Dubai fashion platform The Event returns with 20-plus brand partners and Isabeli Fontana

The third edition of The Event takes place on Saturday at the Dubai Mall Exhibition Center, bringing together more than 20 partner brands across sponsorship, experiential activation, showroom and institutional formats. Brazilian curator Vincenzo Visciglia leads the programme, with Brazilian supermodel Isabeli Fontana as international guest.

The edition carries an investment of around 2 million AED, roughly 550,000 dollars. Organisers say the first edition generated approximately 600,000 dollars in media value and reached around one million people, and they expect the third to exceed those figures.

Two category sponsorships anchor the commercial structure: Wella Professionals as official hair partner and Charlotte Tilbury as official makeup partner. The exclusivity format gives sponsors backstage presence, inclusion in official press materials and association with the show's beauty production.

The Event 003 Lounge serves as the main brand activation space, running parallel to the runway. Confirmed participants span beauty and personal care (Embryolisse, Velissa, Toni Malt Makeup Academy, M3 Barbershop), fragrance and beauty (Extravaganza, Elemis), technology (Sony), design and lifestyle (Preciosa), hospitality and experiences (High Class Travel Experiences, Scavi & Ray, Al Beiruti, EIRA Water), and additional fashion showcases from Rosacanina, Cecile and Drape Wear. A separate group of luxury brands joins through a collaboration with the Luxury Network, including Montegrappa, Numero Uno Caviar and Abel Richard.

Lebanese designer Saiid Kobeisy has been named Highlight Designer for the edition, showing alongside AAVVA, Hazar Couture, Reem Al Jesmi, DUNESI, Eddy Nemri, Elamins, Mokem Torkoman Couture, Suited & Booted, VOLTA and ZEYA. Fontana closes the AAVVA show, the Dubai label founded by Ahmad Ammar and Visciglia, and appears the following day at a pop-up and meet-and-greet at Galeries Lafayette Dubai Mall.

"Fashion is also economics. When you bring together designers, buyers, media, models, hotels, restaurants and international brands in the same ecosystem, you activate an entire industry," said Visciglia. "We don't measure the return on The Event by ticket sales alone, but by media value, by commercial relationships and by the opportunities it creates for those who take part."