It would have been hard to imagine when announcing the FTA competition in 2019, where the business of luxury fashion would be standing in 2020. Already addressing the challenges of e-commerce, issues of sustainability, and the cost of the industry’s carbon footprint, how would an industry, already being critiqued for its relevance on a wider scale, meet the challenge that the Coronavirus Pandemic represents.
Head on, was the resounding answer from Fashion Trust Arabia as they immediately scrapped the award ceremony due to take place in Qatar, launched the #standwithcreatives campaign, and continued to convene to find the MENA region’s best hope for future fashion via de rigueur virtual meeting app, Zoom.
Throughout the new digital judging process FTA Jury members met with 25 finalists through these online conference sessions. The FTA Jury, comprised of some of the fashion industry’s leading figures, selected 5 winners for the categories of Ready-to-Wear, Eveningwear, Accessories (Shoes & Handbags), Jewelry, and for the premier of the Franca Sozzani Debut Talent Award.
Each winner will receive financial support of up to $200,000, and benefit from an extensive mentorship program with key FTA partners. This includes a partnership with online retailer MATCHESFASHION.COM, which will be exclusively stocking the Spring Summer 2021 collections of all FTA 2020 winners in addition to providing business mentorship. This will no doubt prove invaluable in these uncertain times.
“It is our responsibility now, more than ever, to continue to support and highlight creativity. The devastating impact of COVID-19 will affect the lives of many…but we are hopeful that designers and artists will lead the way through supporting communities, bringing the beauty of our region to life through creativity.” –
Fashion Trust Arabia #standwithcreatives campaign
“It is our responsibility now, more than ever, to continue to support and highlight creativity. The devastating impact of COVID-19 will affect the lives of many…but we are hopeful that designers and artists will lead the way through supporting communities, bringing the beauty of our region to life through creativity.” – FTA #standwithcreatives
Ready to Wear – Omer Asim
Omer is a Sudanese clothier working between Khartoum and London. His sculpturally cut pieces no doubt reference his background as a graduate from The Bartlett School of Architecture before learning his craft with Maurice Sedwell of Saville Row and with Vivienne Westwood. His focus is on substance and craft to un-design his aesthetic. Modern shapes, cuts and textures mix with primitive elements to create a sense of regressive future and are utterly wearable.
Evening Wear – Yousef Akbar
Born and raised in Jeddah Saudi Arabia, Yousef gained his Bachelor of Fashion in The Fashion Design Studio Sydney TAFE in 2016, launching his brand a year later. He was fascinated by the interaction of the cloth and body, challenging convention in cutting and construction while maintaining elegance and femininity, and creating ethical and responsible couture and ready to wear. His brand also supports local artisans in small communities in the Middle East and around the world. His submission collection was inspired by heartbreak and is astounding. To view the collections, including couture and bridal, and to book a consultation visit yousefakbar.com.
Accessories – Andrea Wazen
London born, Beirut raised, Andrea moved to Paris to fulfill her dream of becoming a fashion designer. She discovered her skill for shoe design at the Italian fashion school Istituto Marangoni. Returning to London, she trained with Rupert Sanderson and Christian Louboutin while attending courses at Central Saint Martins School of Arts. Her pieces are worn by celebrities like Kylie Jenner, Scarlett Johansson, Normani and Hailey Bieber to name but a few. The brand represents high-quality, handmade shoes, designed and produced in her hometown of Beirut.
Jewelry – AMMANII
Amany Bishara finds inspiration in her Egyptian heritage which can clearly be seen in the Malikat collection. She uses her background in humanitarian global work through peace-building and conflict resolution, to create timeless pieces that help women to understand cultures outside of their own. Amany finds designing jewelry to be a powerful channel, the results of which can be used as tools to empower women to celebrate their own personal stories as well as connecting with the stories of others. Shop on AMMANII.com.
Franca Sozzani Debut Talent – Zeid Hijazi
Zeid, a Palestinian fashion designer living in between London and Amman, Jordan studied at Central Saint Martins. He is motivated by his idea of a fully open-minded Middle Eastern culture and the creative underground scene in the MENA region. He wants to embrace that creative Arab movement through the medium of art and fashion which he feels the rest of the world doesn’t know about.
His sketches and studies are intensely creative, particularly when forming beauty out of the grotesque like a young Alexander McQueen, finding three-dimensional form in calligraphy, or reinterpreting the Keffiyeh.
“I warmly congratulate the winners of the FTA 2020 Awards as well as all the finalists, who have so vividly demonstrated the breadth of outstanding design talent and entrepreneurial energy across our region. We can and must keep building the infrastructure, as well as the personal and business relationships, that enable these creative people to flourish. We see our future in their drive for innovation.”
Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums and Co-Chair of Fashion Trust Arabia
bazaar congratulates the winners and without doubt can see that with this much talent and support from the MENA region, there is a future for the luxury fashion industry. It just may look a little different, which is so very fashion forward.
Follow @fashiontrustarabia on Instagram to stay up to date with all FTA news, and for detailed information on further initiatives and their mission visit fashiontrustarabia.com. Feature Photo by Karina Tess on Unsplash
