Etihad airways, Abu Dhabi’s signature airline has signed on to sponsor 17 of the WME/IMG fashion events which went into effect last week, co- sponsoring the debut Oscar de la Renta show at Australian Fashion Week. With Abu Dhabi being the hub between the East and the West, this new deal makes perfect sense and is said to be one of the airline’s biggest monetary commitments to date. Extensive travel plays a huge part in the fashion world with the likes of New York Fashion Week attracting over 100,000 visitors and contributors. As the world becomes more exposed to fashion through social media, designers are pushing the boundaries, with more shows taking place in exotic and unique locations such as this year’s Chanel Cruise Show that took places for the first time in Havana, Cuba.
An airline which will specialise in taking its passengers on dedicated fashion related routes is a very new and exciting addition to the ever changing fashion world. Australian Fashion Week kicked off last week and witnessed the airline’s first ‘fashion flight’ in its contract. Model’s such as Shanina Shaik were the first to reap the benefits, which of course featured on their Instagram and Snapchat accounts. Etihad has also suggested that their ‘fashion flights’ will hopefully, in the not too distant future, feature fashion related perks and might even feature live streaming of runway shows and interviews; the possibilities are endless! As air travel continues to strive to become more glamorous and luxurious, we cannot wait to see how this new deal evolves and if other airlines will jump on the bandwagon.
Model, Shanina Shaik flying Etihad first class to Australia last week.
By Amy Louise
