50 C, Business Bay , Dubai , 13/May/2010

Protégé of Jean-Paul Gaultier joins Esmod Dubai

Protégé of Jean-Paul Gaultier joins Esmod Dubai

New Associate Artistic & Creative Director to infuse avant garde haute couture expertise into students

Budding fashion designers in the Middle East now have an exclusive opportunity to learn from one of the best in the fashion business as the French Fashion University Esmod Dubai, the leading fashion school in the region, recently announced an agreement that will make Christophe Beaufays, Designer and Creative Assistant of world-renowned French haute couture fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, as Esmod Dubai's new Associate Artistic & Creative Director. Mr Beaufays will be mainly responsible for establishing the university's creative direction and ensuring that the creations of Esmod Dubai students are in tune with international fashion trends.

Mr. Beaufays, being part of world renowned designer Jean Paul Gaultier’s success, will also perform a host of other creative duties at Esmod Dubai, including art direction of the university's fashion shows; providing creative guidelines to students; developing their creativity and skills in style and model-making; working with teachers to achieve the director’s creative and quality objectives; as well as preparing students to become fashion leaders of the Middle East fashion industry. Jean Paul Gaultier is behind some of the most iconic fashion creations of the last ten years – Madonna’s infamous cone-bra for her ‘Blond Ambition’ Tour, Luc Besson’s ‘The Fifth Element’ costumes, and wardrobes of Marilyn Manson and Kylie Minogue to name just a few.

Commenting on his move to Dubai, Christophe Beaufays said: "Dubai has been acclaimed as the fashion hub of the Middle East and it gives me great pleasure to be associated with and be part of Dubai's continuing transformation into becoming a force to reckon with in the global fashion industry. I have a personal interest in the culture of this region and teaming up with Esmod Dubai, which is the leader in the fashion education domain in the Middle East, was only natural. I have actually been fascinated by the dynamism and vision of Esmod Dubai directors, and having discussed my ideas with them we have identified areas where we can enhance the learning experience and contribute to the creative development of the students. We are definitely moving in the right direction and I am sure that this collaboration will help produce a new generation of high-fashion luminaries from the Middle East.”

Tamara Hostal, Director and Founder, French Fashion University Esmod Dubai, said: "It has been our primary objective to continue to refine and enhance our specialised fashion courses and this is reaffirmed by the arrival of multi-awarded Christophe Beaufays as Esmod Dubai's Associate Artistic & Creative Director. Mr. Beaufays, who has been working in Paris with Gaultier, one of the most daring and influential designers of our times, has extensive experience not only as a professional fashion designer, but also as a lecturer in prestigious fashion schools at Parsons School of Design in New York and at the IFPME School in Liège, Belgium, and also as a jury member of exclusive shows and exhibitions. Being both a successful fashion designer and an educator makes him an invaluable addition to Esmod Dubai's distinguished team of fashion professors and consultants.”

“Moreover, the fact that Christophe Beaufays joins Esmod Dubai while continuing to be Jean-Paul Gaultier’s Creative Assistant, contributing in the creation of Gaultier’s globally acclaimed haute couture collections, makes this move all the more significant for us. To my knowledge, Esmod Dubai students are the only ones having the chance to develop their skills on a daily basis with a designer from a true avant garde brand in the fashion industry,” she added.

As Designer and Creative Assistant, Mr. Beaufays works directly with Gaultier in concept development, research and creations for haute couture collections; styling, fittings; and all kinds of experimentations on fabrics effects, volumes, draping and vintage shopping among others.

Mr. Beaufays's duties at Esmod Dubai include serving as program coordinator, infusing students with leading fashion trends, mentoring first and second year students, and monitoring their progress and achievements, while also being in charge of the third-year students’ final collections. Beaufays will also offer consultancy services to leading local fashion houses.

Esmod Dubai has been renowned for producing quality students, including Moza al Mazrou, who won the Splash Award last month and showcased her first collection during the Dubai Fashion Week. Al Mazrou studied fashion design and pattern drafting at Esmod Dubai. Since its inception in 2006, Esmod Dubai has been accommodating a steadily growing number of students in its mission to capitalise on the region’s booming fashion industry and the steady drift of the Middle Eastern consumer towards haute couture. The Dubai campus now embraces students from 47 different countries, of which over 40 per cent are GCC nationals and UAE locals.

