Khatia Buniatishvili. Photo: Courtesy of Cartier

Under a fairy light dome embellished with the stars of the desert sky, Cartier invited a global community of artists and friends to a candlelit dinner on October 28. Held at the Sonara Camp at the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve ahead of the official inauguration ceremony of the Women’s Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, the dinner was hosted by Cyrille Vigneron, President & Chief Executive Officer of Cartier.

The luxurious Arabian evening, awash in soft golden hues, was attended by the four commissioned artists Laura Gonzalez, Nadine Labaki, Mélanie Laurent, and eLSeed, commemorating their role in the pavilion and female community.

Laura Gonzalez’s relationship with the brand stems back to her architectural efforts in developing Cartier boutiques. She designed the façade while also bringing eL Seed’s calligraffiti into the picture. As for Nadine Labaki, her simple and easy persona, combined with her feminist intellect made her an ideal candidate for the pavilion’s featured manifesto, “When women thrive, humanity thrives.” Mélanie Laurent’s contribution to the pavilion relates to her background in women’s empowerment and activism.

To mark this new milestone for the luxury fashion house, AMIRI hosted a launch party at the Aura Skypool located in the heart of Palm Jumeirah, Dubai. Live performances by Blondish, Abri, Shef Codes and Danny Aridi entertained guests throughout a night of fun and excitement.

The four-day extravaganza that is Fashion Forward Dubai comes to an end this evening, with a closing show by Amato. Founded in 2013 as a GCC-wide platform for emerging designers, FFWD was originally an ­industry-only event, but this year all shows and events have been open to the general public. After a self-imposed hiatus, this year's event has been an engaging display of the best talent in the region. With packed shows, long queues, striking street style and plenty of wonderful accessories on display, FFWD has proved itself to be as popular as ever.

Intricate beading, exquisite cuts and elaborate headdresses dominated on the Ezra runway; celebrity-favourite Michael Cinco delivered a sparkling display of Swan Lake-inspired gowns; and Lebanon's Roni Helou played with the idea of transparency in the fashion industry by setting up racks of clothing in the middle of the runway and inviting models to dress themselves in front of the audience. Here are some of the highlights.

In a celebration of all things green, eco-friendly and sustainable, the annual Down To Earth festival returns to Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai’s contemporary art museum, for an extended full weekend programme on November 26 and 27, offering a range of entertaining activities for all ages. The festival is presented with long term Community Partner, Dubai Holding and Sustainability Partners: Bee’ah and Hawa Water.