Founded in 2018, Fashion Trust Arabia is a nonprofit initiative on a mission to provide financial support and mentorship to emerging designers in the Middle East and North Africa region. Three years ago, Fashion Trust Arabia launched the first edition of ‘FTA Prize’ under the guidance of the organization’s honorary chair HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, and co-chairs HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani and Tania Fares.
For the 2021 edition, the Fashion Trust Arabia advisory board – which includes Alastair McKimm, Gabriela Hearst, Alexander Fury, Patti Wilson, Hamish Bowles, Ib Kamara, Aleksandra Woroniecka, Sarah Andelman, Jo Ellison, Jefferson Hack, Mohieb Dahabieh, Alexia Niedzielski, Sara Maino, Law Roach, Carmen Busquets, Fabio Piras, Natalie Kingham, Nina Garcia, Johanna Ortiz, Saif Mahdhi, Sofia Guellaty, Roger Moukarzel, and Afef Jnifen – was tasked to select 24 talented finalists from the submitted applications.
“We received a record number of over 800 applications and had an immense pool of talent this year. We feel that designers and businesses need assistance now more than ever,” said Tania Fares, FTA Co-Founder & Co-Chair.
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Yesterday, Fashion Trust Arabia announced the 24 finalists who stand a chance to win one of the five FTA Awards and the new ‘Unique Edition Award.’
The finalists for Fashion Trust Arabia 2021 Awards in the ‘Ready-to-Wear’ category are Cynthia Merhej (Lebanon), Lama Jouni (Lebanon), Maram Aboul Enein (Egypt), and Zaid Affas (Iraq) and those shortlisted for the ‘Evening Wear’ category are Elie Mizrahi (Lebanon), Harith Hashim (Iraq), Laith Maalouf (Jordan) and Mohamed Benchellal (Morocco).
While the finalists in the ‘Jewelry’ category are Alia Bin Omair (UAE), Azza Skhiri Bouchamaoui (Tunisia), Julien Riad Sahyoun (Lebanon), Tania & Dima Nawbar (Lebanon), those nominated in the accessory category are Billal Fellah (Algeria), Dania Shinkar (Saudi Arabia), Haya Al AbdulKareem (Kuwait), and Zakaria Bendriouich (Morocco).
The Fashion Trust Arabia 2021 Awards have also nominated designers AbdelGader El Tayeb Al Sadig (Sudan), Malik Thomas Jalil Kydd (Iraq), Mina Tahir (Egypt), and Roudha Ahmed Almazroei (Qatar)for the ‘Franca Sozzani Debut Talent Award’.
The 24 finalists will present their work to the Fashion Trust Arabia Jury on March 25 in Doha. The six winners of the Fashion Trust Arabia 2021 Awards will be announced during the unique physical plus virtual awards ceremony that will take place in the evening.
