Iconic international fashion houses such as Missoni and Emilio Pucci are showing their collections alongside a group of the rising stars of the Arabian fashion world.

In the modern business environment business is all about connectivity, and it is this 'connectivity' which is central to the strategy of the Abu Dhabi Fashion Week. The Abu Dhabi Fashion Week has been created by Maven Corporate Limited in collaboration with Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, the organizers of Milano Fashion Week, and it forms part of the International Fashion Calendar alongside the fashion weeks in New York, London, Milano and Paris. The Abu Dhabi Fashion Week brings top International Designers to showcase their Collections before regional Buyers, Media and VIPs, whilst also providing a world class platform for the leading Regional Designers to connect to international Buyers, Agents and Media.

For the top Regional Designers, Abu Dhabi Fashion Week also provides an opportunity for these Designers to participate in the great international fashion weeks - Milia Maroun, an Abu Dhabi Fashion Week Designer, recently enjoyed enormous success as the first ever Arabian Designer to show her Collection at Milano Fashion Week in February 2008. Alice Teeuwen of Maven, the creator of the Abu Dhabi Fashion Week, commented: 'Fashion is one of the largest global industries, and this region is globally significant within that industry. The number of top executives from some of the worlds largest Design Houses, Retailers and Brands coming to the Abu Dhabi Fashion Week is testimony to the importance of the fashion industry in this region'.

This objective of facilitating the connectivity of Abu Dhabi can also be seen in the Sponsors of the Event. ALDAR, the Foundation Sponsor of Abu Dhabi Fashion Week, building world-class business, residential and leisure facilities in Abu Dhabi; Mubadala, directing and channelling regional and international investment flows; Etihad, opening up new flight routes to the leading business and leisure capitals of the world. Frederick Douglas, Director of Leasing for ALDAR, the Foundation Sponsor for the Event, said: 'ALDAR is focused on 'Building the Nation' and we are keen to support the Abu Dhabi Fashion Week as it brings to Abu Dhabi the creators of wealth for a whole new industry - in all our projects we are focused on establishing a backbone of new, innovative retail, residential and business developments which enhance the quality of life and business in Abu Dhabi. Fashion is a great segment around which to focus these initiatives'.

For Abu Dhabi the future is bright, and United Arab Emirate's connection to the international and regional fashion worlds can only serve to create additional glamour to this future.