Dubai Design District (d3) has joined the Arab Fashion Council in a campaign to combat COVID-19, with seven partners poised to create thousands of protection gowns and surgical face masks for frontline medical workers.
d3, Dubai’s heart of creative design, home to more than 9,000 people and 385 companies, has pledged its support to #AThread4Cause — a campaign calling on UAE-based fashion designers to use their craftsmanship and haute couture flair to make surgical attire for the UAE’s health care industry.
Seven business partners with more than 50 tailors and pattern makers, will make the medically certified garments. To facilitate logistics, d3 is set to host a unified distribution center, to store and deliver the protection gowns and surgical masks produced by d3 designers as well as other designers based in the UAE. This will turn the d3 community into a strategic hub for personal protective equipment (PPE) made by luxury brands.
Khadija Al-Bastaki, executive director of d3, said: “As the fashion capital of the Middle East, d3 is both humbled and delighted to support #AThread4Cause. With six d3-based designers, we aim to aid the lifesaving work of vital medical staff by contributing to the UAE’s stockpile of gowns and face masks. d3 is well placed to be able to cater to the needs of the local population, as well as export to the rest of the world, heralded by the strong logistics and infrastructure of Dubai. This will enable #AThread4Cause to quickly receive the PPE carefully produced by highly skilled, luxury fashion designers across the emirate.”
“The Arab Fashion Council is proud of d3’s remarkable support to #AThread4Cause campaign by joining forces with us and its readiness to strengthen the emergency network of creative force,” said Jacob Abrian, founder and CEO of the Arab Fashion Council.
Dubai-based couture label, Michael Cinco, is among the seven d3 business partners taking part in the initiative. Cinco and his business partner Sayed Ali said in a joint statement: “We need to demonstrate the sense of belonging, community spirit and light that only fashion can bring to our world. We are proud to be part of d3’s response to #AThread4Cause and believe it demonstrates the value of fashion and design in Dubai.”
Yasmine Yeya, founder and creative director of Maison Yeya, added: “The UAE has worked extremely hard to address the current situation and the creative community stands ready to support these efforts because it’s our duty to stand united against this challenge.”
Cinco and Yeya are joined by Furne One of couture label Amato, Emirati designer Yara bin Shakar, Egypt’s Marmar Halim, Arab/American designer Zaid Farouki and women’s clothing retailer Si Fashion.
To provide the designers with ample material and to support local suppliers, d3 has established a partnership with a Dubai-based Saudi fabric manufacturer who will supply over four tons of technical fabric to the participating brands.
