Antonio Marras trials structured looks and veiled silhouettes in Dubai

By

Lucile Deprez

Published
May 21, 2017

Antonio Marras, the guest of honor at Arab Fashion Week, closed the event’s fourth edition on Saturday with a show that was billed as the main event. The catwalk of Dubai, which offered some 20 runway shows from May 16-20, gave the Sardinian designer the opportunity to present the first silhouettes of his 2018 resort collection in a co-ed show that included some women's looks accessorized with a veil as headwear.

Antonio Marras commented on the presentation: “With this collection, I wanted to pay tribute to Scarlett O'Hara [from the novel Gone with the Wind]. I imagined her visiting one of her friends in the desert and the face-off between their outfits — I love contrasts.” 

His efforts yielded a collection of twirling silhouettes, set to a soundtrack of Italian songs from the 1960s by the Milanese singer Ornella Vanoni. The models sported voluminous, flowing dresses in bright colors like pinks, yellows or greens, some wearing turbans or head scarves, followed by more structured looks with straight collars, large waist belts and warm colors.

Antonio Marras is the only designer to present both men's and women's wear at Arab Fashion Week, in line with his decision to stage co-ed shows for four seasons now. “There is a very strong relationship between man and woman in my work. I think it's important for customers to see the extent of my design world.” 

The show in Dubai marks a first for the Italian designer. He explains: “We have just opened two stores in Dubai, a flagship for our contemporary line, Isola Marras, and a concept-store Antonio Marras with a restaurant.” As such, the runway show is a significant Fashion Week debut for the designer, giving him the chance to test out his latest designs with his new clientele.