With every edition, Fashion Trust Arabia (FTA) manages to raise the bar. And ahead of its much-anticipated 7th annual awards ceremony, slated for November in Doha, the non-profit has just revealed its new advisory board for the Fashion Trust Arabia 2025 prize, and it reads like a who’s who of fashion power players.
The list is stacked: From creative directors like Clare Waight Keller and Simone Rocha to stylists like Gabriella Karefa-Johnson and Carlos Nazario, and industry disruptors like Beka Gvishiani and Wayman & Micah, this year’s board strikes the perfect balance between legacy and new guard.
Returning members like MILLE founder and creative director Sofia Guellaty and Anna Dello Russo are joined by the likes of Reem Acra, Khalid Al Tayer, Nina Garcia, and Delfina Delettrez, ensuring that voices from across continents—and aesthetics—are represented. Also on the board are cult designers Mary Katrantzou, Saloni Lodha, and Dilara Fındıkoğlu, bringing their distinct design languages to the table. The lineup is democratic, diverse, and, most importantly, exciting.
Their mission? To whittle down hundreds of applications from across the MENA region into just 21 finalists across seven categories: Eveningwear, Ready-to-Wear, Accessories, Jewelry, and the Franca Sozzani Debut Talent Award. These finalists will then present their collections to the board and jury during the awards week in Doha.
This year’s edition will also spotlight India as the Guest Country, thanks to a partnership with the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, marking another step in Fashion Trust Arabia’s ongoing mission to foster cross-cultural exchange and celebrate global creativity.
As always, winners can expect more than just a trophy. Beyond bragging rights, they’ll receive financial grants of up to $200,000, retail partnerships with Harrods and Ounass, and access to a year-long mentorship program with top-tier industry veterans.
With a board this robust, the 2025 edition of the Fashion Trust Arabia Awards is already shaping up to be one for the books.