While UAE's tourism is thriving, its homegrown industries are in a growth period. The nation is on a growth curve, and embracing futuristic designs and labels or brands which are unique and locally-sourced. This itself shows that consumers now have more choice than ever. Whilst earlier the landscape was dominated only by international brands, now local brands are making a strong comeback and reigniting the futuristic space. This means not only consumerist labels, but also fashion, lifetsyle, and other industries.
Dubai Fashion Week is a unique initiative which is driven by the enterprise and talent of the local population. It is a mega honouring of the unique creativity of the nation, and is at par with international standards. The rise of designers who are willing to experiment and innovate, is a cause of celebration in itself.
While not exactly new – the designer label’s works have featured on many a models for a few years – Amira Haroon’s threads are very popular. This Dubai based designer launched a first ready-to-wear label for women back in 2009 and has since become a regular at catwalk events such as Fashion Forward in the city as well as style events in Paris, London and New York.
Manufactured in Dubai, the simple coffee scrubs of this beauty company will turn your expectations of body scrubs on their head. Everything is made with 100 percent natural ingredients, making this a cruelty-free, vegan company. The modern organic range includes body scrubs to keep your skin looking fresh and healthy from the first use.
The global cosmetic industry is dominated by a handful of century-old multinationals. Industry reports value the global cosmetics industry in the tens of billions of dollars and right here in Dubai is a beauty blogger the New York Times says could be the world’s most influential. Huda Kattan, with her 20 million Instagram followers (check @hudabeauty) and more than 100 million YouTube video views is a social-media phenomenon.
Perhaps one of the most well-known local brands, Ripe Organic arguably kicked off the organic food trend in the UAE. From its farm, it provides fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs to people across the country. You can order everything from produce to dairy, local honey and gluten-free goodies, and get delivery to your door or visit one of the pop-up markets.
Herbal Essentials
Based in the UAE, Herbal Essentials is a skincare brand which sources natural ingredients from around the world, derived from the concepts of Ayuverda to create products that help your skin ‘heal itself’. Bestsellers include a papaya and honey face mask and cucumber and rose water toner.
Forget about imported chains: the Blacksmith Coffee Company at NYUAD is owned and operated by an Abu Dhabian – an NYUAD alumnus, to be exact – with a passion for a good brew. The flagship café on Saadiyat Island is popular with students as well as coffee lovers looking for a caffeine hit. The décor is spacious and modern: a sleek black bar, slate tiled flooring and minimalist grey and oak furniture.
In a world where globalisation means massive franchises with little charm, these UAE-based businesses are offering something unique.
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