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Where to find local and regional designers in Dubai

Start at The Meld Concept in Jumeirah 1, see the new names at Dubai Fashion Week in d3, follow be.divalicious and Boulevard One for South Asian designers, and shop homegrown labels online at Ounass and Bloomingdale's.

By Aastha Chopra  ·  25 June 2026  ·  Updated 11 September 2026  ·  5 min read

To find local and regional designers in Dubai, start at The Meld Concept in Jumeirah 1, go to a Dubai Fashion Week show at Dubai Design District, and follow the trunk-show circuit if South Asian designers are what you want. For online, Ounass and Bloomingdale's both carry homegrown labels. Sauce, the concept store most older guides send you to, still exists but now as small hotel boutiques rather than the mall stores it was known for. Here is the map, including what I have actually seen and what is still on my list.

What counts as a local designer in Dubai?

Three overlapping groups, and it helps to know which one you are after. Labels founded here, such as Bouguessa (Dubai-based, by Faiza Bouguessa) and the Emirati designers Reemami and Madiyah Al Sharqi. Regional designers based here or showing here, from Lebanese couture houses like Rami Kadi to the Indian and Pakistani labels that do trunk shows every season. And international brands that have made Dubai a second home, which is how a British Asian label like Raishma ends up with a UAE site and a launch evening at Jamavar. The shops below cover all three.

Which homegrown UAE labels are worth knowing?

Bouguessa, by Faiza Bouguessa, for clean, structured tailoring and refined abayas. Reemami, by Reema Al Banna, for prints and colour with a sense of humour. Madiyah Al Sharqi for eveningwear that suits the wedding calendar here. I will be honest: these three are on my list on reputation, and I have not bought from them yet. The one I have worn is November Noon, a Dubai label that pairs handwoven fabric with sharp architectural tailoring. I introduced the brand in a reel in January 2026, and the pieces are exactly the kind of quiet, wearable luxury I reach for on a working day.

Disclosure: November Noon is a brand I have worked with. My opinion is my own.

Which concept stores stock local designers?

• The Meld Concept, Jumeirah 1. A restored 1970s villa turned multi-brand store and cafe, founded by sisters Afra and Shama Al Ghurair, with their own abaya label Fold and a rotating roster of homegrown names. It also hosts brand takeovers: I was there in May 2026 for the Valentino Rockstud Salon, and it made my "week of beautiful places" carousel a month later. If you only visit one place on this list, make it this one.
• Symphony, Dubai Mall Fashion Avenue. International luxury alongside an edit of Middle Eastern designers. I have not shopped there myself, but it is the one stop inside a mall where regional talent is easy to find.
• Sauce. Dubai's original concept store now runs boutiques inside hotels, including Four Seasons Jumeirah, One&Only Royal Mirage, Mandarin Oriental Jumeira and Bab Al Shams, at the time of writing. Check its store page before you go, because the list changes.

Is Dubai Fashion Week open to the public?

Partly. Dubai Fashion Week runs at Dubai Design District (d3) twice a year, and it is the fastest way to see what regional designers are doing next. I went to the FW25/26 opening show in September 2025, a Rizman Ruzaini runway, and to shows in February 2025 and autumn 2024. Some seats are invitation only, so check the organisers' accounts each season for public shows and tickets. The d3 courtyards also host brand pop-ups through the year: Lanolips and Sephora did one there in November 2025.

Outside fashion week, watch for launch events. The Event x Rami Kadi in November 2025 put Lebanese couture in front of Dubai for an evening, and Raishma's UAE arrival in July 2025 was an evening at Jamavar. These are not shops, but they are how you learn which designers are moving here.

Disclosure: my Dubai Fashion Week seats and the Valentino, Rami Kadi and Raishma evenings were invitations, and Bloomingdale's is a retailer I have a partner code with. My opinion is my own.

Where are the pop-ups and trunk shows?

For Indian and Pakistani designers, two organisers matter. be.divalicious, founded by Vanitaa Bhatia, fills a ballroom at Jumeirah Emirates Towers (and in January 2026, Taj Business Bay) with 25 to 60 brands for a day or two. I filmed the May 2026 edition wearing SVA Couture with House of Sa.ra accessories. Boulevard One has a showroom at d3 and runs trunk shows at the Address Sky View ballroom before Diwali, Ramadan and Eid. Both announce dates on Instagram two to three weeks ahead. The full circuit, with what I wore, is in where to buy Indian clothes in Dubai.

Where can I buy regional designers online?

Ounass carries homegrown UAE labels next to the big houses and delivers fast within Dubai. Bloomingdale's runs local designer edits online and in store, and my Acler pieces come through them. Many designers sell direct, Bouguessa included, and for Pakistani labels like Mahgul the brand's own site or WhatsApp is often the only route.

What I would skip

• Driving to a hotel for Sauce without checking it is still there. The locations move.
• Buying a regional designer piece at a pop-up without asking about alterations. Most will adjust; ask before paying.
• Assuming "local" means cheap. Good tailoring here costs what it costs.

Start with one afternoon at The Meld and one pop-up, and you will understand the scene quickly. To put a designer piece to work, see how to style statement jewellery and how to dress in your 40s in Dubai.

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