Fashion Trust Arabia Announces Advisory Board Members for Annual Prize
FAB FOUR: Erdem Moralioglu, Olivier Theyskens, Gaia Repossi, Pierre M’Pelé and Piergiorgio Del Moro are among the fashion figures who have joined the advisory board of the fourth edition of Fashion Trust Arabia’s annual prize for fashion designers from the Middle East and North Africa.
The nonprofit organization is once again planning a live awards ceremony, to be held in Doha, Qatar, on Oct. 26. This year’s guest country is Turkey, with a separate award to be handed to a Turkish designer specializing in women’s ready-to-wear.
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“In only a few short years, the FTA Awards have become established as an annual highlight of the international fashion calendar,” Sheikha Al-Mayassa Bint Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, cofounder of FTA and chairperson of Qatar Museums and the Doha Film Institute, said in a statement.
“This dazzlingly quick success testifies to the vibrancy of the burgeoning fashion industry in the MENA region and the astonishing depth of talent among its designers,” she added.
Applications are open until Saturday. Designers, who must have MENA heritage or part of their brand’s business activities based in the region, can apply for one of five categories: Ready-to-Wear, Eveningwear, Accessories, Jewelry and the Franca Sozzani Debut Talent Award — the latter for graduate designers.
The advisory board will select the 24 finalists who will present their work to the FTA jury. The winners in the four main categories will receive a financial grant of between $100,000 and $200,000, while the recipient of the Franca Sozzani Award will secure a cash award of $25,000 and a mentorship program.
Winning designers will also benefit from a one-year partnership with British luxury retailer Matchesfashion, which includes a mentorship program and showcase of their collections across all channels, in addition to expert guidance on sustainability from ethical fashion retailer Maison de Mode.
Image Courtesy of Dave Benett/FTA
Also among the new members of the advisory board are Aquazzura founder and creative director Edgardo Osorio; influencer Bryan Grey Yambao, aka Bryanboy; Malone Souliers founder and creative director Mary Alice Malone; styling duo Wayman Bannerman and Micah McDonald, and editors Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, Adam Baidawi, Tiffany Godoy and Imruh Asha.
Returning advisory board members include Elizabeth von der Goltz, chief commercial officer of Matchesfashion; entrepreneur and investor Carmen Busquets; Fabio Piras, director of Central Saint Martins’ MA Fashion course; Sarah Andelman, founder of consulting agency Just an Idea; talent agent Saif Mahdhi; and editors Nina Garcia, Alexander Fury, Sara Maino, Patti Wilson and Sofia Guellaty.
“It’s always such an honor to have the support of some of the most renowned names from the industry. We are grateful for their participation in shortlisting FTA’s finalists, which really elevates the prize each year to new heights and helps put MENA designers on the global fashion map,” said FTA cofounder Tania Fares.
The advisory board will also be responsible for creating the shortlist of Turkish designers for the Guest Country Award, to be conferred in partnership with the Istanbul Apparel Exporters’ Association.
“The partnership with Turkey represents an opportunity for young designers from the MENA region and Turkey to be exposed to each other’s markets and exchange knowledge. Both regions share a rich culture of craftsmanship and artisanal work, which presents them with endless opportunities for further exploration,” FTA said.
SEE ALSO:
The Fashion Trust U.S. Assembles Board of Directors
Meet the Eight Finalists of the 2022 LVMH Prize
Nigerian Designer Emmanuel Okoro Wins Inaugural Africa Fashion Up Prize
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