Dubai Homes Festival showcases independent businesses and talented makers for unique and stylish shopping experiences

This year’s edition of the Dubai Home Festival (DHF), which runs until 10 October, features some of the best arts, crafts and homeware creators at the RIPE Home Edition Market, an extra-special collaboration with independent retailers at Dubai Design District (d3) and the ARTE Makers’ Market.

Each weekend of DHF, which is organised by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), the Nakheel Mall on the Palm Jumeirah welcomes homegrown businesses to the pop-up RIPE Market Home Edition. A great platform for hardworking creatives and entrepreneurs who are based in the UAE but come from all over the globe, the event is open from 10am to 7pm on the ground floor area outside the Depachika Food Hall.

Among the unique items available are traditional African art, scented candles, towels and bathrobes, hand painted plates, bowls and homeware items, plastic-free water filters plus a selection of sustainable homeware products and much more.

The d3 promotion, taking place until 10 October, will celebrate the district’s collection of international boutiques and independent companies by inviting shoppers to explore the creative art and fashion hub. More than 20 stores will participate, with prices reduced by up to 40 per cent across a stunning range of items made in the UAE as well as big name brands.  What’s more, every purchase enters shoppers into a contest to win a AED50,000 voucher to spend in d3.

Times Square Mall in Al Quoz will host the ARTE Makers’ Market on 9 October. A carefully curated collection of artisans, designers, craftsmen and women, the market will feature a collective of passionate creators with shoppers having the chance to browse and discover a unique range of products including kitchenware and utensils, art and pieces for the bedroom and living room.

Participating vendors at the ARTE Makers’ Market include Knitoks, who make children’s knitted toys, U Own Calmness who sell healing stones and candles among other wellness items, Designs by Anna D who make greetings cards, canvases and jewellery and  Sioux by Arlene who produce handmade and stunning traditional Native American dreamcatchers. Also taking part will be Mayzar Trading who make traditional Syrian backgammon boxes carved from wood, Rare Find, a graphic designer and photographer who creates humorous and unique cards, plus candlemaker Heart Melt Candles, and many more. 

Mariam Walsh, founder and organiser of ARTE Makers’ Market, said: “We are a passionate team who manage a large number of artists, designers, crafters, bakers and more who create their own products here in the UAE. Every vendor has to fit with our slogan, ‘we make what we sell’.

“The ARTE Makers’ Market offers the public an alternative shopping experience compared to the malls and provides a friendly and relaxed shopping environment where people can buy unique, one-of-a kind items.”

The stores taking part in the d3 and DHF collaboration include bespoke furniture store Iconic Home UAE, creative interior design company Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, ceramics and stoneware firm Marazzi Middle East, indoor and outdoor furniture specialists NAKKASH Gallery, traditional handmade carpets, rugs and handicrafts manufacturer and supplier FBMI (Fatima Bint Mohamed Bin Zayed Initiative), plus home décor, accessories, art and furniture professionals Four Seasons Ramesh Gallery, to name but a few.

Aya Nakkash, who comes from Lebanon and is Marketing Manager at NAKKASH Gallery, said: “d3 is a great platform for us because of its significant commitment to creating a hub and integrated ecosystem for the region’s design industry. Having a community of independent makers in Dubai helps create a platform for people in this specific field to interact on a much closer level.”

Farshied Jabarkhyl is from Afghanistan and Director at FBMI. He said: “Being associated with d3 carries prestige and recognition almost automatically. We’ve been here since 2017, and this hub of independent makers in Dubai is extremely important; but more important is the need for these makers to collaborate and cooperate together to grow this base.”

American Neel Shukla, Creative Director at Four Seasons Ramesh Gallery, said: “I have had a presence at d3 for the last three years. d3 makes a great effort to support creative individuals and concepts and offers direct exposure to the design community as well as a platform to attract new designers, architects and prospective clients. Dubai’s community of independent makers is extremely important; we must support and open doors for small businesses, innovators, artists and entrepreneurs who make a positive contribution to our society.”

