Fashion Trust Arabia is back and stronger than ever. The annual awards ceremony, which has become a cornerstone event on the global fashion calendar, drew celebrities to Marrakech this weekend to support design talent from the Middle East and North Africa.
The ceremony, co-hosted by actress Angela Bassett, included actresses Taraji P. Henson, Rosario Dawson, Mae Musk, Carla Bruni, Lucien Ravicount, Farida Khelfa, Law Roach, Laquan Smith, Guests from the entertainment industry included Daphne Guinness, Paris Jackson, and Nicki. Hilton and models Iman Hammam, Leonie Hanne, Natalia Vodianova, Halima Aden and Alessandra Ambrosio.
“Marrakech has always been a special place for the world’s fashion scene, but tonight, it’s hard to imagine that the red city has ever looked so dazzling,” said Bassett, who co-hosted the event with Egyptian actor Ahmed Helmy. said. Verdi Palace at night in Marrakech.
Her Excellency Sheikha Almayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Founder and Co-Chairman of Fashion Trust Arabia (Chairman of Qatar Museums) and Tania Fares, Founder of Fashion Trust recognized the challenges of war facing the United States and reaffirmed its dedication to human resource development. and support the creative community. “Due to the loss of so many lives last year, we took the decision to cancel the Fashion Awards,” Sheikh Almayassa said. “This year, however, we are proud to announce our determination, commitment and renewed confidence in the power of culture and fashion to transform lives and support the careers of outstanding Arab designers, helping to build creative industries across the Arab world.” We will move forward with this.”
Fares, who is from Lebanon, acknowledged the pain in her home country, saluted the resilience of designers and communities, and thanked international guests for their support. “The FTA has helped draw attention to creativity in our region, and we are honored to see this work recognized by meeting you here tonight. , we’ve built an extraordinary community of editors, stylists, and most importantly, the designers we support here,” Fares said. “It is incredibly moving for me to see so many of you come together from all over the world, united by a common purpose to support and elevate the talent in our region. The presence of everyone here speaks volumes.”
This year will be the first time that the FTA will be held outside of Doha, Qatar, which was the event’s main supporter at the time. The change of location was made in conjunction with the Qatar-Morocco Year of Culture 2024, an initiative aimed at fostering connections between different communities through cultural exchange and cooperation. Sheikh Al Mayassa emphasized the importance of Morocco for creatives. “Marrakech embodies a beautiful fusion of cultures and ideas. It has inspired countless artists and designers, and tonight we pay tribute to those who continue this tradition.”
Hammam, a model who traces her roots to Morocco, said: “Marrakech is more than just a city. It’s a rich tapestry of culture. I’m really proud to be here and I’m very proud of the talent that’s blossoming in our region. FTA’s mission really resonates with me.”
The jury for the award, which took a day to deliberate on the work of designers, was Amina Mouaddi, Olivier Rousteing, IB Camara, Giambattista Valli, Zuhair Murad, Remo Ruffini, Ben Gorham, and Arnaud Vaillant. , was comprised of industry luminaries including Sebastian Meyer.
The 2024 FTA Award winners are:
Ready to wear: Yasmin Mansour
Eveningwear: Nadine Mosallam
Accessories: Reem Hamed
Jewelry: Noura Abdulaziz Al Saud, Sarah Naif Al Saud, Mashael Khalid Al Saud
Franca Sozzani Debut Talent Award: Sylwia Nazar
Fashion Tech Award: Batur Al Rashdan
Guest Country Award (Spain): Francisco Barroso, Javier Garcia
Each will receive financial support of $100,000 to $200,000 for their creative endeavors, as well as a one-year mentorship program covering aspects of fashion business development offered by FTA’s retail partners. Winners in the ready-to-wear, eveningwear, accessories and jewelery categories will have the opportunity to retail internationally at Harrods as well as Ounas in the Middle East region.
