The Milan-based fashion house’s collection featured intricate evening gowns in vibrant shades of pink, yellow, orange and blue Dolce & Gabbana even rolled out the red carpet for Bahrain’s Sheikha Dana Al-Khalifa during the label’s show at Milan Fashion Week in September DUBAI: Dolce & Gabbana’s first runway show in the Middle East was a colorful event to remember as a glamorous crowd descended on The Dubai Mall on Sunday night to take in the spectacle. The show, presented by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, was called “Day & Night” and saw more than 120 models fly in especially for the event. The Milan-based fashion house’s collection featured intricate evening gowns in vibrant shades of pink, yellow, orange and blue. Some designs boasted arabesque motifs in a nod to the surroundings. Masculine, sporty looks also featured in the showcase, with models taking to the catwalk in a range of sharp tuxedos. Models took to the runway in an array of elaborate floral headpieces, not to be outdone by heavily embellished dresses and abayas with intricate, mosaic-like beadwork and a healthy amount of frilled chiffon and quirky prints. The accompanying music got onlookers in the mood as a classical band played a mix of popular current and old school tracks while the models strutted down a grey runway. Meanwhile, Lebanese fashion bloggers Karen Wazen and Lana El-Sahely were spotted at the event, along with a host of other regional influencers. “We love Dubai very much. We are extremely excited to come back. It is a dynamic city with thousands of attractions: You’re able find everything you want. It is a modern and cosmopolitan metropolis where you can shop for spices, fabrics, carpets, typical objects... everything we love,” Gabbana said in a statement released before the show, according to Grazia Middle East magazine. “We have just opened a boutique in The Dubai Mall that reflects what we are, our identity. There’s a bit of everything, the black of the marbles, the gold, the precious damask fabrics we adore. This space is an interpretation of our soul, with the dream-like atmosphere and warm colors of the Middle East,” Dolce added. In March, Dolce & Gabbana, which was founded in 1985, opened its flagship store in the mall and the designers spared no expense in celebrating by transforming the shop into a red-white-and-green shopper’s paradise in honor of its Italian roots, for Sunday’s event. Before the eagerly anticipated show, Dolce & Gabbana flooded its social-media feeds with beautifully shot short videos of Dubai — from its rolling sand dunes to the city’s traditional spice souks. The videos were complemented by Arabian-style soundtracks and captioned “Dubai” in Arabic script. It isn’t the first time the high-end brand has shown love for the city. In March, to coincide with its Dubai Mall opening, it released a campaign featuring fashion influencers from around the Arab world posing in unexpected locations across Dubai, including the city’s Old Souk. Saudi Arabian model and designer Tamara Al-Gabbani took part in the campaign and was photographed wearing a long dress printed with clutches of white flowers — one of Dolce & Gabbana’s most recognizable prints. The savvy fashion house has focused on modest wear and the Middle Eastern market in recent years, with collections dedicated to Muslim women, including a line of embellished abayas and long dresses. Dolce & Gabbana even rolled out the red carpet for Bahrain’s Sheikha Dana Al-Khalifa during the label’s show at Milan Fashion Week in September, offering the well-known royal fashion blogger the chance to walk the runway in an ankle-length dress with an oversized red flower pinned in her dark hair.