If you were tuned into the Dolce & Gabbana fall/winter 2017 runway show that took place yesterday in Milan, you may have spotted a familiar face or two.
Though the catwalk stars may have appeared to be professional models at first glance, the Italian label chose to recruit "influencers" from around the world for its show on Saturday, and among the sea of international personalities was none other than Dubai-based Ahmad Daabas, the founder and editor of online men's fashion and lifestole portal AMDmode.com. Daabas chronicled the experience on his social media channels, including posting a backstage image during hair and make-up, and an aerial image captured during his runway walk.
Daabas wore a suit with embellished blazer lapels and an immaculate bow tie, along with slippers and eyeglasses from Dolce & Gabbana’s upcoming fall/winter 2017 collection.
Also spotted at the show was Dubai-based menswear fashion blogger Elias El-Indari, who donned a burgundy jacquard suit on the runway.
The inclusion of these UAE-based gentlemen on the Milan runway marks two ongoing trends in the fashion industry — the growing inclination for labels to focus more on social media marketing strategies, and the increasing tendency for luxury brands to target the Middle East market. Dolce & Gabbana is a brand that has been at the forefront of the latter, having created dedicated abaya capsule collections for its womenswear line.
Just over a month ago, designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were in Dubai to launch the brand's new flagship store in Mall of the Emirates. Read our exclusive interview with the designer duo here.
