The 6th edition of the Fashion Trust Arabia (FTA) Awards took place last night at the stunning El Badi Palace in Marrakesh on Thursday night, with stars and fashion insiders from all over gathering to celebrate the best in Arab fashion. With support from HH Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser and co-chairs HE Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani and Tania Fares, the star-studded event was a night to remember.
The awards highlight emerging talent from across the Arab world, giving designers the chance to showcase their work and receive financial and business support to help grow their careers. The judging panel, made up of names like Zuhair Murad, Moncler’s Remo Ruffini, Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing, and MILLE founder Sofia Guellaty had the tough job of picking winners from the 22 finalists.
Among those honored were Egyptian designers Yasmin Mansour, Nadine Mosallam, and Reem Hamed who won in the Evening Wear, Ready-to-Wear, and Accessories categories, respectively.
In the Jewelry category, Saudi designers Noura Abdulaziz Al Saud, Sara Naif Al Saud, and Mashael Khalid Al Saud of Apoa took home the top prize, while Palestinian-Jordanian designer Sylwia Nazzal of Nazzal Studio was awarded the Franca Sozzani Debut Talent Award.
Following her win, Nazzal, draped in a keffiyeh, took to the stage to deliver a powerful speech. “To win this award is a huge honor, especially since it’s been a year since October 7 when the world started to wake up about the genocide that has been happening in Palestine for the past 75-years,” she began, revealing that she hadn’t prepared a speech and was speaking from her heart. “Winning this award in October feels like a huge weight and responsibility, but at the same time I’m so grateful for this platform and I intend to use it to remind everyone that 42,000 Palestinians have died since October 7 alone” she continued. “I began my work since the beginning of 2022, and you can only imagine how much that number is going to continue to raise. Even my voice is just a tiny one, and I’m not doing enough. So, I wanted to thank FTA for even giving me this platform. For years, I’ve been speaking out about the genocide and no one’s been listening,” she said.
Rounding out the winners were Jordanian designer Batoul al-Rashdan, whose innovative work in blending fashion with technology earned her the Fashion in Tech Award, while Spanish designers Xavi García and Franx de Cristal were also celebrated as the Guest Country winners.
The winning designers will receive a financial grant of $100,000 to $200,000 cash prize, depending on the size of their business; with $50,000 for the Franca Sozzani Debut Talent Award. Evening Wear, Ready-to-Wear, Accessories, and Jewelry category winners’ collections will be carried by FTA’s retails partner, Harrods, for one season.
Meanwhile, Huntsman Savile Row will offer the Ready-to-Wear category winner an internship in London. As part of the internship the winner will be creating an exclusive capsule collection to be sold on the retailer’s e-commerce platform.
The event was packed with famous faces, including music star Balqees Fathi, influencer Karen Wazen, and supermodel Imaan Hammam. As the night came to a close, the atmosphere at El Badi Palace was one of excitement and pride, with Arab fashion once again proving it’s a force to be reckoned with on the global stage.
Fashion Trust Arabia continues to give emerging designers the platform and support they need to grow, and this year’s winners are sure to make waves in the fashion world.