DARLING OF DUBAI.

“Peter Loughlin (Ngāti Tuwharetoa) founded the House of Arushi fashion label in Dubai (the United Arab Emirates), with his wife Mireille in 1989 specialising in haute couture wedding dresses and evening gowns for Middle Eastern women. This includes several of the region's royal families in UAR, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman.

Produced by Māori production company Te Aratai Productions, DARLING OF DUBAI tracks Peter’s journey from the shores of Lake Taupo to the mega-rich
city of Dubai.

Arushi is known for exclusive jewel-encrusted and beaded dresses which can take months to make, and cost more than $200,000. Dubai’s glitz is a far cry from Peter’s humble beginnings when his grandmother adopted him and raised him in a large and boisterous family. Peter says his strong Tuwharetoa female whanau were major influences in his early life and pushed him in a direction that eventually led to fashion.

He remains involved in New Zealand’s fashion industry as a mentor with the Arohanui Victoria Memorial Trust – a scholarship set up in memory of fellow designer and whanau member Victoria Cribb who died in Dubai seven years ago. The scholarship enables young designers to travel to Dubai to work alongside Peter and learn the high-fashion styles and techniques distinctive to the label.” MTS 24/07/2006