Protégé of Jean-Paul Gaultier joins Esmod Dubai

Protégé of Jean-Paul Gaultier joins Esmod Dubai

New Associate Artistic & Creative Director to infuse avant garde haute couture expertise into students

Budding fashion designers in the Middle East now have an exclusive opportunity to learn from one of the best in the fashion business as the French Fashion University Esmod Dubai, the leading fashion school in the region, recently announced an agreement that will make Christophe Beaufays, Designer and Creative Assistant of world-renowned French haute couture fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, as Esmod Dubai's new Associate Artistic & Creative Director. Mr Beaufays will be mainly responsible for establishing the university's creative direction and ensuring that the creations of Esmod Dubai students are in tune with international fashion trends.

Mr. Beaufays, being part of world renowned designer Jean Paul Gaultier’s success, will also perform a host of other creative duties at Esmod Dubai, including art direction of the university's fashion shows; providing creative guidelines to students; developing their creativity and skills in style and model-making; working with teachers to achieve the director’s creative and quality objectives; as well as preparing students to become fashion leaders of the Middle East fashion industry. Jean Paul Gaultier is behind some of the most iconic fashion creations of the last ten years – Madonna’s infamous cone-bra for her ‘Blond Ambition’ Tour, Luc Besson’s ‘The Fifth Element’ costumes, and wardrobes of Marilyn Manson and Kylie Minogue to name just a few.

Commenting on his move to Dubai, Christophe Beaufays said: "Dubai has been acclaimed as the fashion hub of the Middle East and it gives me great pleasure to be associated with and be part of Dubai's continuing transformation into becoming a force to reckon with in the global fashion industry. I have a personal interest in the culture of this region and teaming up with Esmod Dubai, which is the leader in the fashion education domain in the Middle East, was only natural. I have actually been fascinated by the dynamism and vision of Esmod Dubai directors, and having discussed my ideas with them we have identified areas where we can enhance the learning experience and contribute to the creative development of the students. We are definitely moving in the right direction and I am sure that this collaboration will help produce a new generation of high-fashion luminaries from the Middle East.”

Tamara Hostal, Director and Founder, French Fashion University Esmod Dubai, said: "It has been our primary objective to continue to refine and enhance our specialised fashion courses and this is reaffirmed by the arrival of multi-awarded Christophe Beaufays as Esmod Dubai's Associate Artistic & Creative Director. Mr. Beaufays, who has been working in Paris with Gaultier, one of the most daring and influential designers of our times, has extensive experience not only as a professional fashion designer, but also as a lecturer in prestigious fashion schools at Parsons School of Design in New York and at the IFPME School in Liège, Belgium, and also as a jury member of exclusive shows and exhibitions. Being both a successful fashion designer and an educator makes him an invaluable addition to Esmod Dubai's distinguished team of fashion professors and consultants.”

“Moreover, the fact that Christophe Beaufays joins Esmod Dubai while continuing to be Jean-Paul Gaultier’s Creative Assistant, contributing in the creation of Gaultier’s globally acclaimed haute couture collections, makes this move all the more significant for us. To my knowledge, Esmod Dubai students are the only ones having the chance to develop their skills on a daily basis with a designer from a true avant garde brand in the fashion industry,” she added.

As Designer and Creative Assistant, Mr. Beaufays works directly with Gaultier in concept development, research and creations for haute couture collections; styling, fittings; and all kinds of experimentations on fabrics effects, volumes, draping and vintage shopping among others.

Mr. Beaufays's duties at Esmod Dubai include serving as program coordinator, infusing students with leading fashion trends, mentoring first and second year students, and monitoring their progress and achievements, while also being in charge of the third-year students’ final collections. Beaufays will also offer consultancy services to leading local fashion houses.

Esmod Dubai has been renowned for producing quality students, including Moza al Mazrou, who won the Splash Award last month and showcased her first collection during the Dubai Fashion Week. Al Mazrou studied fashion design and pattern drafting at Esmod Dubai. Since its inception in 2006, Esmod Dubai has been accommodating a steadily growing number of students in its mission to capitalise on the region’s booming fashion industry and the steady drift of the Middle Eastern consumer towards haute couture. The Dubai campus now embraces students from 47 different countries, of which over 40 per cent are GCC nationals and UAE locals.

