Why Gordon Gekko is no fashion model for Gulf financiers

Why Gordon Gekko is no fashion model for Gulf financiers Oliver Stone’s classic film Wall Street exemplified the decade of excess, where no yuppie home was complete without a sushi-maker, a Gaggia and several hideous pieces of art. But while Dubai had not yet emerged as a financial hub at the time, it was quick to pick up the trail in the 21st century. Littered with open-topped Italian sports cars and designer-endorsed condos, here was a living, breathing tribute act to Gekko’s 1980s.

So in the DIFC, the region’s very own Wall Street, surely the offices would be bustling with Gordon Gekko wannabes in pink gingham shirts and glittering cufflinks. Much might have changed in the 23 years since Hollywood’s most infamous corporate raider handed in his sofa-sized mobile phone to US prison authorities, but if there were anywhere he could instantly reintegrate himself fashionwise, surely Dubai would be that place? Sadly not.

“We’re actually fairly conservative here,” says Omar Musharraf of the DIFC-based DIB Capital. “There’s no bright shirts or ties like you might find in London or New York.” But what about braces, the ultimate Gekko accessory? Do these find space in the wardrobes of the region’s bankers? “I’ve seen a few around recently, perhaps one pair a week. But it’s definitely not considered a good look over here.