The first edition of the Seychelles Fashion Week Dubai scheduled for May 13 will provide participating designers a platform to connect with outlets and buyers, said the show's organiser.

Launched at the Dubai Expo last year, Seychelles Fashion Week Dubai will be the commercial version of the annual fashion week held in the island nation. The launch coincides with the fifth anniversary of the fashion week.

The organiser of the event, Terry Carolla, told SNA on Monday that holding the Seychelles Fashion Week internationally is part of the development and growth of the fashion week, with the first edition to be held in Dubai. 

He shared that the main objective is "to have participating designers do business, connect with outlets that are interested in selling their clothes, or establish deals with buyers. Our partner in Dubai is in this trade and has a large network of people in the industry. This includes shops, buyers, and bloggers, and he is already working on these things so as to have these people present during the show itself."

The Seychelles Fashion Week Dubai will take place for one day and will include fashion shows and business forums. Carolla went to Dubai to experience one of the fashion shows there, from which he will be adopting several elements.

"To start with, the event will take place during the course of one day but in the future, it will happen over a few days. We want to see how things go first, just like we did with the local one. We are yet to finalise the order of events," said Carolla.

He added that for the business forum, he is encouraging Seychellois business persons "from any industry, who are looking for a partner or investor to attend as our partner owns an investment company. I want to encourage Seychellois designers and entrepreneurs to make the most of it because there are a lot of opportunities that can come out of it."

Carolla said he is working closely with the Seychelles Investment Board (SIB) and the Creative Seychelles Agency (CSA) and has already contacted the Department of Tourism and the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) to have them onboard.

A maximum of 25 models and 10 designers - Seychellois, Dubai-based and international - will be joining the show.

The local version of the annual Seychelles Fashion Week will this year be held on its usual schedule - from November 25 to December 1 – however, venues for the shows are yet to be confirmed.