20 Emirati Designers Grab Attention at WJMES Golden Jubilee

People visit the Watch and Jewellery Middle East Show. (WAM)
People visit the Watch and Jewellery Middle East Show. (WAM)
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20 Emirati Designers Grab Attention at WJMES Golden Jubilee

People visit the Watch and Jewellery Middle East Show. (WAM)
People visit the Watch and Jewellery Middle East Show. (WAM)

Twenty Emirati female designers managed to shine in the spotlight at the 50th (golden jubilee) edition of the Watch and Jewellery Middle East Show (WJMES), held at Expo Center Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates, reported the UAE state news agency (WAM).

The creations of the Emirati designers were showcased at the Emirati jewelers platform, launched by Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with the aim to support young Emirati talents in jewellery designing and spotlight their artistic works at the important event.

Over 900 renowned local and global brands are taking part in the show that concludes on Sunday.

Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said supporting Emirati entrepreneurs and talents is one of the main objectives that Sharjah Chamber is working to achieve.

The Watch and Jewellery Middle East Show has always been supporting Emirati designers through such initiatives as the Emirati Jewelers platform.

He added that over more than eight editions, the platform has been able to provide an exemplary opportunity for the Emirati designers who wish to enter the world of gold-smithing and jewellery whether in Sharjah or the entire UAE.

It has succeeded in attracting talents to the jewellery design and trade sector to develop their crafting and marketing skills, he stated.

He pointed out that the platform attracted more than 46 Emirati female designers and sponsored the Qelada project, launched by the Ministry of Community Development, to support female designers of determination.

Al-Owais underlined the participation of the youngest Emirati female jeweler along with many other female designers who presented impressive gold and jewellery designs.

Saif Mohamed Al-Midfa, CEO of Expo Center Sharjah, underscored the importance of the Emirati jewelers platform being an annual stimulus that attracts more and more Emirati creators to the world of jewellery design and benefits from the event's large global participation, which contributes to providing these talents with more experiences to develop their businesses.

One of those talents who caught the attention of visitors was Dr. Abeer Awad.

She said: "My passion for beauty and drawing has driven me to discover this talent, and so have the many talent-fostering government initiatives, the most important of which is the Emirati jewelers platform, which has been the strongest motivator for me to enhance my talent and start my own project."

Designer Zahira Ahmed Al Marar pointed out that her participation is the second in this event. She expressed her pride in taking part in this platform together with a group of Emirati talents who work as one team to brightly represent the UAE in such a global event.

The Sharjah Chamber is her first and biggest supporter to be a key participant at the event and show her designs to the whole world, she stressed.

She expressed her gratitude to the Chamber for the great support and diligent follow-up to ensure the continuity and success of the projects.

Sheikha Al Serkal underlined her keenness to participate in the Watch and Jewellery Middle East Show that is a key platform to showcase her talent, which is admired by the visitors every year.

Azza Al Jarwan praised Sharjah Chamber's fostering of young Emirati jewellery talents and bringing to the fore their artistic works in the most outstanding event of jewelry exhibitions.



Hermes Q3 Sales Up 11.3%, Continues to Outshine Rivals

A logo of Hermes is seen on a store in Nantes, France, October 17, 2024. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
A logo of Hermes is seen on a store in Nantes, France, October 17, 2024. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
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Hermes Q3 Sales Up 11.3%, Continues to Outshine Rivals

A logo of Hermes is seen on a store in Nantes, France, October 17, 2024. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
A logo of Hermes is seen on a store in Nantes, France, October 17, 2024. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

Birkin bag maker Hermes reported on Thursday an 11.3% rise in third-quarter sales, continuing to outshine rivals hit hard by a downturn in China as its luxury handbags lure wealthy shoppers.

The French luxury company generated 3.7 billion euros ($3.99 billion) in revenue for the three months ending in September, an 11.3% rise at constant exchange rates, Reuters reported.

The figure was in line with an analyst consensus estimate of 11% growth cited by Jefferies.
"In a more uncertain economic and geopolitical context, I want to thank all employees for the robust third-quarter performance, and our customers for their loyalty," said Axel Dumas, Executive Chairman of Hermes.
"Thanks to the singularity of its model, Hermes is continuing its recruitments and long-term investments," he said in a statement.
A sector-wide slowdown has affected labels across the high-end spectrum.
Luxury bellwether LVMH missed expectations last week and flagged a drop in Chinese consumer confidence to COVID-era lows, with a deterioration in demand for fashion over the quarter.
Late on Wednesday, Kering warned its 2024 operating income would almost halve to its lowest in years as weak demand in China deepened the struggles of the French luxury goods group's main label Gucci.
Hermes' famously classic designs and tight management of production and stock have helped reinforce the label's aura of exclusivity and made the company one of the most consistent performers in the industry.
Handbags like the coveted $10,000 plus Birkin model are affordable only for the wealthiest shoppers -- who are typically the more immune to choppy economic conditions.
But showing limits of its resilience, executives earlier this year said that Hermes was seeing slightly less traffic from aspirational clients, impacting higher volume products like fashion accessories such as silk scarves.
Hermes shares have risen nearly 9% since the start of the year, outpacing rivals, with LVMH down nearly 15%, Moncler down 3.3% and Kering, which is working to turn around Gucci, down 40%.