Qatar Duty Free is the Lead Diamond Sponsor of Fashion Trust Arabia, a non-profit initiative that aims to provide financial support, guidance, mentorship, and global recognition to emerging fashion designers and talents in the Mena region.

The FTA Gala Dinner and Award Ceremony took place recently at the National Museum of Qatar; a vibrant space where diverse communities can come together to discover the beauty of Qatar’s rich heritage and culture.

Vice President of Qatar Duty Free, Thabet Musleh, said: “We are very proud to be a Lead Diamond Sponsor of an influential organization like Fashion Trust Arabia. This partnership is an opportunity to bring attention to emerging designers and artists in the Mena region. As a prominent player in the fashion industry, we are proud to support an initiative that sheds light on the astonishing depth of talents among designers and fashion artists in the Arab world. Through our support of FTA, we want to prove to the world that Arab designers are present and can be enormously impactful to the fashion industry.”

Fashion Trust Arabia Co-Founder Tania Fares, said: “We are honoured to have Qatar Duty Free as the Diamond Sponsor for the FTA Prize this year; their support is truly invaluable to the designers who are taking part of this edition.”

Qatar Duty Free will exclusively offer fashionable reusable tote bags designed in Lebanon by world-renowned Lebanese Fashion couturier Zuhair Murad. The bags were produced in collaboration with Fashion Trust Arabia and Bags of Ethics to reduce the impact of disposable plastic bags and promote the usage of sustainable, reusable bags. In addition, profits from the sale of the Zuhair Murad sustainable bags will be donated towards Fashion Trust Arabia’s initiative to promote and support fashion designers and emerging talents from the Mena region.

This year, the FTA jury panel chose five winners out of 24 finalists. The focused categories of the competition included Evening Wear, Ready-to-Wear, Accessories (Shoes/Bags), and Jewellery (Fine & Fashion Jewellery), and the Franca Sozzani Debut Talent Award (Arab Fashion Design Graduate).

Each winner receives a grant of up to $200,000 and a year of invaluable business mentorship and training relating to sustainable practices. – TradeArabia News Service