Fashion Trust Arabia celebrated the region’s talent with a glitzy guest list.
Qatar’s capital city Doha is quickly making a name for itself as a global hub of culture and sports hosting world-class events like the upcoming Formula 1 race and its own film festival. But over the weekend, it welcomed guests from the fashion community for back-to-back events that demonstrated the region’s growing reputation as a powerhouse in all matters of style: Fashion Trust Arabia (FTA), an awards show celebrating emerging regional talent in the Middle East and North African (MENA) area, and the Franca Fund, an inaugural event meant to highlight cutting edge scientific research.
The first event was all about glitz, glam, and the future as the FTA held a lavish dinner hosted by Queen Latifah and Egyptian actor Aiman Kaissouni. With the kind of guest list that would make any fashion week front row blush, the likes of Emma Roberts, Adrien Brody, Lindsay Lohan, Regina King, Mariacarla Boscono, Mario Testino, Alton Mason, Hend Sabri, Rem Koolhaas, and more were in attendance. It served not just as a reminder of Qatar’s aggressive push into the fashion world, but that fashion itself now exists at the crossroads of culture, cinema, architecture and beyond.
Saint Levant, Chaka Khan
Musical performances by Saint Levant and Chaka Khan brought the house down, while dinner was served by QC+, the most Michelin-decorated hospitality group in Qatar. And while, yes, this was a night heavy on appearances (this is fashion, darling) it also marked a pivotal moment in the evolution of the region’s fashion landscape. For the first time, FTA partnered with Kering on the Franca Sozzani Debut Talent Award, offering the winner a bespoke mentorship with the global luxury group — a signal that major players are paying serious attention to MENA’s next wave.
As for the winners 21 finalists competed for seven prizes across a variety of categories — best eveningwear, ready-to-wear, accessories, jewelry, and innovation among them. Below a list of the night’s winners:
- Ready-to-Wear: Youssef Drissi – Late for Work
- Eveningwear: Ziyad AlBuainain – Ziyad BUAINAIN
- Accessories: Leila Roukni – Talel
- Jewelry: Farah Radwan – FYR Jewelry
- Franca Sozzani Debut Talent Award: Alaa Alaradi
- Fashion Tech: Fatema & Dalal Alkhaja – Touchless
- Guest Country Award – India: Kartik Kumra – Kartik Research
In addition to the traditional categories, there were two honoree awards —first the Lifetime Achievement Award to the Italian legend Mrs. Miuccia Prada, who demurely accepted her award and noted that it represented a cross-cultural dialogue, a message that she felt was especially important in today’s world. Next, there was the Trailblazer Award, given to the Lebanese couturier Zuhair Murad, known internationally for his glittering red carpet-ready gowns. Prada’s honor underscored her decades-long influence on contemporary fashion, while Murad’s award emphasized something vital: fashion from this region is no longer merely emerging. It has already arrived.
From Left: Miuccia Prada, Queen Latifah, Stefano Pilati & Edward Buchanan, Tyra Banks, Paloma Elsesser, Adrian Brody
As impressive as the winners was the jury: Christian Louboutin, model Bethann Hardison, Guram Gvasalia of Vetements, Duran Lantink of Jean-Paul Gaultier, celebrity stylists Wayman & Micah, and the creative duo behind Coperni were just a few of the bold-faced names who were all in the room, lending their eyes, ears, and judgment — and, no doubt, scouting for talent.
A small note: this year, the Fashion Trust Arabia welcomed three talents from India, for their annual Guest Country category, and the winner for 2025 is the New Delhi-based Kartik Kumra, the designer who has taken traditional handicraft techniques and applied them to modern urban menswear silhouettes. We featured him two years ago, when the brand was called Karu Research, and this summer it opened its first retail location in downtown New York.
As luxury houses look for creative renewal, the MENA region is no longer merely seen as a potential market, but a source rich in talent. Last night proved that the smart designers — and investors — are already watching.
