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A fashion auction helped to raise more than Dh120,000 for the Special Care Centre, a charity catering for the needs of mentally and physically handicapped children.
The money was raised by a group of 14 to 16-year-old girls from Shaikh Zayed Private Academy (SZPA) who sold their collection at Abu Dhabi Fashion Week. The four-day event, which ended on Tuesday, brought together international designers including Pucci and Missoni as well as a group of local talent.
But it was the young rising stars such as those from SZPA who stole the show —not for their unprecedented charitable move but because of their innovative designs which later prompted a heated auction.
Ensembles for sale
Almost all of the students' outfits went under the hammer on the closing night of Abu Dhabi Fashion Week in the gardens of Emirates Palace. A total of 25 ensembles were for sale.
A student from SZPA, Fatima Al Qubaisi, explained there was a special area for ladies only to see the designs as well as a mixed section, and auctions for both were going on simultaneously.
The outfits, she said, were shown off on models, not mannequins, who walked across the catwalk which was extended to the ladies section.
The auction for each outfit began at a Dh1,000, she added.
The owner of the dress that attracted the highest bid at Dh19,000, was 15-year old Hind Eissa.
"My dress had an Arabian style and was blue,” she said. "I was inspired by butterflies. It's a simple gown with original Swarovski crystals around the bust.” The dress cost her around Dh2,000 to make, she added.
The teenager explained that creating clothes is part of her design course at the academy.
"For students as young as us to take part in an international fashion week is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity which will hopefully pave the way for aspiring designers,” she says.
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