Fashion Trust Arabia 2025: who won at this year’s celebration of rising talent in the Middle East and North Africa
The awards honoured MENA designers, drew celebrities including Lindsay Lohan, and were hosted by Queen Latifah
Some of the biggest names in fashion, art and entertainment descended on Doha to celebrate rising talent from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) at the seventh edition of Fashion Trust Arabia (FTA), held over the weekend in the capital of Qatar.
Every year, a jury comprising luminaries from the luxury industry selects winners in categories ranging from ready-to-wear and jewellery to evening wear, fashion tech and a guest country (this year it was India). Applicants must have been in business for at least two years and be nationals of a MENA country.
A tiny state with massive reserves of natural gas and oil, Qatar has one of the smallest populations in the world but has come to play a key role in culture and diplomacy in the Middle East and beyond.
A close US ally, the country hosted the World Cup in 2022 and has become a cultural force to be reckoned with, thanks in no small part to the visionary Al Mayassa, who also acts as chairperson of Qatar Museums.
It’s all part of a long-term plan first envisioned by Al Mayassa’s father, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the former emir of Qatar (her brother Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani is the current emir).
Named Qatar National Vision 30, the project encompasses four pillars: human development, social development, economic development and environmental development.