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Sashaying down the catwalk at Armani Pavilion, vertically Dhanusha Gokulan / 22 January 2014 The first vertical catwalk, as part of the DSF, was held when Etoile’s La Boutique unveiled their spring/ summer 2014 collections amid a crowd of fashion bloggers, socialites and members of the media. A blend of fashion and innovative ideas … models at the Vertical Catwalk at Burj Khalifa. —KT photos by Rahul Gajjar When you hear of an event such as the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) ‘Vertical Catwalk’ at the Armani Pavilion, Burj Khalifa, the image that comes to you would be of models sashaying down the tallest building in the world in designer outfits. The special, invite-only event did not necessarily disappoint. There was a fashion show, there were spring/summer designer outfits, and it had acrobats performing acts 30 metres above the ground. Not necessarily in the same order. The first vertical catwalk, as part of the month-long festivities of the DSF took place on Monday, January 20 when Etoile’s La Boutique unveiled their spring/ summer 2014 collections amid a crowd of fashion bloggers, socialites and members of the media at the Armani Pavilion, located at the base of the Burj Khalifa. Though several of the attendees expected the models to catwalk on the runway after descending from the building, the simultaneous display of fashion and acrobatics was indeed interesting. Strung on harnesses, men and women in silver and gold cat-suits descended over the building walking, spinning, and dancing to catchy tunes. “The trick is to tilt the runway by 90 degrees in the vertical direction and sometimes, we get the aerial dancers to wear the designer clothing and walk, but here however, we decided to have a normal fashion show and a vertical dance,” said Suhaila Gobash, Director of Festival and Events, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment. Organised by a German entertainment company that specialises in aerial acrobatics, eh showbox is not new to high-rises and walking on glass buildings with the support of harnesses. Etienne Herr, Founder and CEO of eh showbox, said they are not new to the UAE, and they have performed in Abu Dhabi in 2010. A total of six acrobats and 10 models performed at the event. “This is our first time in Dubai and working on the project was fun. It wasn’t extremely challenging for us because the standard climb height is about 20 to 30 meters,” said Etienne in an interview with Khaleej Times. Apart from vertical fashion shows, the company also performs vertical sports like football, tennis and several other dance routines. Herr who was eyeing the Burj Khalifa said: “Performing over this building would be the real challenge for us.” Gobash added: “The idea started after the success of the Metro fashion Show last year and we decided to do something path-breaking and different this year. We wanted a sort of ‘fashion landmark’ in Dubai and involve the many retailers who’ve always supported the festival. After several brain-storming sessions, we put them together to create a blend of fashion, Dubai, and innovative ideas.” When asked about future plans Gobash said that the department has a reached a certain height of success with this event today and, “we will have to go back to the office and think what next.” The company, eh showbox, will be performing outside the Dubai Mall till January 26. The timings are 6.15, 7.45, and 9.45 pm. dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Taylor Scott International
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