Dubai 'lauds' Market OTB festival

Dubai's latest fashion festival - Market Outside the Box (OTB) - has received rave reviews. 

Billed as the region's first sustainable fashion and lifestyle event, it was launched on January 23rd and will run until February 1st. So far visitors and retailers have been very enthusiastic about its success. 

It is one of the highlights of the Dubai Shopping Festival, which also sees the hosting of 177 raffles in January, offering consumers the chance to win life-changing prizes such as cars, gold and money. 

As part of the Market OTB, which is taking place at Burj Park, sustainably produced fashion labels are on show, alongside artisan accessory stores, online boutiques, art galleries and organic food cafes. 

Sidrah Zahid, co-owner of home accessories maker Aina, said Dubai has never seen an event of this type before. 'There's an amazing energy and a very diverse crowd. For independent retailers it's a great opportunity to grow our appeal among a whole new target audience,' she added.

Retailers have been enthusiastic about Market OTB, as they believe it gives them an opportunity to introduce shoppers to underground brands they might not otherwise have considered. 

In particular, they like the fact young families are attending, as this means they can reach a bigger audience than usual. 

However, Market OTB is about much more than clothes, as there are also arts and crafts workshops where children and adults can learn useful skills and get creative with a range of materials. On top of this, live music by talented local artists, a skate ramp for skaters and bikers and a Yoga market are also available.

The green concept behind the festival is what sets it apart from many other events taking place in Dubai, while it also offers consumers an open-air shopping experience for those interested in non-mass produced sustainable fashion and lifestyle products.