Fashion Trust Arabia’s (FTA) first-ever awards ceremony and red carpet brought together celebrities, including Victoria Beckham and Johnny Depp, as well as well-known personalities in the fashion industry at the Doha Fire Station on Thursday.
The non-profit initiative's honorable chair and Qatar Foundation chairperson Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, co-chair and Qatar Museums chairperson HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, and co-chair and Fashion Trust UK founder Tania Fares graced the occasion.
Welsh actor Luke Evans, British model and actress Jourdan Dunn, Italian-French singer-songwriter Carla Bruni, American actor-singer and songwriter Darren Criss, model and actress Alessandra Ambrosio, model Shanina Shaik, Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccoli, Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing, Net-a-Porter founder Natalie Massnet and Belgian fashion designer Diane Von Furstenberg were among the celebrities present.
The FTA award, which aims to support designers in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, saw internationally-renowned and influential personalities in the business and fashion industries judging and selecting the winning designers.
"I think there is so much talent in the Arab world and in the Mena region and when I was in Jordan few years ago I met so many young creative designers," Fares told journalists on the sidelines of the event.
"I thought its time for the Arab world to have a Prize like what we are doing tonight to support young Arab designers to give them mentoring, exposure and to support them," she added.
FTA’s executive committee is comprised 15 members, including Nadine Labaki and Reem Acra, made up of Arab business leaders who will also be supporting the winning designers.
According to the organisers, the winners will receive funding and grant for the designers, in addition to mentorship by matchesfashion.com (official FTA partner) and an opportunity to be recognised internationally.
After months of rigorous inquiry and over 250 submissions, 25 designers were selected for the finals.
From this group, five winners have been awarded with prizes on Thursday at ceremony and gala dinner.
