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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)
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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.

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Fashion

Dolce & Gabbana Debut in Paris, Showing Italian Artistry on French Soil

The logo of Italian designers Dolce & Gabbana is seen at a branch office at Bahnhofstrasse shopping street in Zurich, Switzerland September 9, 2020. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
The logo of Italian designers Dolce & Gabbana is seen at a branch office at Bahnhofstrasse shopping street in Zurich, Switzerland September 9, 2020. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
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Dolce & Gabbana Debut in Paris, Showing Italian Artistry on French Soil

The logo of Italian designers Dolce & Gabbana is seen at a branch office at Bahnhofstrasse shopping street in Zurich, Switzerland September 9, 2020. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
The logo of Italian designers Dolce & Gabbana is seen at a branch office at Bahnhofstrasse shopping street in Zurich, Switzerland September 9, 2020. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

For the first time in their 40-year history, the Italian design duo Dolce & Gabbana are showcasing their work in the French fashion capital. Paris, the birthplace of haute couture, now finds itself hosting a powerful Italian counterpoint to French luxury fashion.
The message, as curator Florence Müller puts it, is direct: “Yes, Italy does it too.”
The landmark exhibition, Du Coeur a la Main (From the Heart to the Hand) running from Jan. 10 to March 31, is not only a love letter to Italian craftsmanship, but to the interconnectedness of fashion. “The story of couture is global,” Müller explained. “Embroidery, lace, brocade — they existed long before Parisian couture, in Italy, in India, and beyond.”
Spread across 1,200 square meters (1,400 square yards) of the newly refurbished Grand Palais, the exhibit showcases over 200 looks from the company's Alta Moda and Alta Sartoria collections and 300 handmade accessories, as well as objects like Sicilian ceramics. It includes 10 themed rooms that delve into the artistic roots of Dolce & Gabbana’s work.
Baroque grandeur defines the collection, unapologetically maximalist and layered with embellishments. Among the highlights is a gown inspired by Venice's Murano glass, encrusted with glass mosaics from Orsoni Venezia 1888, the glassmakers behind the golden mosaics of St. Mark's Basilica. Müller described it as “a sculpture on textile — pure craftsmanship elevated to art.”
Opera takes center stage. A black velvet gown softened by gold embellishments captures the drama of Bellini’s Norma, while a romantic blue dress for Verdi’s La Traviata flows like an aria, its tulle layers whispering love and loss. Meanwhile, icons of the brand, such as Sophia Loren and Naomi Campbell, are immortalized in giant paintings. Classical Italian opera and traditional Sicilian folk melodies provide the soundtrack, adding layers of drama.
But Du Coeur a la Main is not just about finished pieces. Five real seamstresses from Dolce & Gabbana’s Milan atelier work live during the exhibition, crafting bodices, bustiers and corsets before visitors’ eyes. “This seamstress is sewing lace to form a dress, while another is draping fabric by hand,” Müller said. “It’s extraordinary. This is not just fashion — it’s art.”
Sicily, Domenico Dolce’s birthplace, lies at the heart of the collection. Traditional Sicilian hand-painted carts, ceramics and lace-making techniques are woven into couture. Yet the exhibit also underscores fashion's often-ignored global influences.
“Luxury goods and artisans traveled more than we think,” Müller said. “The silk and brocades used at Versailles Palace came from India, and Italian artisans were hired to craft the Hall of Mirrors ... (Fashion) is constant exchanges and inspirations — this exhibit reveals what time forgot.”
Italian and French fashion have long been framed as rivals, with French conglomerates such as LVMH and Kering and Paris Fashion Week sometimes viewed as the pinnacle of the industry. But this exhibition challenges that hierarchy, showing that the two traditions are more interconnected than they are opposed. Both rely on les petites mains — "the little hands" — the artisans whose precision and passion elevate couture to art.
“The techniques may differ — Sicily’s lace traditions versus Paris’s tailoring — but the soul of couture remains the same: the human touch,” Müller said. The exhibit reveals the shared ingenuity of French and Italian ateliers, whether in a Sicilian workshop or a Parisian salon.
Even beyond couture, the exhibit highlights the breadth of “Made in Italy.” Everyday items like Smeg refrigerators and coffee presses given a D&G reworking reflect the ethos of Italian craftsmanship, transforming functional objects into canvases for artistry.
“Fashion is art. It’s meant to inspire, to dazzle, to make us dream. Whether you wear it once or never, its value is in its beauty, not its practicality,” Müller said.
When asked about hyperbole of the dazzling gowns — many of which seem impossible to wear on the street — she replies with a smile: “So what?”