Dubai’s hopes of establishing itself as a creative and commercial hub came one step closer with the founding of the Dubai Design & Fashion Council last summer. By royal decree, some of the industry’s sharpest minds have been brought together to set the city on a course to domestic success and international competitiveness. Nez Gebreel, the new chief executive of DDFC, founded London’s Noon Art Gallery in London and Dubai and has worked with the likes of Amnesty International, David and Victoria Beckham and Roland Mouret. Here she shares the ambitions of the entity and explains why managing expectations is the biggest challenge ahead.
What’s on the council’s to-do list this year?
Some key initiatives like the Dubai School of Design. I have 15 board members, the best in the business, and I’ve split them into subcommittees around key initiatives. For example, Ali Jaber, Group TV Director of MBC is the leader of the school, which we’re looking to open in 2016. We’re also looking to develop an incubator, a facility encompassing all the mentorships, internships and whatever else the community needs for us to support them. This will be run by Iyad Malas, chief executive of MAF Holding.
Will the incubator also include start-up funds for emerging designers, access to angel investors etc?
We’re reaching out to the design community and asking them what they need. As well as funding, a lot of it is around education. Many designers have an amazing product, they’ve been running their business for years and they want to go to the next level aren’t sure how. When you ask for their business plan, they often don’t have one. So it can be as basic as that need.
Original article by Rebecca McLaughlin-Duane
Continue reading at The National:
Dubai Design & Fashion Council CEO reveals her wish list
Comments
Facebook
Twitter
Contact
Elan.tv
Comments