A global showcase of fashion, culture, music and sports, Qatar Fashion United by CR Runway took place between the semifinal and final matches at 974 Stadium. The event was a collaboration between Qatar Creates and Roitfeld.

Initiated in 2017 by Khalid Albaih and Aparna Jayakumar, Doha Fashion Fridays is an ongoing photographic series documenting the beautiful individuality of migrant workers’ personal style in Qatar. Tasweer is honored to provide a new cultural platform for this historic visual account.

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Heya

The 17th edition of Heya opened with a glamorous ceremony, welcoming visitors to discover modest fashion from over 150 brands from the GCC, Asia, Europe and Africa. The show highlights homegrown talent and supports entrepreneurship, with a record 93 booths booked by local designers. In addition to showcasing their collections, the exhibitors host a series of fashion shows and workshops for current and budding designers.

The exhibition is also a platform to support the community and aims to empower women in Qatar. In line with this goal, the show has partnered with M7, a platform for emerging fashion entrepreneurs that helps them build their brand and grow into successful entrepreneurs. In addition, the organizers of Heya have forged partnerships with educational and social initiatives such as Bedaya, VCU Arts Qatar and Al Hosh Gallery.

This year, the exhibition has endorsed fashion for a cause by partnering with Education Above All (EAA) to raise awareness about the impact of out-of-school children. EAA works with global, national and regional partners to enroll 10.4 million out-of-school children around the world.

This edition of the exhibition also saw a 65% increase in the number of locally designed and manufactured modest fashion pieces on display. Several new designers were showcased, including 1309, Ayalah Modest, Aliya Al Obaidly, 3batch by Fatma Alahmed, 3F, Abeer Al Mutair, Hamadis, Kaltham’s Pavilion and Drizzle.

The show also featured an abaya designer competition, in which 20 local abaya designers showcased their designs during the event. The winning designs were selected by a jury of local media personalities and industry leaders.

In addition to the designer competition, this year’s edition of Heya also hosted a series of talk shows and panel discussions on topics ranging from the impact of circular fashion on the future of textiles to empowering women in the Arab world. The event was attended by a wide audience of both local and international fashion enthusiasts, students, designers and industry leaders.

The event was a success, drawing in a total of 10,000 visitors during the five-day exhibition at Doha Exhibition and Convention Center. The exhibitors showcased a variety of styles, from couture modest fashion collections to abayas and evening gowns. The visitors enjoyed a series of fashion shows and discussions, as well as daily workshops and forums.

Qatar Fashion United by CR Runway

A one-of-a-kind event, Qatar Fashion United by CR Runway is the first Qatari-designed runway show to showcase local talent at the world’s most respected platform. The event, conceived by Qatar Museums Chairperson Her Excellency Sheikha Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani and curated by visionary French editor and stylist Carine Roitfeld with CR’s CEO Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld, is part of the Qatar Creates movement to uplift Qatar’s cultural scene. All proceeds from the global fashion spectacle will benefit Education Above All, a non-profit founded by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned and Sheikha Mayassa to provide educational opportunities to marginalized children worldwide.

This monumental fashion show paired 21 Qatari designers with acclaimed international icons of art, fashion, music, and sports. From a dramatic and feminine dress by 1309 to a stunning headpiece by jewellery designer Nada Al Sulaiti, Qatar Fashion United by CR Runway highlighted the modern embrace of tradition and heritage with designs that fuse the local and global fashion worlds.

The evening opened with a performance by singer, songwriter, and rapper Post Malone. The Grammy-nominated artist brought the crowd to their feet with his high-energy, infectious music. He was joined by a slew of talented artists including DJ Snake, Kadim Al Sahir, Nancy Ajram, Ozuna, and Zake Bantwini.

Next up was a breathtaking collection by 1309, which featured a striking thigh-high dress in silk with hand-embroidered traditional zari bisht. The brand, helmed by Ghada Al Subaey, aims to celebrate women with its “contemporary bohemian” aesthetic. The edgy yet elegant gowns were paired with remarkable headpieces by jewellery designers Nada Al Sulaiti and Tamader Alsultan.

