Nearly 20 fashion and product designers debuted in Dubai

Besides the Hungary Pavilion realised by Expo 2020 Hungary, the international audience could get to know Hungarian fashion and product designers’ creativity through a fashion show, a roundtable discussion, and a design event at Expo 2020 Dubai. The Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency’s events were met with great interest in the Middle East market. Hungarian creations received a lot of positive feedback, in which experts highlighted the designers’ unique way of thinking and the products’ marketability. All in all, nearly 20 brands had the opportunity to conquer the market: seven fashion designers presented their collections at the Budapest Select Fashion Show, and ten Hungarian product designers exhibited their design objects at the Downtown Design.

Hungary joined Expo 2020 held between the 1^st of October, 2021 and the 31^st of March, 2022, with numerous programmes, among which the Hungary Pavilion created by Expo 2020 Hungary presenting our country’s medicinal waters was a highlight. Hungary’s cultural richness was presented to the international audience not only at the World Expo but in Dubai, the second-largest city in the United Arab Emirates, during the creative week organised by the HFDA between the 8^th and the 12^th of November. The large-scale international event provided an opportunity for talented artists to debut in the Middle East after Europe.

A unique possibility presented itself in Dubai for designers for an international debuting since acknowledged professionals, distributors, and new markets, as well as guests from all around the world got to know their work. Hungarian fashion and product designers marched under the Agency’s unified umbrella brand, Budapest Select, both at the fashion show and during the design fair, which aims to put talented Hungarian designers in the spotlight during international appearances using unified communication while they retain their characteristics.

During the Downtown Design, one of the central events of the Dubai Design Week, ten Hungarian product designers – ERROR N’ MORE, Forms Design, Zsuzsanna Horvath, Miklós Leits, Loomiosa, Oleant, Paper Up!, Planbureau, POSITION Collective and sarakele – were presented at the Budapest Select stand. The feedback regarding the appearance was clearly positive. The organisers highlighted that the Budapest Select stood out from the other exhibitors with its world of form and uniqueness. Its design objects boasted huge popularity. During the opening hours, there was a constant interest in the designed objects, and the majority of the visitors not only wanted to see the exhibited products but also turned to the designers with specific shopping needs and questions.

You can view the photos of the Hungarian product designer stand on the following LINK. 

During the Budapest Select Fashion Show, seven Hungarian brands – ABODI, Elysian, Kata Szegedi, Katti Zoób, Maison Marquise, MERO and Sentiments – presented their newest collections. All in all, 200 professional guests, journalists, influencers, and buyers visited the fashion show to get to know the fashion designers’ freshest collections. After the show, negotiations started with almost ten retail chains and showrooms that confirmed with their offers the need in the market for Hungarian designers’ collections, worlds of colours and forms.

Take a look at the most beautiful moments of the Hungarian creative week by watching our VIDEO of the event.

To strengthen professional dialogue, the Agency organised a roundtable discussion in the Woman’s Pavilion at Expo 2020. On the 10^th of November, regional and local female leaders shared their personal thoughts and experiences about the future of fashion, the role of women leaders, and the importance of sustainability. The participants were Zsófia Bata-Jakab, HFDA’s CEO; Camille Boyer, the Austrian Fashion Association’s co-founder; Daria Marusyk, communication and sustainability leader of the Ukrainian fashion week; and Jazia Al Dhanhani, the Dubai Design and Fashion Council’s CEO.

You can watch the discussion again by clicking HERE.