Qatar Duty Free Proud To Be Lead Diamond Sponsor Of Fashion Trust Arabia

‎ 25 October 2022

Qatar Duty Free is fully committed to support Fashion Trust Arabia’s mission in nurturing and highlighting emerging designers in the MENA region

DOHA, Qatar – Qatar Duty Free is proud to be 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 will take place on Wednesday, 26th October 2022, 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. H.H. Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser, honorary chair of FTA, and H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani and Tania Fares, Co-chairs of FTA, will be amongst the attendees, alongside a jury of fashion leaders and designers across the world, renowned figures from the fashion industry and prominent celebrity figures.

Vice President of Qatar Duty Free, Mr. 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 honored 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 will choose five winners out of 24 finalists. The focused categories of the competition will be: Evening Wear, Ready-to-Wear, Accessories (Shoes/Bags), and Jewelry (Fine & Fashion Jewelry), and the Franca Sozzani Debut Talent Award (Arab Fashion Design Graduate).

The jury panel will include distinguishable figures in the fashion industry, including internationally renowned Lebanese Fashion Designer Zuhair Murad, the world-renowned Jordanian- Romanian Fashion Designer and Shoemaker Amina Muaddi, and many prominent figures in the world of fashion. Each winner receives a grant of up to $200,000 and a year of invaluable business mentorship and training relating to sustainable practices. The winners will be announced at the FTA Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony.

About Qatar Duty Free

Qatar Duty Free (QDF), a subsidiary of Qatar Airways group, is a shopping emporium at the heart of the Skytrax 2022 World’s Best Airport, Hamad International Airport (HIA), with more than 50,000 square meters of duty-free and concession space. By the end of the end of 2022, QDF will boast more than 150 luxury and affordable retail outlet and more than 70 F&B outlets.

QDF offers an extensive selection of luxury boutiques and a wide portfolio of multi-brand concept shops and duty free stores.

In addition to its wide luxury brand portfolio, QDF boasts a wide range of cuisines to suit every palette and budget at our numerous dine in restaurants, cafes and grab and go outlets.

As part of its position within a powerful trinity of a retailer, an award-winning airport and a global airline, QDF is uniquely positioned to partner with travel retail brands to launch products and services, bringing exclusive experiences to customers.

HIA, QDF’s home and hub, has expanded to increase capacity to more than 53 million passengers and 3 million tons of cargo annually. The expansion project has increased to11,720 sqm of landscaped retail and F&B space, which had enhanced the multi-dimensional offerings of the five-star airport by integrating world-class art collection and refreshing environment of lush greenery with contemporary retail and dining concepts among other leisure attractions and facilities under one expansive terminal. 

About Fashion Trust Arabia

FTA is a non-profit initiative launched in 2018 under the patronage of HH Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser as honorary chair, with co-chairs HE Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani and Tania Fares. 

The first initiative of its kind in the Arab world, FTA was originally created to provide financial support, guidance and mentorship to emerging designers in the MENA region. The organization has become so much more: a platform of opportunity through which every talented Arab designer can grow and receive international recognition.

Each year the FTA jury is responsible for selecting 5 winners out of 24 finalists. Each winner receives a grant of up to $200,000 and a year of invaluable business mentorship and training relating to sustainable practices. This includes a special partnership with the retailer MATCHESFASHION, which in addition to providing mentorship the collections of the winners, offering them access to global markets. The retailer has also been providing the FTA winners with business mentorship.

Fashion Trust Arabia has expanded by launching FTA Pulse and the fashion database Directory, invaluable resources assisting in shining the spotlight on the Arab fashion world’s luminaries through features, interviews, and company information.

By exploring local culture, regional trends and the latest innovations, Fashion Trust Arabia now showcases a never-before-seen panorama of the Arab fashion scene, while simultaneously highlighting the sector’s great global significance.