Dubai is literally a shopper\'s paradise for fashion wear and designer wear. It has in excess of sixty shopping centres and a great many souks which all offer consumers an incredible choice of items at competitive prices. Dubai is a haven for well-dressed, with all the malls housing a high concentration of clothes shops. Whether you are a designer diva or a bargain babe, in Dubai it is nearly impossible to have a ‘bad shopping day’ where you leave tired, but empty-handed. Not only is the range of clothes amazing, but several times a year there are sweeping sales where you’ll end up paying so little for a designer frock that you might as well buy two!
When only the very best will do, the Boulevard at Emirates Towers is the place. Having chosen the creation to be seen in, be it by Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Marni or Prada, the selection of Lulu Guinness bags and Jimmy Choo shoes will enable you to complete your ensemble without having to venture beyond this enclave of exclusivity. Saks Fifth Avenue in BurJuman, and Harvey Nichols in Mall of the Emirates, are both worth a visit (or many visits!) to bag yourself some cutting-edge couture. Via Rodeo, also at Mall of the Emirates, houses outlets for Dolce & Gabbana, Emporio Armani and Versace, among others. Other designer names that you’ll see as you scour Dubai’s many shopping malls include Karen Millen, Kenneth Cole, Calving Klein, Donna Karan, Hugo Boss, Paul Smith, Ralph Lauren and Christian Lacroix. Dubai’s most exclusive malls, BurJuman and Wafi City have designer labels in abundance in their many exclusive boutiques. The Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Festival City and Dubai Mall are the ‘big daddies’ of shopping malls, outstripping the competition in terms of space, much of which is filled with designer names.
For everyday clothing, the choice is unlimited. Debenhams, Marks & Spencer, H&M, Zara, Woolworths (the South African one, not the UK one), Mango, Promod, River Island, Top Shop, Massimo Dutti, Monsoon, Next... the list goes on and on, and these all have more than one branch around Dubai. If you have designer tastes but a limited budget, the Designers at Debenhams range is an exclusive selection of men’s and women’s clothing from Jasper Conran, Pearce Fionda and John Rocha. If you are into street chic, Five Greenwill be a regular hangout – every corner of this unique space is dedicated to cutting-edge clothing, art and music. For something a little different, you can get beautiful hand-crafted fabrics and traditional Indian clothing at Fabindiaon Al Mankhool Road.
Maktoum Road (between the Clock Tower Roundabout and Al Khaleej Palace Hotel) is lined with stores selling men’s designer clothing, and there are also plenty of options inside the Twin Towers Mall in Deira. There are a couple of suit shops along Diyafah Street in Satwa. Of course, most of the shops loved by ladies also have excellent men’s sections, such as Debenhams, Marks & Spencer, Next, Zara and Massimo Dutti.
Counterfeits and Knock- downs
The Karama Market is popular for counterfeits and knock downs of all popular fashion brands usually made in China and other South East Asian countries. It is perhaps the main contender for bargain shopping in Dubai: rows and rows of shops selling designer labels, both the genuine article and some quite convincing knock-offs. There’s also some pretty awful tat on offer and some of the clothing could well make even a ‘lady of the night’ blush.
For Bargain Hunters
Bargain hunters will love Dubai for the choice is huge. Try Sana Fashions, Carrefour, Hyperpanda, Lulu and Géant for really good bargains – they receive regular deliveries of factory seconds and retailer overruns, and there are plenty of well-known brands available if you get there early, such as Gap, George and Cherokee. The Studio R factory shop on Sheikh Zayed Road sells all the excess stock from its retail outlets at rock-bottom prices – it’s great for fashion as well as some good sports clothing. Lamcy Plaza is a real bargain-hunter’s mall... Mexx for Less, Peacocks and Factory Fashions (stocking overruns from Adams and Pumpkin Patch) are all excellent; as are Jennyfer and Mr Price.
Petite and Plus Sizes
If you are frequently frustrated by the regular sizes (UK 8 – 16) because clothes are always a little bit too big or a little bit too small, you will be relieved to know that retailers in Dubai are increasingly offering petite and plus-size lines. Petite ranges are available in Debenhams, Splash and Marks & Spencer, while Bhs, Debenhams, Liz Claiborne, Marks & Spencer, Splash and Woolworths all carry plus-size collections (look out for Evans in Debenhams and Scarlett’s in Splash). For more exclusive lines for the fuller figure, try Irene Sieber, Oui Plus and Samoon (all in Wafi), or Charisma in the Beach Centre in Jumeirah.
It’s not only women who are frustrated at not being able to find clothes that fit. Men looking for larger sizes should head to Big & Tall (397 3873) on Bank Street. They cater for waist sizes from 40 plus and shirts up to 6XL....
Shopping Haute Couture (High Fashion) in Dubai
Burjuman Centre, Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, The Village, Souk Madinat Jumeirah
Wafi Shopping Mall, Dubai Festival City, Mercato and The Boulevard-Emirates Towers
Carrefour, Cartoon Fashion, Century 2000, Cerruti, Chanel, Christian Lacroix, Calvin Klein, Coast, Custo Barcelona, Debenhams, Diesel, Donna Karan, Dorothy Perkins, Elle, Escada, Esprit, Etoile, Evans,Eve Michelle, Fabindia, Factory Fashions, FCUK , Five, Green, Fleurt, Forever 21,G2000,GAP,Géant,Gerry Webber, Giordano, Guess, H&M, Hang Ten, Harvey Nichols ,Hugo Boss, Jaeger, JC Penney ,Jennyfer, Karen Millen, Kookai, Lacoste, Levis, Levis Outlet, Liwa, Liz Clairborne, Mango, Marks & Spencer, Marlboro Classics, Massimo Dutti, Max, Mexx, Mexx for Less, Miss Sixty, Moka, Monsoon, Motivi, Mr Price, New Look, Next, Oasis, Oltre, Oui, Peacocks, Pierre Cardin, Polo Ralph Lauren, Promod, Pull & Bear, Replay, River Island, Rodeo Drive, Saks Fifth Avenue, Splash, Stradivarius, Ted Lapidus, Top Shop, Topman, Verri, Villa Moda, Wallis, Woodland, Woolworths, XOXO and Zara
Dubai Thrift Shops
Al Noor Thrift Shop (04 340 4844)
The centre is committed to helping children with special needs, from infancy to adulthood, and its goal is to integrate students into Dubai’s society.
Holy Trinity Thrift Store - Holy Trinity Church in Dubai (04 337 4947)
The Holy Trinity Thrift Centre has helped Dubai’s less advantaged for more than 20 years. Its doors are always open to people looking to donate items, or buy trinkets – with all money going to the charity. And the store welcomes books in excellent condition, small household goods (frames, lamps, pots, pans, kitchen utensils, ornaments), washed and ironed ladies, men’s and children’s clothes, bedding and curtains.
Dubai Flea Market (050 296 9680)
Driven by a desire to unite Dubai’s melting pot of nationalities, Melanie Beese – Dubai Flea Market’s founder – launched the first market in Safa park in April. The flea market is held under the motto ‘when children play, the world wins’ and part of the proceeds of the stand rentals go directly to the charity Right To Play. ‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure – never forget that,’ says Melanie, explaining that all manner of items were sold at the last market.
