After a fantastic first day, day two at Fashion Forward was all about the glamour.
Couture kings, Ezra Santos and Michael Cinco rocked the runway with their wonderfully OTT and rhinestone-heavy collections – wow did the boys bring it!
The FROW also stepped it up a notch decked in their finest for the fashion-filled day.
See what Emirates Woman got up to…
First call of day two was coffee and juice at the VIP terrace as Annah goes over her schedule, ensuring all is organised for the busy day ahead.
Dima Ayad’s show was first on our agenda.
The super femme collection was a hit with the ladies on the FROW with pretty lace frocks coming in all lengths and silhouettes, in rich shades of aubergine, cobalt and contrasting pastels. Dima definitely knows what woman want from their wardrobe.
Dima Ayad’s beautiful collection
Post show, Annah caught up with the fabulous Firras Alwahabi
Next up was KAGE, where we spotted sporty dresses with drop waists and pleated swingy skirts, the leather, metallic lame and a fine cream knit received lots of ‘oohs and ahh’s’
With a just a few minutes until the next show, we made a speedy pit-stop to the press centre to tweet and check our mails, then it was onto Hall 1 for the big Ezra Santos show.
The front row faces at Ezra’s show
The Ezra show was epic
The collection was made up entirely of statement dresses, in a spectrum of shades from white to plum and a fabulous shocking scarlet.
For Ezra more is always more. The gowns were embellished with mink fur, embroidery, sequins, diamanté and crystal – we suspect the Ezra atelier cleaned out Swarovski!
With acres of embroidered tulle train, this masterpiece finale dress drew gasps from the crowd.
Rumour has it, three girls cried as they were so overwhelmed by the incredible show.
A girl’s gotta eat! EW’s Alexandra grabs a quick Panini in between the shows.
Next up, we headed to Glam Hour on the VIP terrace for cocktails and fashion chatter before the last two shows of the night.
Time for Tourjouri! With a name that means treasure chest in Arabic, we expected an array of colour and sparkle from Lama El-Moatassem’s A/W2013 collection and we got just that!
EW’s Beauty Editor Elizabeth arrives at the show wearing a neon beaded Tourjouri frock in homage to the designer
The front row faces at Tourjouri
Rosemin Manji and style sister make a glamorous group front row
Evening gowns with sequin bodices gave way to very of-the-moment holographic creations with embellished Peter Pan collars thrown into the mix, very whimsical but with a twist. The designer told us: “the holographic organza took two months to create in Italy and the sequins were dyed to give an opalescent effect.”
The delicate party pieces were toughened up with the addition of a Bowie-esque burnt bronze trouser suit and anthracite grey jumpsuit!
EW’s Annah interviews Lama after the show
The designer told EW: “I’m thrilled to be apart of Fashion Forward, it’s given me the platform to be at the forefront of the Middle East Fashion scene. What a great start!”
The last hit of the day was the most anticipated show by Mr Michael Cinco.
Tickets were so in-demand for this catwalk extravaganza, we actually overheard a gaggle of ladies bickering over who got to go.
With the seats filled to capacity, Cinco fans stood at the back, straining their necks to get a glimpse of Michael’s array of looks.
Bloggers and photographers at the ready for Cinco show to begin
One by one, Cinco’s incredible creations floated down the runway, starting with the prettiest shades of peach, moving onto killer black gowns, all complete with heavily beaded baroque embellishment.
The designer received a well-deserved standing ovation from the crowd.
After a long day of shows, interviews and mingling, we headed home to catch some shut-eye, but not before collecting our goody bag!
We’ll be trying out the M.A.C and L’Oreal beauty treats for this evenings shows
Today is the last day of Fashion Forward, so be sure to make your way down to the Madinat Jumeirah for the finale!
