Fashion's international elite turns out to celebrate Fashion Trust Arabia

Diane von Furstenberg, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Naomi Campbell, Haider Ackermann, Victoria Beckham, Zac Posen, Alexander Wang, and Christian Siriano were just some of the fashion luminaries who descended on Doha, Qatar last week.

The small but powerful peninsular – the richest country in the world – had major cause for celebration. The weeklong festivities kicked off with the opening of the National Museum of Qatar, providing an impactful narrative on Qatar history within a breathtaking Jean Nouvel-designed structure inspired by a desert rose. The evening featured an inspiring ceremony followed by a festive dinner that drew the likes of Miuccia Prada, Carla Bruni and Nicolas Sarkozy, and Johnny Depp.

The week concluded with Natalia Vodianova’s Love Ball Arabia, which raised nearly $7.5 million towards the supermodel’s Naked Heart Foundation as well as Qatar’s Al Shafallah Center for Persons with Disability.

In between art and philanthropy, fashion moved center stage by way of Fashion Trust Arabia. The non-profit initiative aims to help establish and grow creative industries throughout the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) by nurturing fashion talent and establishing a viable fashion industry here. Sheikha Moza bint Nasser is FTA’s Honourable Chair, with Co-Chairs Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani and Tania Fares, who is the Founder of the Fashion Trust, including its U.S. edition with the CFDA.

In its first year, FTA received over 250 applications. The 25 finalists showed their collections at Doha’s Msheireb Museums, where the judges – including von Furstenberg, Piccioli, Olivier Rousteing, Remo Ruffini, and Natalie Massenet – reviewed their work.

The winners were revealed at a glamorous dinner at the Doha Fire Station.

At the gala, Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani lauded “the creativity and imagination that has fueled the incredibly inventive designs we have seen here at Musherib. Like other branches of the arts, fashion enables us to dream and express ourselves. It also enables us to think, analyze, and imagine a world filled with grace, style, and individuality. Ultimately, it empowers us to create designs that express our inner strivings, ideas, and values.”

Addressing each of the 25 participating designers, she added, “As individuals, each of you is poised on the threshold of an exceptional career. As a group, you are living proof of the depth and breadth of creative talent that exists in this region and that so amply deserves our recognition, development and support. To me, you are all winners tonight. No doubt did the establishment of the FTA, the new fashion and design incubator at Musherib, and all other fashion related initiatives taking place here in the region and Qatar, the future of fashion looks promising.”

The inaugural recipients of FTA honors were Salim Azzam and Roni Helou for ready-to-wear; Krikor Jabotian for eveningwear, Mukhi Sisters for jewelry, Zyne for shoes, and Sabry Marouf for bags.

Each winner is awarded a tailored amount of funding up to $200,000. They also have the opportunity to work closely with FTA and MatchesFashion.com to develop their brands and receive access to key regional and global business leaders and industry experts. Their collections will also be sold through MatchesFashion.com. Maison De Mode will mentor the finalists to be more sustainable.

“To all the designers in this room and in the region, you continue to shape the creative future of the Middle East and North Africa, and we are so inspired by you,” Fares said. “Fashion Trust Arabia wouldn’t have been possible without our Honorary Chair Sheikha Moza bint Nasser and Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani – who dream big and follow [their dreams] to make it happen. Sheikha Moza’s dedication to help education and women’s rights has been an inspiration to me; not to mention she is a style icon. To my co-chair, Sheikha Al Mayassa, the compassion you have for the youth and your dedication to the arts have driven this project forward.”

The glamorous evening – which also drew Steven Kolb, Peter Pilotto, Mary Katrantzou, Peter Dundas, and Darren Criss and featured a surprise performance by Carla Bruni – firmly put the spotlight on regional talent and ways to nurture this talent to create a viable fashion sector across the Middle East and North Africa.

“The creative talent in our region is second to none,” Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani said. “You are the creative power that will build the future of our region. Continue your work with the same zeal as before. Push boundaries, follow your dreams, and build networks, friendships and connections. Together, we will create a vibrant fashion industry for the whole Arab region.”