The businesses taking part in the RIPE Market Home Edition include: artwork and art prints sellers Uniq Prints, handmade soap, home cleaning and bath bomb producers The Four Flowers, Grass Roots African Interiors, makers of traditional African wall hangings, along with candlemakers Light of Sakina and Great Time International, producers of a range of environmentally friendly cotton towels and bathrobes. Mitraart will present its brand of resin handmade boards to customers, The Fab Concept will display hand painted plates, bowls and décor items, Qumir Earth will attract shoppers with its crystal infused water bottles, while home décor specialists Cozy Home will also have a stall. Filter It Now’s plastic-free water filters will be for sale along with Turtle Feet Company’s sustainable and fashionable range of homeware products and House of Palu’s traditional yet contemporary homeware, rugs and lights.

Jane Wellington from House of Palu said: “RIPE and the RIPE Market Home Edition provide a platform to showcase unique, handmade and one of a kind crafts and products from small businesses and talented individuals to the general public that otherwise would get lost in the busy landscape. The importance of bringing the creative community in Dubai together creates an ever-evolving melting pot of people, ideas, nationalities and design that is interesting for visitors and locals alike.”

Scott Farrar is from the UK and part of Uniq Prints. He said: “Ripe is a great platform to build our brand in the UAE. At Uniq Prints we make fine art prints on aluminum using a thermal sublimation process as well as creating unique Gicleè pop art that will be for sale at RIPE Market Home Edition. Independent artists are important in this age of mass produced home decor and wall art.”

Dalila Bencheriff from The Four Flowers said: “We are participating with RIPE in the RIPE Market Home Edition because it’s a great way to create more brand awareness, meet people and understand their needs. I have been with RIPE since August 2020 and we create handmade soap and bath bombs and natural home cleaning products. I believe shopping local is the most ethical way of shopping.”

Hossein Kiani from The Fab Concept said: “I sell hand painted home décor items from Persian artists, all of which are one of a kind and will be available at RIPE Market Home Edition. RIPE has given me the platform to meet customers and broaden my reach into different communities in Dubai. It is a well followed platform and they choose good locations for their events.”

Paola Pachecho from Qumir Earth said: “Qumir came to life as a Mexican initiative, based in the UAE, focused on crystal-infused water bottles. RIPE provided us with a great retail opportunity to get people to know us better. Above all, it put a face to the brand, which is the only way to build trust with potential customers. Small businesses in the UAE, as in any other country, are the pillar of the national economy and this is why we are participating in the RIPE Market Home Edition.”

Corey Skeen, Head of Events at RIPE, said: “We have super talented SME businesses at the RIPE Market Home Edition in Nakheel Mall during DHF. The event is an opportunity to discover hardworking and talented makers from across Dubai who have all come together to create a unique shopping experience – there is something for everyone to enjoy. It is a chance for the local community to support local homegrown businesses on a weekly basis.”

Also taking place during DHF at Nakheel Mall, the founder of Home Club Middle East, Rhiannon Downie-Hurst, will host two home improvement workshops on 8 October in the mall’s JYSK store. The first, taking place from 11am to 11.45am, will feature interior design specialist Kerrie Gray from Concept Gray and Ella Cole, a declutter expert from The Breathing Room, and will look at five simple habits to overcome mess and declutter your workspace, and how to achieve a functional yet beautiful bedroom. The second session, from 12pm to 12.45pm, will feature home decor professional Gina Positano from Home Club Middle East and will focus on how a minimalistic interior design space can positively affect your mood. Places for the sessions, which will be entertaining and informative, are first come first served.

Until 10 October, a team of interior design consultants will give free home redesign advice to residents and visitors at Dragon Mart. Shoppers are advised to check the mall’s social media channels for more information and inspiration.

For full details of Dubai Home Festival in Dubai’s calendar of promotions and events, please visit www.dubaihomefestival.com.