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First family resort brand launches in Dubai

First family resort brand launches in Dubai

First & Foremost launches into Middle East with focus on family entertainment and sustainable development – brand offers real inbound tourism growth

The region’s first family resort concept is being launched in Dubai in collaboration with one of Europe’s most successful family hotel concepts.

New hotel management company First & Foremost Hotels and Resorts has teamed up with Leading Family Hotels & Resorts to bring a new breed of exclusive and all-inclusive holiday packages to the Middle East, Europe and Africa.

First &Foremost, an initiative founded by Michael Scully, Managing Director of hospitality at Dubai-based holding company Seven Tides, will assemble a portfolio of luxury resorts and hotels, budget hotels, and hotel apartments in some of the regions’ key holiday spots, beginning with Dubai.

It will be existing Leading Family Hotels and Resorts’ first hotel outside Europe on a beach location, which is the perfect alternative to their current properties built around ski resorts, golf destinations and thermal springs.

“We are the first hotel management group with our own market segment that can stimulate real inbound tourism growth in the region,” said Michael Scully.

“Our hotels operate at 92% occupancy with over 60% coming from existing Leading Family Hotels and Resorts clientele, who book direct through our website. Generally we operate at over double the revenue per room of competitor hotels. This is why we are confident of attracting new visitors to Dubai, giving real growth and benefiting the local economy, while offering very favourable returns for hotel owners.”

Package holidays have been popular in Europe for the past 50 years but the concept has never made it to our shores – until now. But this is not a “stack ’em high and sell them low” concept. Instead, it is exclusive, inclusive packages designed for upmarket family focused hotels and resorts.

The company is currently looking at suitable properties to manage with the aim of signing 12 deals within five years. They plan to have a property in every emirate, and a further five throughout the GCC.

“We have already spoken to a number of investors and the feedback we have received is very positive, thus we hope to make an announcement in the near future about our first property in the Middle East,” said Scully.

The company also plans to register and comply with Estidama, an initiative developed by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council to promote sustainable development, management and operation. All properties under the management of First & Foremost will adhere to Estidama’s Pearl Rating System, a framework encompassing sustainable design, construction and operation of communities and buildings, but also supports the social and cultural traditions of the emirate.

“Our hotels will be practical in their design rather than relying on aesthetics that tend to have a high carbon footprint. We will also buy locally-grown produce to reduce our carbon emissions,” added Scully.

In a recent poll by Travel Weekly, nearly half of all travellers said they would be prepared to pay up to 10% more to stay in a green-certified hotel.

Currently, Leading Family Hotels and Resorts has 55 properties in Europe, including 51 Kinderhotels, and four four- and five-star own branded resorts. Although the organisation specialises in catering for families with children aged 0-4 years, who are not restricted to school holidays, it equally caters for kids up to the age of 16.

Ernst Mayer, President of existing Leading Family Hotels and Resorts, said: “We have been looking to enter the Middle East market for a while and are confident we have found the right partner with which to take this step. Following the success of our brand in Europe, we hope to replicate this formula and attract our existing customers to the region for the first time.”


Photo 1: Hotel Alpenrose, a Leading Family Hotels and Resorts property
Photo 2: A family takes a dip in the sea

First & Foremost
First &Foremost is a new hotel brand, which has partnered with one of the largest family hotel brands in the world to introduce the new holiday concept to the Middle East. The company is headed by CEO Michael Scully, who has been in the hotel industry in the Middle East for 18 years, opening three luxury properties and is in the process of developing another four for Seven Tides.

Leading Family Hotels & Resorts
Leading Family Hotels and Resorts (LFH&R) is a unique holiday concept focusing on upmarket package breaks. The company specialises in entertaining children from the age 10 days to four years, but also has qualified childcare staff catering to youngsters up to the age of 16. LFH&R is launching in the Middle East having accumulated 55 successful properties across Europe. It is moving into beach holidays after growing a successful portfolio of resorts in the Alps, golf destinations and thermal springs.