‘Dubai has emerged as a kind of Arab utopia’ says founder of Arab Fashion Council ahead of Fashion Week

‘Dubai has emerged as a kind of Arab utopia’ says founder of Arab Fashion Council ahead of Fashion Week

As Dubai Fashion Week launches this week, Jacob Abrian talks about why Dubai needs to spotlight its own local designer industry

By Sujata Assomull Published: Thu 9 Mar 2023, 5:26 PM

With his trademark flame-coloured hair and avant garde wardrobe, Jacob Abrian can be mistaken for a fashion influencer. While there is no denying that he is indeed looking to influence fashion, Abrian is driven by the idea of putting Arab designers on the global map. The CEO and founder of the Arab Fashion Council (AFC), Abrian is Lebanese and founded AFC in 2015 when he was only 22.

Ever since, he has become a champion of local design. Within months of launching AFC, he started Arab Fashion Week. Anchored in Dubai, this event has now transformed into Dubai Fashion Week with Dubai Design District (d3) being this new platform’s co-founder. The Gulf region is already known for its love of fashion, with one of the highest per capita spending on fashion in the world. International brands have made steep investments in Dubai, which is considered the gateway into this region for all things luxury.

As a not-for-profit organisation, AFC aims to spotlight homegrown talent, ensuring that contemporary fashion designers from this region can