The Pop-up Party, Dubai

On Saturday, 20th September 2014, I attended an event called The Pop up Party. It was held at the A4 space at Alserkal Avenue, Dubai from 11am to 7pm and was organised by UAE's top fashion community, The Fash Set. It was a one day exhibition which aimed to celebrate and support local designers and brands in a fun setting and also help us bloggers and fashion enthusiasts bond and discover amazing designs, trends and style inspiration without having to break the bank. 

Read on for more pictures of the event and the gorgeous displays at the party:

The following designers showcased their collections at the event:

1. Esswara www.esswara.com 

Esswara means 'bracelet' in Arabic. The brand showcased a wide range of jewelry - bracelets, necklaces, earrings etc. Esswara curates each and every piece from international brands and brings them to the Middle East which ensures we get the trendiest and best selling designs. Apart from that they also showcased some pieces from local designers which were gorgeous!

2. Mounay www.mounay.com

Mounay is a ready-to-wear label founded by Lebanese designer, Mona Ead Mikati. It was my personal favorite! I loved the chic, trendy and modern collection which had a crisp tailoring and an amazing use of variety of fabrics. I bought a peplum top from the SS13 collection. 

3. Bedouin www.bedouinstudios.com

Bedouin is a London based label which offers trendy, hip, sportswear inspired collections. This was another favorite of mine! I absolutely adored the metallic bomber jackets and the easy, fuss free, relaxed and effortlessly chic pieces.

4. Amira Alaoui www.amiraalaoui.com

Amira Alaoui is a womanswear line inspired by the Moroccon culture. Its an utterly feminine line featuring mostly dresses with traditional Moroccon designs and embellishments.

5. Racha El Abbas instagram.com/rachaelabbaslabel/

Rachael El Abbas is a scarf label which sells a variety of gorgeous printed, beautifully textured scarves for every occasion. The designs are really versatile and can be paired with every outfit!

6. Shweta Wahi www.shwetawahi.com

Shweta Wahi is a luxury womanswear label founded by Indian/Canadian designer Shweta Wahi. The collection featured jumpsuits, maxis, kaftans, structured with blazers, bold prints and intricate embellishments. The label's limited edition, intricately designed crop tops were amongst the best selling ones at the Pop up party. Loved the collection!

7. The Dress Room www.theDRESSroom.com

The Dress Room is an online store which sells gorgeous and intricately designed and embellished evening gowns, cocktail dresses, prom gowns and more by a wide range of designers on board. I was simply floored by the beautiful dresses on display! Complete princess material! 

8. Remy Rue www.remyrue.com

Rumy Rue is an online menswear store which aims to sell unique and best quality pieces. Its designs draw inspiration from music, fashion, architecture and photography.

9. Bullets and Butterflies www.bulletsbutterflies.com

Bullets and Butterflies sells menswear and womenswear from niche brands and emerging designers. They bring out something new every season from various new designers, which is a great concept. This ensures we get fresh, modern and on trend fashion pieces every season.

10. Monroe and Me www.monroeandme.com

Monroe and Me is an online fashion store that aims to bring the fresh and young fashion brands which have not yet entered the Middle East market. They are usually limited edition pieces yet at great prices. I loved the quirky, trendy and chic stuff they had on display which included flower crowns, "Parental Advisory" clutch, flower applique sunglasses and more. Perfect to add a twist and edge to your outfit.

11. Dee by Dalia www.deebydalia.com

Dee by Dahlia is a label by Lebanese designer Dalia. I absolutely loved her skirt collection which included mostly high waisted pleated  midi skirts made of beautiful fabrics. They were gorgeous and utterly feminine. You'd want all of them. The collection also featured a number of versatile crop tops which can be worn in different ways. 

12. Shaymartian swimwear www.shaymartian.com

Shaymartian is Dubai's first online swimwear boutique. The highlight of their exhibit was the display of bikinis on a huge fishnet. It was so eye catching! The usp of the bikinis is that they are wearable both ways which is a great concept. Thats like two bikinis for the price of one!

13. The Hot Box Kit www.thehotboxkit.com

The Hot Box kit is an online website dedicated to selling workout, yoga and dance gear. And quirky, edgy and totally trendy ones at that. Because they want all the women to work hard and look great while doing it! I loved the pieces on display at the exhibition. Especially the "Sweating with my ॐmies" tank. LOVE! 

14. Zahr Art www.zahrart.com

Zahr or Zahra means "Flower" in Arabic. Zahr Art is a company with a cause and it has its heart in the right place. Its truly focused on selling products which are eco friendly, hand made, fairly produced, recycled, organic and locally sourced. They also aim to partner with brands that have a charitable focus and share their profit with charity. It mostly sells jewelry, clutches, home decor items. The pieces were simply stunning and beautiful. 

I for one, was blown away by the sheer talent of these local designers. What amazing collections; modern, crisp, trendy, yet it reflected the the local culture, design and aesthetic. A perfect blend of both worlds! In addition to these designer exhibits, there were other awesome, fun stuff like a photo booth by Sharing box, an ice cream truck by Desert Chill, a braid bar by Marquee salon, baked goodies from Sugaholic and non-alcoholic champagne from Scavi and Ray. In all it was an amazing event and was great interacting with the designers, fellow fashion enthusiasts and bloggers. On popular demand, The Pop up party is gonna be back in November. I'm eagerly looking forward to what they have in store for us next. Till until next time!

xx Kajol