IQOS Threads Art Into Its Dubai Mall Opening

Openings at Dubai Mall usually come with the usual gloss – bright lights, cameras, polite clinking of glasses, but this one didn’t. Earlier this week, DAZED pulled together a crowd of cultural figures for the re-opening of the new IQOS boutique.

The reason: Kris Balerite, better known as Dozign, had been invited to leave his mark on the space. His piece, The Thread, stretched across the boutique in the shape of an oversized friendship bracelet woven with sadu-inspired patterns. It was unmistakably traditional, yet enough to feel new — an object that people keeps explaining to each other.

“I often observe people in the UAE, different languages, different cultures, different stories, yet somehow moving in harmony,” Balerite said of the inspiration. The work carried that observation without needing further explanation: strands that start separately but come together as one.

Inside, the boutique was more like a concept space than a shop floor, giving the whole space an atmosphere closer to an installation than a retail environment.

The guestlist itself was shaped in collaboration with DAZED, bringing together artists, creatives, and scene-shapers who gave the evening its edge. It was less corporate, more cultural — and that distinction is exactly what made the opening feel like a moment.

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