Day Three of Dubai Fashion Week Had a Surprise Nobody Saw Coming

Klaus Schmidt · 2026-10-26

Day three of Dubai Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2027 wasn't the loudest night on the calendar. But it might've been the most interesting. Three designers took the runway, and each one pulled from a very specific place — Colombia, its coffee country, and the messy overlap of city life. Here's what actually stood out. ### Laura Aparicio Brought Colombia to the Runway With NANDA Laura Aparicio opened with 'NANDA,' and the name alone tells you this wasn't a quiet collection. It's a full-throated celebration of Colombian identity — bold color, empowered femininity, and a clear point of view. What struck me is how personal it felt. This wasn't color for shock value. It read like someone showing you where they come from, piece by piece. If you've followed Aparicio's work, you'll recognize the confidence. If you haven't, consider this your introduction. ### Adriana Capasso Turned Coffee Country Into Sculpture Then came Adriana Capasso with 'TRACE.' The inspiration? Colombia's coffee landscapes. That could've gone wrong fast — landscape-inspired fashion often turns literal and costume-y. It didn't. Instead, Capasso leaned on sculptural silhouettes and intricate textile work. The shapes did the heavy lifting, and the fabrics carried the story. Footwear came from Liza Herrera, which rounded out the looks without stealing the show. Here's the thing about 'TRACE' that stuck with me: it treated coffee country as architecture, not scenery. That's a harder trick than it sounds. ### ODA Store Captured Bogotá's In-Between Spaces ODA Store closed the trio with 'Convergencia,' inspired by Bogotá's urban landscape — specifically the intersections that shape identity. That's a big idea for a runway, but it fit. Cities are where things collide. People, cultures, routines, contradictions. 'Convergencia' leaned into that, and it felt like the natural ending to a night built around place and belonging. ### Why This Night Mattered Look at the through-line: all three collections pulled from Colombia, but none of them repeated each other. - Aparicio went personal and celebratory - Capasso went structural and textural - ODA Store went conceptual and urban That's the sign of a strong showing. Same root, three different branches. Dubai Fashion Week has been leaning harder into global voices lately, and day three made the case for why that matters. > "Identity isn't a theme you pick for one season. It's the thing you keep coming back to, and every designer here found a different door into it." ### What to Watch Next Spring/Summer 2027 is still taking shape, but if day three tells us anything, it's that the strongest collections this cycle are the ones rooted in something real. Place, memory, the streets you grew up on — that's where the energy is. Keep an eye on Aparicio, Capasso, and ODA Store. Nights like this tend to be launchpads, not one-offs.