Doha’s Qatar National Museum lit up as seven designers from the MENA region were crowned at Fashion Trust Arabia 2025, a program that blends substantial funding with mentorship to accelerate emerging talent. The red carpet sparkled under pink lighting as guests including Queen Latifah, Gisele Bundchen, and Miuccia Prada celebrated a night that underscored resilience in a region navigating rapid change. The venue, designed by Jean Nouvel, framed a ceremony that felt both glamorous and purposeful.
From a pool of 21 finalists, seven laureates stepped forward, each presenting work that fused heritage with modernity. Ready-to-Wear went to Youssef Drissi for Late for Work, with deconstructed staples and thrift-shop irreverence setting the tone. Ziyad Al Buainain of Zyiad Buainain claimed Eveningwear with gowns that shift and reveal their secret life through simple movements. Leila Roukni of Talel won Accessories, while Farah Radwan of FYR Jewelry distilled heritage motifs into sleek contemporary forms.
Bahrain-born Alaa Alaradi earned the Franca Sozzani Debut Talent Award for Further Deeper Softer Closer, and Fatema and Dalal Alkhaja of Touchless captured Fashion Tech with their adaptable 3D-printed bags. Kartik Kumra represented the guest country Kartik Research, illustrating a human-centered design approach.
The winners’ accolades were chosen by a jury that included Christian Louboutin, Duran Lantink, Giambattista Valli and Rabih Kayrouz, who praised craft, sustainability, and bridges between heritage and the future. In a night punctuated by performances from Saint Levant and Chaka Khan, Miuccia Prada received the Lifetime Achievement Award and Zuhair Murad the Trailblazer Award, while the presence of Indian designer Kartik Kumra underscored a global dialogue around design leadership.
In her welcoming speech, Sheikha Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani spoke of the region’s endurance and the strength of its design community, noting that creativity persists even in challenging times and that designers continue to tell powerful regional stories to the world. Industry voices, including Veronica Leoni of Calvin Klein, echoed the sentiment, praising how young designers balance tradition with experimentation. Prada herself emphasized collaboration and the empowerment of women as central to fashion’s evolving narrative.
Bathed in a soft pink glow, the museum’s sweeping elliptic architecture provided a cinematic backdrop for a show that blended heritage motifs with forward-looking silhouettes. Drissi’s collection offered a deconstructed take on everyday garments; Buainain’s gowns invited movement and discovery; Roukni’s bags married geometry with cultural reference; Radwan’s jewelry translated motifs into a polished, contemporary edge. Alaradi explored tension between fluidity and discipline, while Touchless demonstrated flexible, tech-inflected design. Kartik Kumra’s concept brand reinforced the importance of artisanal, people-centered creation in today’s market.
