As Dubai Design Week returns to d3, we take a closer look at the international maisons and female design talent making an impression at this year’s edition.
Dubai Design Week has become an important fixture on the international design calendar, offering an opportunity to discover established names alongside some of the region’s most interesting emerging talent.
This year’s edition, taking place at Dubai Design District until November 8, brings together designers, architects and creative practitioners from more than 50 countries, with an emphasis on craftsmanship, material experimentation and the relationship between design and cultural identity.
At Downtown Design, the festival’s principal fair, more than 300 brands and designers are presenting new collections, installations and collaborations
Here are some of the presentations worth exploring:
Buccellati: Aquae Mirabiles
Italian jewellery and silverware Maison Buccellati has returned to Downtown Design with Aquae Mirabiles, an immersive installation conceived by Balich Wonder Studio, curated by Federica Sala and developed in creative collaboration with British artist Luke Edward Hall.
First presented during Milan Design Week earlier this year, the installation takes inspiration from the mythology of water, transforming the Maison’s intricate Caviar silverware collection into an imaginative underwater setting.
Visitors enter a contemporary interpretation of a nymphaeum, where sculptural silver sturgeons from Buccellati’s Marina collection introduce a theatrical presentation of the art of the table. Hall’s illustrated panels provide a colourful backdrop to an elaborate display of silver trays, bowls, caviar spoons and table accessories, distinguished by the minute silver spheres that have become a signature of the collection.
Contemporary Spaces: A New Emirati Design Studio
Among this year’s homegrown participants is Contemporary Spaces, a Dubai-based furniture studio founded by Emirati siblings Alya, Maitha and Obaid Al Suwaidi.
Making its Downtown Design debut, the studio joins a growing community of independent Emirati design businesses developing contemporary furniture and interior pieces for the local market.
The studio’s presentation introduces visitors to its approach and offers an opportunity to discover a new name in the region’s furniture design scene.
AlZaina Lootah: Inherited Futures
Emirati architect and designer AlZaina Lootah has conceived this year’s UAE Designer Exhibition, Inherited Futures, bringing together the work of 30 UAE-based creatives.
Supported by Dubai Culture, the exhibition considers how traditional materials, cultural practices and local craftsmanship can inform contemporary design.
The selection includes furniture, lighting, textiles and decorative objects, with designers exploring materials such as agricultural waste, reclaimed wood and locally sourced clay. Other pieces draw on Arabic calligraphy, traditional dressmaking techniques and the majlis as a place of gathering.
Rasha Saffarini: Taqleem
Taqleem, an installation by Emirati architect Rasha Saffarini, also explores the possibilities of traditional materials. The project examines how discarded palm fronds, a familiar by-product of palm-tree maintenance, can be repurposed for contemporary construction.
Palm trees have long been closely associated with the architecture and everyday life of the region, with their leaves and trunks historically used for shelter, building and domestic objects. By reconsidering the potential of this material, Saffarini draws attention to the relationship between traditional knowledge and contemporary architectural thinking, particularly as designers seek more resource-conscious approaches to construction.
Reem Nassour: Three Gardens and a Room
Dubai-based architect Reem Nassour, founder of NAO Architects, is behind Three Gardens and a Room, the winning project for this year’s Urban Commissions programme.
Presented under the theme Atmospheres, the installation examines how simple architectural elements can shape how people experience public space.
Three interconnected gardens surround a central gathering area, with planting, shaded structures, filtered light, and different materials creating distinct environments for visitors to explore.
The project offers an interesting perspective on the role of landscape and architecture within the urban environment, particularly in a city where creating comfortable outdoor spaces is an important consideration.
Dubai Design Week takes place at Dubai Design District (d3) until 8 November 2026, with Downtown Design running from 4 to 8 November.
