What's in... Social Camel

Who: Print: David Tusing, Lucy Wildman. Online: Mariyah Gaspacho, Maha Mady, Cristina Linaza, Butz Fuentes. Designers: Meher and Riddhima & Amber Feroz

What: Dubai Fashion Week (DFW) Media Launch, at Empire in the Monarch Hotel with Simon Lock and Troy Daniel (you can kinda see the men in charge of DFW in the photo on the left!)

Wear: Najia Alavi in Gia London.

In all honesty the only reason I went to the “Dubai Fashion Week Launch”  (which was written as lunch on the e-vite so I nearly missed it) was because I was headed to the Laughter Factory at Zinc afterwards so it all fit in nicely with my schedule ( love it when that happens).

The reason I was reluctant to go? I have been to five consecutive seasons of Dubai Fashion Week but I missed last season because the season before that was so badly run I couldn’t face returning. (I am referring to the set up and not the designers, some of whom are excellent).

The turn out for the event was really good, lots and lots of people get second chances in Dubai, you gotta love the city for that and it seems this little town in the desert is willing to give Dubai Fashion Week a chance to redeem itself.

Simon Lock (who has been brought out of semi-retirement having worked for Rosemount fashion week in Australia) is charismatic, and made a massive effort with doing the rounds to talk to people. He didn’t get to me but I’ll forgive him for that and I’ll forgive him for mispronouncing Furne One's name as long as he gets it right the next time.

Simon gave a speech during which he said that MAC cosmetics are on board, as “sponsors” which I am assuming to mean they are doing the make up backstage for the models and may have a make up stand out front for the regular people too. Whatever the level of participation, MAC are very savvy when it comes to product placement, and I would hazard a guess that their participation in the event has pretty much everything to do with Simon.

Thus far I’m impressed enough to want to go check out Dubai Fashion Week this time round, let’s hope it stays that way.