Christopher Bailey hosts event celebrating Art of the Trench in the Middle East

12.04.2016

Burberry Chief Creative and Chief Executive Officer Christopher Bailey hosted an event in Dubai tonight to celebrate the creative communities in the Middle East and the brand's latest Art of the Trench project.

Held at the Burberry Mall of the Emirates store, the event was attended by over 400 guests including British Burberry model Suki Waterhouse and the Art of the Trench cast Elisa Sednaoui, Ali Jaber, Mohammed Saeed Harib, Dana Malhas, Nina Abdel Malak, Bin Baz, Nez Gebreel, Sunny Rahbar, Ascia AKF, Anas and Harith Bukhash, Wonho Chung, Tarik Zaharna, Basil Al Hadi, Nikki Meftah and Alamira Noor Bani Hashim, with a live DJ set by British musician Gary Powell.

Guests at the event were also able to see at first hand the craftsmanship that goes into making some of the brand's most iconic products through live demonstrations from the craftswomen of Castleford, Yorkshire where the iconic Burberry Trench Coat is made. A 'Personalised for You' experience also showed how products including Trench Coats, bags, scarves and fragrances can be monogrammed with up to three initials.

These Personalisation services will be available to customers in Mall of the Emirates from 13 to 20 April and in The Dubai Mall from 16 to 20 April.

Live Art of the Trench shoot on Snapchat

In the latest chapter of the brand's activity on Snapchat, Burberry captured Art of the Trench content live on the platform - a first for the brand.

Content from the shoot and footage of Burberry Family members and Art of the Trench cast members Suki Waterhouse, Ascia AKF, Ahmad ASB, Nina Abdel Malak and Bin Baz in Dubai, is live on the platform.

Burberry and the Royal College of Art - Middle East

In recognition of Burberry's commitment to supporting and nurturing young creative talent, the brand will be extending its existing partnership with the Royal College of Art to include activity in the Middle East, offering an 'Inspiring Creatives' Masterclass for local students in October 2016 featuring presentations and a question and answer session from one of Burberry's leading design team members.

Art of the Trench Middle East

Shot across the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and in the cities of Los Angeles and London, the full set of Art of the Trench images is available to view across global platforms including the Burberry Tumblr page, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest and Sina Weibo. As part of the event, the store showcased a gallery of the images featuring 50 of the region's creative pioneers from the world of film, design, media, fashion, food, sport, business, music and entertainment.

Notes to editors

'Personalised For You'

  • Burberry's travelling in store experience, presenting the brand's most iconic designs and showcasing the expert craftsmanship behind them.
  • In store personalisation experiences which will be available to customers in Mall of the Emirates from 12 to 20 April and in The Dubai Mall from 16 to 20 April include:
    • The Heritage Trench Coat- skilled craftswomen from Castleford in Yorkshire, the home of the Burberry Heritage trench coat, demonstrate the most detailed parts of the construction of the iconic design by hand, with the option for customers to monogram their own with two letters in hand-applied goldwork cording.
    • The Scarf Bar- monogramming of made-in-Scotland Burberry scarves, available in a selection of colours and prints.
    • Signature Bags- the hand-painting of initials on signature Burberry bags including The Banner Bag, The Belt Bag, The Buckle Bag, The Saddle Bag, The Satchel and The Barrow Bag.
    • Mr Burberry & My Burberry- 90ml bottles of My Burberry Eau de Parfum and the brand's latest fragrances for men, Mr Burberry, available for monogramming with up to three initials.
    • The Gift Collection- products from the brand's Regent Street gifting collection are available for immediate personalisation, with debossing carried out by monogramming experts from Burberry's global flagship in London.
    • Gift Packaging- wrapping of all Burberry gifts using the brand's iconic honey coloured packaging and a wide selection of exclusive ribbons.

Art of the Trench

  • Art of the Trench is a celebration of the iconic Burberry trench coat and the people who wear it. The concept invites people to submit portraits of themselves wearing their trench coats across the Middle East to feature on the site, which has had over 25 million page views from users in the over 221 countries since launching in 2009.
  • Burberry has previously shot Art of the Trench in Brazil, Chicago, Chengdu, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Kiev, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai and Taipei.

