Emirati designers to be showcased at pop-up at Yas Mall this week

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Sharaf Retail’s Forever 21 brings is hosting a five day pop-up with UAE’s renowned Saraya Designers at its Yas Mall store in Abu Dhabi. The show will run from June 15 to 19.

During the five-day showcase, shoppers will have the opportunity to shop for innovative designs in fashion and craft by home grown Emirati designers. Showcasing exclusive products and distinct pieces across fashion, jewellery, beauty and design, this is the first of its kind pop-up at Forever21.

Yasser Sharaf, vice president retail, hospitality, industry and financial services, Sharaf Group, said: “Novel concept and paradigm shift in shopping experiences is our promise to our customers seeking specialised offerings in fashion. Forever 21 is a beloved brand to many since the last four decades. Along with the latest in fashion, through this bespoke event at our Yas Mall store, we aim to offer an extraordinary window and glimpse into the Arab fashion and craftsmanship to our shoppers.”

Sharaf Retail, a UAE retail group, was established in 2000 and is the retail business arm of Sharaf Group. As a multi-brand franchiser, the group manages several global brands under its portfolio that include Adventure Zone, Cotton ON, BODY by Cotton ON, Forever 21, Typo, Hello Kitty and three home-grown brands that are Adventure HQ, Chillout, Ceramic Corner Café, all of that are spread across 64 stores in the Middle East and Far East countries.

Saraya Exhibition was started in 2014 by two young Emirati women and has since evolved to run over 40 exhibitions across 100 renowned Emirati designers across the UAE in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Al Ain.

“Sharaf Retail has taken the initiative to collaborate and promote Emirati talent. The Emirati designers, bring in a unique proposition of styling, which perfectly blends in with the quintessential Arabic culture, keeping modernism intact. We at Sharaf Retail, believe, in promoting the young talent and thus the initiative has been executed,” Sharaf said.

While the key objective is to harness the talent and offer them a platform to exhibit their collection, it also directs the young talent on how retail formats are operated and how they blend into the competitive environment, which would eventually help them with a larger reach, he added.

Sharaf stressed that the company is moving away, each day from a transactional relationship with a customer to a prescriptive relationship. Understanding the customer needs, devising, or providing solutions to meet their specific requirements is key, he added. “We are definitely looking at these collaborations at a market segment level, which will help cater to targeted audience,” he said.