• Dubai Design District (d3) hosts second training program for London College of Fashion from 12-27 May 2016
• Growth in the MENA fashion sector will expand by CAGR 6.1%
• Mohammad Saeed Al Shehhi, the Chief Operating Officer of d3 said: “We seek to provide the necessary training to develop local talent to support the growth of the design industry

Dubai, February 7th, 2016 – d3 is an established home to designers, artists and creative thinkers who are committed to playing an active role in the realisation of Dubai’s Fashion 2020 strategy and the Emirate’s vision to transform into an innovation-led economy. d3 has initiated its creative program to nurture local talent during this year by welcoming the University of the Arts London (UAL) incorporating London College of Fashion (LCF) and Chelsea College of Arts (CCA) as they delivered their latest the first series of short course programmes for regional design talent.

Since its official launch in April 2015, d3 organised a number of education initiatives, which to date have included panel discussions, international talent exchange and mentorship opportunities, and will expand these in 2016 to include a growing number of formal programmes and partnerships with major international players.

UAL has put together a schedule of short-courses designed to introduce people to many aspects of the design and fashion industries, and to give complete beginners a taste of what a career in design could look like. 

The subjects offered include starting and managing fashion brands; interior design, fashion styling, drawing, and design; and visual merchandising.
Mohammad Saeed Al Shehhi, the Chief Operating Officer of d3 said: “d3 is proud to host programmes from esteemed international educational institutions such as UAL. Our collaboration with such a highly reputed educational partner is in line with our vision to help nurture the younger talent, promote d3’s position as a hub for design and innovation, pushing creativity forward, and drive and develop the design sector for the benefit of the wider economy.”

“The recent MENA Design Study compiled by Dubai Design and Fashion Council in collaboration with d3 estimates that fashion in the MENA region is expected to grow between 2013 and 2017 at a CAGR of 6.1%.In addition, the report found that the UAE leads the region in terms of apparel revenue accounting for 28.3% of market share, followed by KSA at 16.8%. Our education initiatives aim to equip young talent with necessary skills to support this growth”.

“By welcoming a wide range of local and regional students from all subsectors of the design industry, d3 is on the right path to becoming an established destination for design education and community development.”

Barbara Bell, Business Manager, London College of Fashion said:
“We are thrilled to be able to offer a selection of our short courses in Dubai, and especially excited to be collaborating with d3.  We have been coming to the region for 5 years, but this is our first time in d3, and this feels like the perfect home for UAL.  The students have been very positive about our move to d3, and we are looking forward to bringing out more courses to them on a regular basis.”

Amal Salameh, student participating in the LCF course, said:
“d3 continues to build a forward-thinking culture within its dynamic hub, and is bringing awareness of fashion and arts education.  I am thrilled to join a short course with LCF this year, which is an educational journey for my portfolio”.