Art as a Catalyst for Connection

In Dubai’s luxury retail playground, emotion is not optional—it’s essential. Here, at Hakim Idriss Studio, we don’t see art as decoration: we see it as the language that brings a brand’s identity to life, connecting people with products on a human level.

Why Dubai Demands Creative Collaboration

The retail ecosystem in Dubai—whether it’s flagship stores in Dubai Mall, events on the Palm Jumeirah monorail or pop-ups across the GCC—requires fresh formats. Brands that embed artists into their activations gain an edge: they insert humanity into highly polished environments and make the product emotionally tangible.

A Showcase of Variety: Our Work with Montblanc

Take Montblanc’s « On The Move » collection launch in Dubai. The brand rented the Palm Jumeirah monorail for an exclusive event experience.  At this event, we created live painting installations, custom leather personalisations and bold artistic executions that centered the product—bags, writing instruments, travel pieces—into the narrative. We also extended similar creative formats to Kuwait and Mumbai, exploring wall murals of travel-gear, suitcase panels transformed by artists, and neon UV paint installations that glowed under black light. These formats show how an agency can deploy a rich palette of options — from live art to interactive experiential design.

Artist live painting
On The Move Montblanc Party

Human Moments in a Hyper-Digital World

Dubai leads in technology, but the true difference is made by real human gestures. When an artist paints live on a set of custom bags, when guests watch an artwork evolve in real time, the brand becomes alive. That’s emotional branding at its purest—and brands in Dubai are exactly looking for that: moments that feel unique, shareable, and memorable.

Building Emotional Capital Through Variety

By offering a spectrum of artistic activations—live graffiti, personalization on leather, neon UV installations, immersions across multiple countries—Hakim Idriss Studio shows that emotion can be scaled without losing authenticity. In Dubai’s competitive retail scene, emotion becomes the strongest currency.