FASHION TRUST ARABIA ANNOUNCES WINNERS AT THE 2024 FTA PRIZE

Fashion Trust Arabia (FTA) hosted its sixth annual FTA 2024 Prize today at the iconic El Badi Palace in Marrakech, Morocco, as part of the Qatar-Morocco 2024 Year of Culture, an initiative that seeks to nurture lasting connections between diverse communities through a series of cultural exchanges and collaborations. The event brought together international and regional celebrities, press, and industry leaders, to honor seven exceptional designer winners.

Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums and Co-Chair of Fashion Trust Arabia, welcomed guests alongside FTA Co-Founder Tania Fares. Together, they reiterated their commitment to supporting the next generation of fashion talent from the MENA region.

The evening, hosted by the renowned international actress Angela Bassett and Egyptian actor Ahmad Helmy, was attended by notable guests such as  Alton Mason, Aya Nakamura, Balqees Fathi, Carla Bruni Sarkozy, Da'vine joy Randolph,  Evan Ross, Farida Khelfa, Halima Haden, Hande Erçel, Helena Christensen, Imaan Ammam, Jameela Jamil, James Blake, Jodie Turner-Smith,Isabelle Huppert, Lucien Laviscount, Nadine Njeim, Natalia Vodianova, Nicky Hilton, Paloma Elssesser, Paris Jackson, Precious Lee, Richard E. Grant, Taraji P Henson, Yasmine Sabri among others and Sophie Ellis-Bextor took the stage to perform her biggest hits.

The winners were chosen by a prestigious FTA Jury, consisting of industry experts, during the highly anticipated deliberation day at the Beldi Country Club. The 24 designer finalists showcased their collections and competed in various categories:

Ready-to-Wear, Eveningwear, Accessories, Jewelry, the Franca Sozzani Debut Talent Award, the Guest Country Award (in partnership with Spain), and the newly launched Fashion Tech Award.

Each winning designer receives a cash prize ranging from $100,000 to $200,000, as well as a personalized, one-year mentorship program provided by FTA’s Retail Partners and a global network of industry professionals. This comprehensive support covers vital topics in fashion business development, including sustainability through mentorship from Maison De Mode. Additionally, the winners of the Ready-to-Wear, Eveningwear, Accessories, and Jewelry categories will have their collections carried at Harrods internationally and Ounass in the MENA region.

THE WINNERS
Fashion Trust Arabia is proud to announce the winners of the 2024 FTA Prize:

• Ready-to-Wear designer winner: Yasmin Mansour
• Eveningwear designer winner: Nadine Mosallam
• Accessories designer winner: Reem Hamed
• Jewelry designer winner: Noura Abdulaziz Al Saud, Sara Naif Al Saud and Mashael Khalid Al Saud
• Franca Sozzani Debut Talent Award: Sylwia Nazzal
• Fashion Tech Award: Batoul al-Rashdan
• Guest Country Award – Spain: Francisco Barroso & Javier Garcia

FTA extends its heartfelt gratitude to the members of its Jury and Advisory Board for their continued support, without which the realization of FTA’s mission in empowering emerging designers would not be possible.

FTA 2024 Advisory Board

Ana Khouri - Artist and Designer, Beka Gvishiani - Founder STYLE NOT COM, Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele - Stylist and Art Director, Carmen Busquets - Philanthropist, Co-founder of Net-a-Porter and Fashion and Tech Pioneer, Delfina Delettrez - Jewelery Designer, Erdem Moralıoğlu – Designer, Gabriella Karefa Johnson - Fashion Editor and Stylist, Gaia Repossi - Creative Director and Designer of Repossi, Kelly Wearstler - Interior Designer,Kevin Tekinel & Charles Levai - Creative Directors at Large at W Magazine , Law Roach - Stylist and Image Architect, LaQuan Smith - Designer , Ludovic de Saint Sernin - Founder and Creative Director of LDSS, Michael Ward - CEO at Harrods, Mike Obenson - Chief Publications officer at System Magazine, Nadia Dhouib - Managing Director at Paco Rabanne, Nina Garcia - Author and Editor-in-Chief of ELLE US, Peter Dundas – Designer, Saif Mahdhi - Founder of Safe Management, Sara Sozzani Maino - Creative Director of the Sozzani Foundation, Sofia Guellaty - Founder and Creative Director of Mille World, Susie Lau - Digital Editorial Director at System Magazine, Ugo Mozie - Fashion Designer and Image Director.

FTA 2024 Jury

Amina Muaddi - Designer and Founder of Amina Muaddi, Arnaud Vaillant & Sebastien Meyer Creative Director and Co-Founders of Coperni, Ben Gorham - Founder of Byredo, Bethann Hardison - Advocate and Model, Charles Rosier - Co-Founder and CEO of Augustinus Bader, Duran Lantink - Giambattista Valli- Designer, Gilda Ambrosio &  Giorgia Tordini - Creative Director of The Attico Guram Gvasalia - Creative director at Vetements, Han Chong – Founder Self Portrait, IB Kamara - Editor-in-Chief at Dazed magazine and Creative Director of Off-White, Laurie Stark - Designer and Co-Founder of Chrome Hearts, Olivier Rousteing - Creative Director at BalmainRachid Rachid - Chairman of Valentino and Balmain, Remo Ruffini - CEO at Moncler Ruba Abu Nimah - Brand Creative director at Moncler, Wayman & Micah - Fashion and Celebrity Stylists, Yoon Ahn - Designer and Co-Founder of AMBUSH, Zuhair Murad - Fashion Designer.