November 30th, 2014: Students and faculty with a passion for fashion have heard from experts in the field on the 'language' of style, at a special event hosted by Canadian University Dubai (CUD).
The workshop welcomed speakers including Nick Seruwagi , HR Lead at Dentsu Aegis Network - Middle East and North Africa; and Valentina Sommacal from the Italian Association for Women in Development (AIDOS), to explore everything from the importance of dressing the part when venturing out into the business world, to the link between fashion and philanthropy.
Reflecting on his own love affair with style, Nick Seruwagi talked to students about the importance of creating the right impression when dressing for an interview, but also retaining an individual sense of style when doing so.
Nick said that he follows a simple set of rules when it comes to fashion: Live it, focus on how you want to look, window-shop for style and most importantly, be yourself, be different and stand out from the crowds.
Valentina Sommacal gave a fascinating talk on AIDOS' experience in promoting the establishment of women-led micro enterprises in the field of fashion and design in developing countries, using the collaboration between AIDOS and the Italian brand Carmina Campus - established by the famous fashion designer Ilaria Venturini Fendi - as an example of how fashion and philanthropy can and does work.
Carmina Campus operates according to the principles of sustainability and social inclusion. It relies on recycled materials to create artistic bags and accessories, designed and produced in Italy and Africa with local expertise. Carmina Campus has produced a line of 97 bags, all unique pieces, to support AIDOS' campaign 'Stop Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)'; a collaboration that highlights the importance of fashion to promote advocacy and awareness on pressing social issues.
The event concluded with a colourful display of designer dresses from the UAE's first online luxury dress service, Designer 24 - presented by its co-founder and CEO, Sara Alemzadeh, and modelled by CUD students and faculty.
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