Since 2018, Qatar’s cultural scene has been enriched by a unique program highlighting Middle Eastern fashion. Fashion Trust Arabia is an annual fashion competition envisioned under the leadership of Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, mother of the Qatari emir, and co-run by her daughter, Sheikha Al Mayassa Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, and Tania Fares. The event convenes the Middle East’s best and brightest to celebrate fashion, innovation, and community in the region.

In October 2024, Fashion Trust Arabia marked its sixth year. For the first time, it was held outside of Qatar – in Marrakesh alongside the Years of Culture Qatar-Morocco 2024. Qatar Museums’ Years of Culture program, which was launched in 2012 by Sheikha Al Mayassa, seeks to develop creative connections between Qatar and each year’s focus country, often through artist exchanges, volunteering trips, and a season full of exhibitions aimed at deepening cultural understanding.

The 2024 Years of Culture spotlighted fashion. As a testament to Morocco’s rich textile arts and fashion history, Years of Culture presented a uniquely international display of Morocco’s influential relationship in the world of fashion alongside the pinnacle event Fashion Trust Arabia. In September 2024, Years of Culture joined forces with Fashion for Development to present the fourth annual Sustainable Goals Banquet during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The banquet space was surrounded by Moroccan kaftans designed by Mohammed Rashid al-Thani, founder of the Institute of Arab and Islamic Art in New York, and a showcase of vintage kaftans by Kenza Melehi in collaboration with Yves Saint Laurent and Jean Paul Gaultier. Meanwhile, in Doha, Moroccan Dutch fashion designer Mohamed Benchellal opened “Benchellal: Monumental ‘Sculpting Past Tomorrow,’” a collection of couture dresses inspired by Qatar and its landscapes and designed during Benchellal’s residency at Liwan Design Studios and Labs, a co-working space housed in the building of Qatar’s first all-girl school. 

Community, Innovation, and Exchange

Behind the celebrity-filled awards ceremony October 24, 2024, designers across six categories displayed pieces that showed not only their creative prowess but also a dedication to their Middle Eastern identities. Each year, Fashion Trust Arabia also highlights a guest country, and, for 2024, it was Spain. Ernesto Naranjo, one of the finalists in the guest country category, noted, “A fashion brand can take inspiration from its roots, from its traditions, but always changes the way the rest of the audience sees the country or city … this is what really interests me. I’m from southern Spain, Seville, a place where art, craft, and roots are really important. Here in Morocco, I feel they share similar ideals.”

For many Middle Eastern creatives in the diaspora, often unable to travel back to their homelands due to conflict or exile, coming together for Fashion Trust Arabia becomes an invaluable experience for building community. British Iraqi designer Tara Babylon, a finalist in the evening wear category whose designs reimagine the ancient city of Babylon, said “Being part of FTA feels like a full circle moment. Recognition from the MENA region makes me feel connected and closer to my roots. Being a part of the FTA in Morocco has also contributed to making me feel louder about being an Arab woman in the arts. My work will always blend cultural narratives, as it is part of my life experience, however I look forward to leaning into my Arabness unapologetically.”

In 2024, Fashion Trust Arabia introduced the Fashion Tech award, which is given to designers who incorporate technology in their production process and end products, with a specific eye for those utilizing technology for sustainability. The inaugural winner was Batoul al-Rashdan, the founder of Studio B.O.R., a design studio that uses bio-based materials derived from food waste through 3D printing and robotics. Rashdan said that, “Being from the Middle East offers both challenges and unique opportunities in this field. One challenge is the limited access to certain advanced technologies and resources. However, the rich heritage of craftsmanship and storytelling across MENA fuels my creativity and helps me create designs that are culturally resonant.”

Rashdan’s work is influenced by her Jordanian roots, in particular Jordan’s ecosystem and the Dead Sea, which she said inspires “the organic, almost biomimetic shapes and textures” in her designs. The Studio B.O.R. collection Rashdan presented at Fashion Trust Arabia drew on the microscopic beauty of natural ecosystems, where she was especially inspired by marine organisms and plant structures. “The collection uses transparent bioplastic sheets, biodyes from food waste, and 3D-printed biodegradable motifs to create ethereal textures,” Rashdan said, “allowing me to highlight the hidden worlds that exist within nature, reminding us of our interconnectedness with these delicate environments.” As for the significance of her work in Morocco and at Fashion Trust Arabia, Rashdan reflected that, “By incorporating heritage pieces that employ cutting-edge technologies, I aim to create designs that speak to both local and international audiences, showcasing the adaptability and resilience of MENA’s rich traditions in a modern context.”

Emerging Talents, Inspiring Designs

Uniquely central to Fashion Trust Arabia’s mission is an insistence on supporting emerging designers from across the Middle East early in their careers. Apart from a cash prize, which can range from $50,000 to $200,000, each winner also receives a yearlong mentorship from Fashion Trust Arabia’s retail partners, including London’s iconic Harrods and the Bicester Collection, and other global fashion professionals. The winners of the evening wear, ready-to-wear, accessories, and jewelry categories have their collections carried in Harrods for one season, and the ready-to-wear winner receives an internship with Huntsman Savile Row in London.

Every year, judges and audience members pay special attention to the Franca Sozzani Debut Talent prize. The Debut Talent winner receives a personalized mentorship program specifically designed to jumpstart their brand. In 2024, 23-year-old Sylwia Nazzal won the prize – Nazzal founded and runs Nazzal Studios, which features Palestinian identity, culture, and heritage through bold silhouettes and intricate patterning.

“Since my brand is strongly rooted in Palestinian culture and resilience, I find that my message is often overlooked, underrespected, and dismissed,” Nazzal explained. “Winning the FTA Debut Talent prize means so much more than people realize … having FTA give me a platform to not only speak about my work as a young Arab Palestinian designer but to platform the message behind my work is already something to be grateful for. To think that the mentorship, the prize money, and the connections I have made can take me even further than I could have ever imagined. Now that, that is life changing.”

Indeed, one of the most crucial elements of Fashion Trust Arabia is its ability to bring together those passionate about elevating Middle Eastern creativity in a world that can often overlook creative expression from the region. “I want to create a brand that we lack; in ethics, in its politics, in its structure, and also in the silhouettes that the West often steals from us.” Nazzal continued, “I want to give voice to the voiceless and reclaim our culture through the Arab lens.”

This aspiration toward regionwide community building and a push for greater recognition is, in its very essence, what underlies both Fashion Trust Arabia and the yearlong Years of Culture exchange. From pursuing greater cultural fusion with Morocco to a community-driven competition centered around the textiles that bind the region together, the programming of Qatar’s creative season pushes for exploring the ways Middle Eastern voices can connect locally while finding ways to come together and insist on greater recognition and representation globally.