Fashion Forward Dubai has selected UAE-based social commerce platform Zbooni as its technology partner to enable “shop-now” buying at its next four-day edition, taking place at Dubai Design District (d3) from 30 October until 2 November. This digital transformation takes place as part of Fashion Forward’s innovation agenda, showcasing on-season collections from international and regional independent designers that will be immediately shoppable.
Utilizing Zbooni’s unique software and “assisted checkout” technology, regional and global consumers can shop the catwalk looks, designer presentations, and accessories as showcased at Fashion Forward Dubai.
The Fashion Forward Dubai x Zbooni collaboration creates the region’s first-ever fully shoppable fashion week, delivering a virtually cashless marketplace that allows customers to engage directly with the participating designers. The ‘shop-now’ digital platform will enable real-time sales to be completed at Fashion Forward Dubai and beyond via messaging services such as WhatsApp, which will be linked to a highly secure credit card payment gateway.
“All our show offerings are now entirely shoppable from a fashion buyer’s mobile phone,” said Bong Guerrero, CEO and Co-Founder of Fashion Forward Dubai.
“The conduit to immediate and actual consumer sales has been the missing link across global fashion platforms, mainly due to the role that social media has played in democratizing the traditional off-season fashion week. Fashion Forward Dubai is innovating to address this challenge. This new partnership underscores Fashion Forward Dubai’s commitment to innovation in achieving our designer’s retail objectives, in a seamless, convenient and engaging way. Building relationships between shoppers and designers help create a customised experience while giving independent brands access to vital new buying audiences,” Bong Guerrero added.
Fashion Forward Dubai’s new ‘shop-now’ capabilities are key items of discussion with the regional and international designers currently applying to take part in the next edition, from 30 October – 2 November. The four-day event will feature catwalk shows, individual designer presentations, and an accessories showcase, all of which highlight new looks from both established and emerging designers.
“Fashion Forward Dubai will help highlight the capabilities of Zbooni’s technology in a live, real-time fashion event, and given the social media and connected elements of Fashion Forward Dubai, it’s an ideal environment to link designers and shoppers through our platform,” said Ramy Assaf, co-founder and chief executive of Zbooni.
“We provide Fashion Forward Dubai’s participating designers with a virtual point of sale and checkout that can be dispatched over WhatsApp – with a payment gateway built in, meaning that they have a complete retail solution to take orders on the same day that they unveil their collections.”
With a reported 20,000+ merchants across the Middle East and North Africa, the social e-commerce platform has proven to be a relevant solution to both sellers and end-customers. Fashion Forward Dubai’s participating designers will have a tried-and-trusted platform to offer same-day purchasing opportunities to the thousands of anticipated attendees, giving them a shopping experience that is both engaging and effortless.
