24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Michael Cinco, Mrs Keepa and Les Benjamins set to return as Dubai Fashion Week announces new dates
Dubai Fashion Week has announced the dates for its next season, which will run from September 1 to 6.
Returning to Dubai Design District – which is celebrating its 10th anniversary – the event will once again provide a platform to regional labels while introducing more international names to the savvy UAE audience.
Showcasing the spring/summer 2026 collections before the main women's wear schedules take place in New York, London, Milan and Paris, Dubai Fashion Week promises a strong line-up.
The provisional timetable is a blend of ready-to-wear and couture, taking in familiar names and new arrivals.
French brand Weinsanto is returning, supported by the Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, the governing body of France's fashion industry, as well as being on the DFW council. Also showing once more is Iraqi-British designer Tara Babylon, and the Turkish streetwear name Les Benjamins.
Other returners from the region include That Concept, FLTRD, Dima Ayad, Lili Blanc, Mrs Keepa, Lama Jouni, Heba Jasmi and BLSSD.
As the Middle Eastern market becomes increasingly significant for international brands, this season features the arrival of labels from Germany, Croatia and the Netherlands.
Croatian brand XD Xenia will make its DFW debut, as will Canada's Jozeph Diarbakerli. Other designers making their first appearance include Fioletowy (Poland), London School of Trends (India) and New York's Otte.
For couture, the Malaysian brand Maison Rizman Ruzaini will return, as will Dubai's Michael Cinco and Kresha Bajaj from India.
Dubai Fashion Week was co-founded in 2022 by the Dubai Design District, Arab Fashion Council and Tecom Group PJSC.
'This season represents a powerful evolution of our platform. We're not just showcasing collections – we're building a creative economy rooted in diversity, design diplomacy, and long-term commercial impact,' said Mohammed Aqra, chief strategy officer of Arab Fashion Council. 'DFW spring-summer 2026 is a bold statement of where fashion is going, and the world is watching.'
The Threads Talks series, in conjunction with Meta, is also set to come back. Discussion panels and seminars will consider industry challenges such as AI integration and sustainability.
Khadija Al Bastaki, senior vice president of Dubai Design District, says the event has expanded immensely in three years.
'Dubai Fashion Week shows how we have grown together,' she said. 'With a rich legacy of influencing the regional landscape, DFW is actively championing sustainability, innovation and diversity in the global design narrative, cementing Dubai's position as the destination of choice for fashion and creative talent from around the world.'