Art of the Trench Middle East

  • 50 of the region's creative pioneers from the world's of film, design, media, fashion, food, sport, business, music and entertainment were captured wearing their iconic trench coats in locations throughout the region and key global cities.
  • Emirati animator Mohammed Saeed Harib, musician Hamdan Abri and entrepreneurs Alamira Noor Bani Hashim and Buthaina Al Muzrai, Egyptian/Italian influencer Elisa Sednaoui and artist Youssef Nabil, Lebanese broadcast journalist Ali Jaber and TV personality Raya Abirached, Palestinian style influencers Sama and Haya Abu Khadra, Iranian art gallery founder Sunny Rahbar, Saudi film producer Haifaa Al Mansour, Kuwaiti art influencer Sheikha Lulu Al Sabah, Qatari entrepreneur Khalifa Al Misnad, Bahraini fashion influencer Dana Al Khalifa, Palestinian architect Tarik Zaharna, Jordanian fashion designer Nafsika Skourti, Emirati cultural influencer Butheina H Kazim, entrepreneurs Anas and Harith Bukhash, businesswoman Elissa Freiha, Saudi-Palestinian fashion influencer Dana Malhas, Iranian gallery owner Sanaz Askari, Syrian photographer Sara Naim and Iraqi/British visual artist Athier Mousawi are among those captured for the project wearing their made-in-England heritage trench coats, as well as seasonal styles in lace, silk, leather and technical fabrics.

Burberry and Snapchat

  • Shooting the first Burberry Art of the Trench Snapchat campaign is the latest in a series of innovative activations on the platform.
  • Earlier this month as part of the Mr Burberry fragrance launch, Burberry became the first ever luxury brand to have a dedicated experience in the Discover section of the platform. The Mr. Burberry Discover channel offered users to access a wealth of style and fragrance content, including tailoring and grooming tips. Snapchatters who scan the Burberry Snapcode found at point-of-sale within select retailers will be able to view the channel post launch.
  • In October 2015, Burberry became the first brand to shoot and publish its advertising campaign live through Snapchat.
  • In September 2015, Burberry and Snapchat announced the first ever Snapchat Show, inviting Burberry followers globally to see a preview of the collection the day before the official runway show. Looks from the collection were shared live as finishing touches were being made in Burberry's headquarters in London - an industry, platform and brand first.
  • In April 2015, Burberry shared the entire journey of its 'London in Los Angeles' event on the platform, including surprise appearances by Burberry family members Cara Delevingne, Naomi Campbell and Jourdan Dunn. The platform also revealed real-time content from the event including live arrivals on the red carpet and front row reactions.
  • Burberry debuted on Snapchat in February 2015, when it captured key live moments from its Autumn/Winter 2015 Womenswear show.

About Gary Powell

  • Gary Powell is a British DJ and drummer for the band The Libertines.
  • Gary previously performed a live DJ set at the Burberry Shanghai event 'Dreams of London' in April 2014, and most recently accompanied Benjamin Clementine on drums to provide the live soundtrack to the Burberry January 2016 Show.

Burberry and The Royal College of Art (RCA)

  • The Burberry and RCA activity in Dubai builds on the current Burberry Design Scholarship fund, set up in 2012 to support RCA students through their education and provide them with the tools to succeed in their careers.

Burberry in the Middle East

  • Burberry currently has 31 retail stores (including concessions) in the Middle East, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah and Doha.
  • Burberry opened its latest store in Dubai International Airport's Concourse D in March 2016, offering an assortment tailored to the travelling consumer.
  • 'Burberry Middle East' is operated through a joint venture partnership formed in 2008 that oversees 21 stores (including concessions) across the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar.
  • 'Burberry Kingdom of Saudi Arabia' is operated through a joint venture partnership formed in 2011 that oversees 10 stores (including concessions)

Burberry Mall of the Emirates flagship store

  • Opened in April 2015, the flagship store is the largest in the UAE and offers a dynamic and luxurious new brand destination for the region.
  • The space showcases the full range of Burberry's collections in an environment where physical and digital worlds come together to create the best possible brand experience

About Burberry

  • Established in 1856, Burberry is a global British luxury brand with a heritage of innovation, craftsmanship and design.
  • The Burberry business comprises 5 divisions: menswear, womenswear, childrenswear, accessories and beauty
  • Burberry is headquartered in London and listed on the London Stock Exchange (BRBY.L), Burberry is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index
  • Visit www.burberry.com for further information

Burberry Group plc issued this content on 12 April 2016 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 13 April 2016 12:29:06 UTC

Original Document: http://www.burberryplc.com/media_centre/press_releases/2016/christopher_bailey_hosts_event_celebrating_art_of_the_trench_in_the_middle_east