Boulevard One, founded by Sadaf & Niti, is perhaps one of the most anticipated exhibitions to take place in Dubai playing host to some of the top designers of Pakistan. We got talking to the entrepreneurial duo and this is what we learned;
Tell us about your journey to establishing Boulevard One; when and how did it begin?
We both met at the Ranches Ladies committee five years back and we got along instantly! We had a common passion of bringing new designers to Dubai, creating niche & interesting events and bringing people together! That is what brought about the formation of Boulevard One. There was a common interest of fashion. We both found that there was a huge vacuum for that for the largest expat community, South Asians, of Dubai.
What can you tell us about the platform itself? Is it only for Pakistani designers to exhibit in Dubai or do you feel it serves a bigger purpose in connecting the fashion industry of the two countries? What are your thoughts?
The entire idea behind Boulevard One was to create a platform where designers around the region could interact and showcase their designs to an international market. Plus, South Asians being the largest expat in Dubai, it’s an ideal platform where women can enjoy buying directly from the designers. And it’s not only from Pakistan & India, we have had participating designers from Greece/Egypt/ England/ Lebanon & Sri Lanka.
Living away from your homeland; it sometimes gets difficult to shop for the latest trends from your country. Therefore, our exhibitions are curated with very stringent screenings by our team to make shopping a wholesome & convenient experience for women to remain up to date with current trends.
What is the ultimate guide to shopping at Boulevard One?
Don’t be afraid to try out names you’ve not heard before; you’ll be surprised by how many hidden treasures you’ll find!
What is one piece of advice you would give to potential designers who would like to exhibit at Boulevard One.
New designers are always nervous about the response they’ll get. So the advice we have for potential designers is : Don’t be afraid! It’s a great experience to interact with other designers and get your brand noticed on an international scale! Boulevard One, not only provides designers a platform for good sales but also gives them proper recognition internationally.
Any designer who has participated once, always comes back to exhibit again. There are many who have been exhibiting with us since we started. Boulevard One makes the experience for the designers a complete B2B experience.
From what we understand; Boulevard One has been based out of Dubai since its inception. Are there any future plans of foraying into other markets?
Yes! We are planning & taking the exhibition to other international markets soon. Stay tuned!
