At 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 29, in the Grand Atrium at The Dubai Mall, the Dubai Mall Festival of Fashion held its third masterclass of the day. Fashion stylist Mai Galal — known for red carpet work across the region — led the session titled "The Power of Accessories," reframing how attendees think about the pieces they reach for last.
Accessories as Structure, Not Decoration
Galal opened by positioning accessories as structural design elements rather than finishing touches. In her framework, clothing is the foundation — but accessories are the decisions that determine how an outfit actually communicates. Mood, silhouette, and balance, she explained, are "often resolved at this stage, through choices that appear minor but shift the overall effect."
The argument was practical and direct: a stylist's most meaningful work frequently happens not at the garment rack, but at the accessory tray.
Proportion, Scale, and the Single-Garment Principle
The masterclass maintained a practical focus throughout. Galal demonstrated how proportion and scale influence the full picture of a look, showing how belts redirect the waist, how jewellery draws or diffuses attention, and how footwear adjusts an outfit's visual weight from the ground up.
Using live examples, she illustrated how a single understated base garment could move between different contexts — from daytime formality to evening presence — through accessory changes alone. The clothing stays the same. The accessories do the work.
Layering with Clarity
Layering received its own analytical treatment. Galal emphasised the relationship between textures and lengths, but consistently prioritised clarity over accumulation. Accessories function most effectively, she argued, when they align with the body's natural proportions rather than fight against them.
The caution against over-layering was explicit: more is not the goal. Coherence is.
Confidence Comes from Control
Throughout the Dubai Mall Festival of Fashion accessories masterclass, Galal returned to a consistent theme: comfort and balance as the true measures of successful styling. Price point, she noted, is irrelevant to the outcome. Placement, restraint, and coherence are what determine quality results.
"Confidence comes from control rather than excess," she said — a line that drew visible recognition from the audience seated in the Grand Atrium.
Finishing Over Acquiring
The session closed with a reframe that ran counter to conventional fashion messaging. Rather than encouraging attendees to buy more, Galal emphasised finishing over acquisition — presenting accessories as purposeful choices that determine how garments perform in real situations.
The Dubai Mall Festival of Fashion ran across January 29 and 30, 2026, featuring 12 masterclasses from regional and international creatives spanning makeup, styling, modest fashion, fragrance, and runway translation.
