Last weekend, Qatar played host to the seventh Fashion Trust Arabia, an award rapidly becoming a bellwether for the region’s rising design talent. Conceived as both prize and platform, FTA offers not only funding, but also the kind of support that can open doors in an increasingly saturated global market.
This year’s winners reflect the breadth of the Middle East and North Africa’s creative landscape. Moroccan designer Youssef Drissi, founder of Late For Work, claimed the Ready-to-Wear award, while compatriot Leila Roukni secured the Accessories prize. In Evening Wear, the judges awarded Saudi designer Ziyad Albuainain, and Bahrain’s Touchless took home the Fashion Tech distinction. Egypt’s FYR emerged as the standout in the Jewellery category.
With grants ranging from $100,000 to $200,000, FTA’s backing provides a genuine financial lifeline. A runway show may offer the purest expression of a creative vision, but staging one can cost up to $150,000 – prohibitively expensive for young labels. Fashion prizes, in contrast, offer both financial firepower and global exposure, as well as proximity to industry power brokers that money cannot buy.
Moroccan label Late For Work won the Ready-to-Wear prize. Photo: Late For Work / Instagram
It’s a model with a proven pedigree. The International Woolmark Prize famously launched Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent in 1954. Since 1989, the British Fashion Awards – now simply the Fashion Awards – have helped elevate names such as Dior creative director Jonathan Anderson (who was in Qatar for the FTA ceremo
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