The Middle East is home to one of the world's youngest and richest populations. In 2016 Arab consumers spent $320 billion on luxury fashion. For brands to capitalise, an understanding of cultural values is essential. Who is this luxury-loving cohort and what makes a brand a 'must have'?
Not every woman wants to wear crop tops and miniskirts – many would prefer to dress more demurely. But that doesn’t mean settling for bland, shapeless garments. The Modist is a luxury marketplace for modest fashion, appealing to those who want to cover up for faith or out of personal choice.
The halal lifestyle market has been steadily evolving, moving beyond its traditional remit of food and finance, and into the worlds of fashion, cosmetics, dating and intimacy. In the second of a two-part report, we look at how brands are navigating these sectors with Muslims in mind.
Spending on beauty in Saudi Arabia and the UAE totalled nearly $6.85 billion in 2015, with Euromonitor predicting that it’s only going to increase in 2016. It’s seen the Middle East and Africa overtake Latin America, emerging as the world’s fastest growing beauty and personal care market.
Shopping is the leisure pursuit of choice in the UAE. People stroll around in malls, buy online and travel to Dubai for the sales during the Dubai Shopping Festival. But extravagant spending comes with consequences, and with many women not working, saving is increasingly difficult.