DUBAI — Eight months after making his Met Gala debut — where designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee had to explain to American interviewers that they were speaking to one of the most famous men on the planet — Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan took the stage at the Dubai Mall Festival of Fashion Awards on Friday night to accept the Global Style Icon honor.
Though not as recognized in America, his cultural cachet is well reflected in the data. Khan topped the Met Gala’s Power Rankings for male celebrities with $19 million in media impact value, surpassing Lewis Hamilton, Zendaya and Rihanna to rank third overall behind only K-pop star Lisa and Thai actress Freen.
The awards night in Dubai crystallized why the emirate has emerged as one of fashion’s most compelling crossroads. Only here could the Bollywood superstar whose fame has been compared to that of The Beatles and Michael Jackson share a stage with Italian cashmere king Brunello Cucinelli, while a posthumous tribute honored Giorgio Armani‘s legacy — all hosted by the Emirati developer whose mall draws 120 million visitors annually.
Khan, who has appeared in more than 100 films across a career spanning more than three decades with a cumulative global box office exceeding $1 billion, accepted the award with characteristic humility, telling the audience he was “overwhelmed to be in the company of the stalwarts here like Mr. Cucinelli and Mr. Marsocci,” highlighting both the cashmere entrepreneur as well as Giuseppe Marsocci, chief executive officer of the Giorgio Armani Group.
He even suggested his own honor might be undeserved. “All the awards tonight are very authentic, very deserving. Mine I do feel is a little biased because of my friend,” Khan said of Mohamed Alabbar, who founded Emaar, before adding with a grin: “I don’t know much about fashion. For me, it’s always white T-shirt, blue jeans. When I get into high-end fashion shows and functions like this, then it’s a black suit.”
The friendship between the Bollywood icon and the Emaar chairman runs deep. Khan’s production company, Red Chilis Entertainment, makes Bollywood blockbusters, and has also carved out a niche in live entertainment, producing the creative elements for the Burj Khalifa’s famed New Year’s Eve celebrations, one of the most watched events globally.
Reem Acra showed a collection of favorites from her archives.
The evening opened with a retrospective runway presentation by Lebanese-American couturier Reem Acra, who was also honored with an award. She presented an archive collection of particular significance given the 2023 fire that destroyed much of her New York atelier’s archives. “This is a collection that is femininity, it’s delicate, and it’s something that’s really inspired by my world,” the designer said backstage after the show.
The evening’s most poignant moment came with a posthumous honor for Giorgio Armani. Marsocci accepted on behalf of the house whose partnership with Emaar produced the Armani Hotels in Dubai and Milan.
“It’s about legacy,” Marsocci said. “We want to give continuity to the timeless sophisticated elegance that Mr. Armani was able to build in 50 years of a career.”
Alabbar revealed that about 18 months ago, Armani approached him about expanding globally. “He said, ‘Mohamed, we need to go really global this time. And are you ready?’ And I said, ‘Yes, I’m ready.’” The pair had nearly finalized a new agreement for hotels, resorts and residences when Armani passed away.
Both the Armani Hotel Dubai, located in the Burj Khalifa, and the Armani Hotel Milan will temporarily close for renovation based on designs Armani completed before his death. “In 12 months or so, you will see the new generation of Armani resorts and hotels,” Alabbar said.
Giuseppe Marsocci, Mohamed Alabbar and Brunello Cucinelli.
Cucinelli received the award for outstanding contribution to fashion, delivering a speech in Italian — “the language of my soul” — that bridged East and West. The designer referenced the medieval Arab philosopher Ibn Khaldun.
“I did study some of your Arab culture, and I have learned so much from your great master,” Cucinelli told the audience, before addressing younger attendees. “You must be good people, kind, polite, good-mannered. Do not turn your eyes away from politics, because mankind is in dire need of good people.”
