Actress and TV host Mahira Abdel Aziz represented the UAE at the Vienna Opera Ball, a prestigious global social affair attended by royalty since the 1820s. For the occasion, she wore “The Dress,” designed by UAE-based creative Fatima Lodhi Khan. The gown had earned the 25-year-old designer the title of Next Generation International Designer at the Vienna Awards in 2025.
Inspired by the striking contrast between Dubai’s sweeping dunes and endless skies and Vienna’s imperial gardens, Fatima’s design, The Dress, reflects a dialogue between modern ambition and timeless refinement, merging two distinct worlds through craftsmanship and storytelling.
The moment was part of a broader cultural and fashioncollaboration initiated by Austria Tourism, the Vienna Awards, and the Austrian Business Council Dubai. The initiative aims to spotlight emerging designers from the GCC region on one of Europe’s most prestigious cultural stages.
As part of the project, students from the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation created gowns that seamlessly weave together sustainability, cultural identity, and the elegance of Viennese ball tradition.
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