“This is an international show,” said Fiera di Vicenza managing director Corrado Facco less than an hour after opening the doors to the inaugural VicenzaOro Dubai show at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). “This is not an Italian show. This is not a local show.”
A collaboration between Fiera and the DWTC, the four-day fair, which runs April 23–26, comprises more than 500 brands from 20 countries, with the heaviest representation coming from Italy, the UAE, and India, thanks to a partnership with the Gem & Jewellery Promotion Council of India (GJEPC). “Gold is in the DNA of the Indian citizen as it is in the Arab world,” said GJEPC vice chairman Pankaj Parekh, explaining the group’s natural fit with VicenzaOro Dubai. The show boasts registered buyers from 75 countries.
Day 1 kicked off with much fanfare, beginning with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting—His Highness Sheikh Hasher Bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, director general of Dubai department of information, did the honors, then acquired quite an entourage as he walked the show floor—and ending with a Le Vian Fashion Show, which featured models clad literally head (earrings) to toe (shoes) in Le Vian designs. CEO Eddie LeVian—clearly over the moon about his brand’s official Dubai debut—called it a “historic” day.
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