARA 👑👑👑👑👑
A creative twist on ribbon with sex appeal.
LAQUAN SMITH 👑👑👑👑👑
Come through uncensored music! First and only time hip hop music was played and the one and only Cardi B from Love and Hip Hop New York was present wearing one of his pieces. The music and clothing fit hand in hand.
Day 3:
SPERANZA COUTURE 👑👑👑👑👑
Another stunning show filled with gorgeously designed gowns, more so on the wedding side.
RENATO BALESTRA 👑👑👑👑👑
For the love of pastels, this collection was everything whimsical and then some. My ultimate favorite is the mint green leaf dress (pictures 5 and 6). I would wear it everywhere!
Day 4:
MICHAEL CINCO 👑👑👑👑👑👑👑
The absolute best show and collection! The royal blues, the extreme veils, the feathers, the glamour, etc. And to top it off, the menswear completely complimented it all. I cannot say which was my favorite because I loved ALL of IT!
Day 5:
MARCHESA FW17/BRIDAL 👑👑👑👑👑
Definitely worth recommending to all of my future brides out there. If you want to look like a beautiful princess, then Marchesa is the choice for your wedding day. Dresses were good.
ANTONIO MARRAS 👑👑👑👑👑
Old school meets couture. A very creative spin on older looks with beautiful colors, especially the pop of yellow. Really enjoyed this show.
This model worked this runway the whole week! Her walk is completely and utterly FIERCE. Love her!
Arab Fashion Week was amazing and I cannot wait to see what the next edition brings. Stay tuned darlings, until the next time…
Syreeta B
Edgy Opulence Lifestyle 