Other standout pieces included a structured suit by TRZI, an eco-luxury and sustainable label by designer Amna Al Misned. The piece was inspired by Qatar’s coastline, featuring elements from the sea and sailing boats. Lastly, Yasmin Mansour drew inspiration from the Qatari flag with her floral embroidered dress.

The second act of the fashion show featured works by visual storytellers from all over the world. Shaima Al-Tamimi, a Yemeni-East African artist, used her work to explore the relationship between art and identity. Her powerful, personal documentary approach is reflected in her works, which are an inspirational melding of family archives and contemporary themes. Her works also highlight the power of empowering women and the importance of education.

Doha Fashion Week

This year’s Qatar Fashion United by CR Runway will showcase four uniquely designed and highly choreographed runway presentations. The show will feature an Opening Act joined by the national ambassadors representing all 32 countries competing in the World Cup, who will be wearing custom-designed jerseys. The event will also see a collaboration between two local Qatari brands, Aliya Al Obaidly and Harlienz, to perform a piece titled “Where the Sand Touches the Sea.” Proceeds from the event will benefit Education Above All, a non-profit organisation to provide access to education for vulnerable children.

The organisers of the event have promised to celebrate the best of Middle East and Qatari culture through a series of exhibitions, fashion events, and talks. They have also launched a new initiative, called Qatar Creates, which is an annual cultural celebration that connects the fields of art, fashion, and design through a series of week-long community events and programmes. The event has been supported by a number of fashion luminaries, including American designer Virgil Abloh.

British supermodel Naomi Campbell, who is known for her charity work through her Fashion for Relief platform, has recently arrived in Qatar. She landed in Doha along with her cousin, fashion designer Bianca Saunders. She posted pictures on Instagram of herself boarding her private jet in a patterned tracksuit and a black fedora.

During her stay, the 51-year-old model attended the opening reception for Qatar Fashion Week at the Museum of Islamic Art. She was pictured alongside fashion industry heavyweights like Valentino’s creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli and Coco Rocha. She also visited the new M7 boutique, which hosts masterminds from around the world in the realm of haute couture.

The event was organised in partnership with Qatar Museums. It aims to support local talent in the fashion and design industries through exhibitions, awards, workshops, and public talks. It was inaugurated by Sheikha Moza bint Nasser and the FTA Co-Chair, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Al Thani. The prestigious awards also offer hefty cash prizes and mentorship programs for upcoming designers from the MENA region.

Fashion Trust Arabia Prize 2021

Earlier this week, supermodels Bella Hadid and Naomi Campbell jetted into Doha for a host of major fashion events. The duo was on hand for a special Fashion Trust Arabia Prize 2021 event, which aims to nurture the next generation of creative talent in the MENA region. Both models stunned in a range of stunning looks, with Hadid opting for a black oversized structural dress with a beaded chain asymmetrically placed around her neck, while Campbell wore a white feathered gown and a floor-length black dress with cut-outs on the chest.

FTA Prize 2021 saw 24 designer finalists present their collections to a jury comprised of a mix of industry heavyweights and renowned international figures. Following the presentation, judges selected six winners who were deemed to have shown the most potential for success in the future. These designers received financial backing worth up to $200,000 and benefit from a year of invaluable mentorship with key FTA partners including a unique partnership with retailer MATCHESFASHION, who will exclusively stock the winning collections on its website.

The event also included the presentation of awards to the top students from VCUarts Qatar’s Department of Fashion Design. Senior student Tiaba Nazir won the Golden Needle Award, while junior student Noor Rashid Butt received the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award. The evening ended with a panel discussion on the power of couture, diversity in the fashion industry, and nurturing the next generation of creativity in the Middle East. Panelists included Valentino creative director Pierpaolo Picciolo, FTA founder Tania Fares and Her Excellency Sheikha Moza bint Hamad Al Thani.

Fashion Trust Arabia (FTA) returned to Doha for its third annual FTA Prize last night at the National Museum of Qatar. The ceremony was hosted by model Irina Shayk and TV personality Fairouz Ziane, with guests from a variety of industries in attendance.

This year, the prize was expanded to include a “guest country” for the first time. Colombian designer Agustin Nicolas Rivera won the FTA Prize for his label A New Cross, which celebrates the nation’s rich craftsmanship and traditional heritage.