By Taziz Hasairi.
Tripoli, 21 March 2014:
Tripoli’s three-day Wedding Fair at the Corinthia Hotel ended yesterday, in an event which saw the . . .[restrict]main exhibition spaces in the hotel taken over by everything to do with weddings, both traditional and modern.
The fair was particularly popular with women and was extremely crowded every morning and evening, staff said.
Separate areas were set aside for wedding hall reservations and sales, wedding feast paraphernalia, decorations, clothing and food. There was also space for wedding accessories, which are an important matter for any bride-to-be.
Bridal gowns were a feature of the show, including a number of rental wedding dresses from the biggest shops in Tripoli, including Farhaty (My Happiness).
Owner of the bridal-ware shop Kenzy said she had only heard about the exhibition at the last minute but was lucky enough to secure a space to show her range of bridal supplies.
Bridal fashion was changing now in Libya she said, because of the increased influence of western culture. For example, the demand for sparkly dresses and elaborate make-up traditionally so popular was decreasing every year, she said. Her shop, in the Alwahat centre in Hay Alandalus, opened just after the revolution but the changing tastes of young women was still noticeable.
Several sellers lamented falling trade in recent years which they put down to the new popularity of online shopping. Before this, the average cost of renting a dress had been between LD 1,000 and LD 3,000, with limited choices and the added inconvenience of a limited rental period and an extra cost for the bride who wore the frock for the first time.
Now, however, you can buy a dress online for less than LD 1,000. This, sellers said, had put some famous wedding dress shops out of business and forced others to change their policies and increase their stock. They said, however, that some brides were not really convinced by online shopping and were afraid of the results, saying they preferred to see and touch dresses before a purchase so they could be sure of making the right choice.
Several famous brands of make-up, including Max Factor, were also represented, as were perfumes suppliers. Amongst the jewellery and accessory stands was also to be found a stall from Libya’s most famous watch shop Alshiek.
