Dubai Shopping Festival dazzles shoppers with first ever ‘Fashion on Ice’ show at The Dubai Mall

Models wearing Galeries Lafayette’s avant-garde collection deliver spellbinding performance on skates

On Sunday 17^th January, the ice rink at The Dubai Mall was transformed into a magical arena for the first ever “Fashion on Ice” performance, as part of the Dubai Shopping Festival’s “Unwrap The Best of Style” experience.

This unique experience featured 20 professional ice-skaters who enthralled a huge number of shoppers as they modelled the avant-garde collection presented by Galeries Lafayette.  

Mood lighting and special effects on the ice coupled with a compelling soundtrack complimented the grace and acrobatics from an outstanding troupe of ice dancers as they put on a truly world class display.

For the 21^st edition of DSF, the organisers of the festival, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) , an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM),  have been encouraging leading retailers  to deliver more unique experiences to their customers through activation workshops, as part of the Apparel and Fashion Theme.

The ‘Fashion on Ice’ was one such unique concept  developed as a partnership between DSF and Galeries Lafayette which included meticulous planning in the choreographed dance and fashion show.

Galeries Lafayette presented apparel from various designer collections such as Atelier Du Luxe, Poca & Poca, Jessica, Derhy, Karen Millen, The Emperor, Z Zegna, Karl Lagerfeld, Moschino Kids, Kenzo Kids, Poca & Poca Petite, Pinko, Sandro, Armani Jeans, Diesel and Galeries Lafayette Collection for Women,  Men  and Children.  Creative sequences of ice-skating revolved round a story called ‘A Journey from Arctic to Dubai.’ 

Accordingly the show began with a wintry feel and spectators were taken to a fantasy winter wonderland through powerful moving video projections of snowflakes, icicles and endless white landscapes onto the ice rink. The coldness of the winter scene was magnified by the icy blue lighting effects and the ‘snowfall’ as ice-skating models, including two little girls, emerged to perform a festive opening number.

The winter scene quickly melted away into a water world with  video projections on the ice  of gigantic whales, dolphins and fish that appeared to swim with abandon on the ice rink. The scene took on an ethereal feel as tranquil voices of dolphins were heard as part of the music sequence. The ice-skaters danced within the shapes of the sea creatures, often casting long shadows and adding to the drama of being in the deep sea.

From the sea the show moved on to  a bright, colourful and playful performance reflected by  the dance movements of the ice-skaters who indulged in lively ice-skate spins, jumps and waist lifts.

A Dubai scene quickly followed, opening with an Emirati song which when translated to English, said, “Welcome to Dubai” – reflecting  the vibrancy of shopping in Dubai this DSF. Images of Dubai’s iconic skyline, Sheikh Zayed Road as well as the tracks of Dubai metro became the projected background on which the ice-skaters posed to show off their apparel.

The ensemble performance culminated in one graceful dancer appearing to join the full ice dancing cast dressed in fuchsia and snow-white tulle plumes to provide a dramatic and fashionable conclusion to the show.

Fashion on Ice received sustained applause from the packed audience and demonstrated once more that DSF is more than just shopping. It is about bringing people together to experience a variety of unexceptional performances, shows live it out in heart-centred style.