Arab fashion has commanded a large stake in global fashion scene over the course of this year, with international recognition for its fashion award ceremonies and high-profile fashion events taking that took place in Qatar and Dubai. Designers and models from the region have made monumental strides in the industry as well, earning milestone career advancements and renowned titles. As we enter the New Year, we recall all of the biggest moments to take place in the Arab fashion world in 2022.
Fashion Trust Arabia 2022
Fashion industry heavyweights from across the globe went to Doha, Qatar for the Fashion Trust Arabia Awards Ceremony, which took place at the National Museum on 26th October 2022. The annual event is a celebration of talented up-and-coming fashion designers from the Middle East and North Africa region, who are awarded prizes in their respective categories, like Ready-to-Wear and Accessories, to kickstart their businesses. Winners from this year include Kazna Asker in the Debut Talent category and Fatma Mostafa in the Jewellery category. Discover the full complete list of nominees and winners here.
Dior UNVEILED its Menswear Show At The giza Pyramids
Dior‘s creative director, Kim Jones, unveiled his Autumn 2023 menswear collection in an astonishing display at the Giza pyramids in Egypt. The epic fashion show began at sundown and was full of nature-inspired looks, most notably celestial patterns that were taken from NASA’s telescopes.
Azza Fahmy’s collaboration with Balmain
Egyptian jewellery designer Azza Fahmy partnered with French luxury house Balmain to create the Eye of Horus Bustier–a fashion item that perfectly blends craftsmanship and heritage. When speaking of the collaboration, Azza Fahmy’s head designer Amina Ghali said “it’s pretty incredible how a culture that is more than 7000 years old still continues to inspire the world today… it’s always beautiful to pay tribute to our heritage.”
CR Runway in Qatar
Qatar Fashion United by CR Runway closed out the events surrounding FIFA World Cup in Qatar with a sold-out global runway show at Ras Abu Aboud Stadium 974 that featured 150 designers from six continents and 50 countries. The landmark fashion event was the brainchild of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and was curated by Carine Roitfeld. After the event, Her Excellency Sheikha Mayassa shared a message on her Instagram congratulating “the 21 Qatari designers and talent from the MENASA region whose creativity lit up the stage at Qatar Fashion United last night. You truly are the future of fashion in the region, and I couldn’t be prouder to see you share your talent with the world.”
Arab Fashion Week
The events brought to us by Arab Fashion Week this year were a feast for the eyes. Coordinated by The Arab Fashion Council and in partnership with the Dubai Design District, Arab Fashion Week showcases couture and ready-to-wear looks from top designers in the MENA region and the global fashion community, like Lili Blanc (runway show pictured above) and Rian Fernandez.
Middle East Fashion Week
The second iteration of Middle East Fashion Week took place from November 7th – 10th in Dubai, featuring non-seasonal catwalks events brought by Middle Eastern and International designers. The upscale event hosted designers such as Irena Soprano of SOL ANGELANN and Valeryia As’ad, conferences held by the Middle East Sustainable Fashion Forum, and round table discussions from leaders in the fashion industry.
naomi’s Fashion For Relief show in Qatar
Supermodel and outspoken activist Naomi Campbell launched her new global initiative, EMERGE, in Qatar on the 27th of October. The high-profile event took place in conjunction with Campbell’s Fashion for Relief initiative and Qatar Museums. It’s runway for charity portion opened with Bella Hadid wearing a Prada look. Afterward, the model took to Instagram to share that it “was a pure joy to see Naomi bring her beautiful culture of Africa to center stage, and an honour to be a part of another show and auction to raise money for relief in the African region.”
arab designers dominated Red Carpet fashion
For fashion enthusiasts, seeing red carpet looks at film festivals is as almost riveting as watching the premieres. During the second iteration of the Red Sea Film Festival, the red carpet was flooded with celebrities wearing looks by Arab Designers, like Nathalie Fanj (pictured above) in HONAYDA.
Africa Fashion Week middle east
Africa Fashion Week Middle East is a Dubai-based initiative shining a spotlight on African talent in the MENA region, offering a platform for African talent to grow at regional and international levels. Its premiere events took place in Dubai during Black History Month and featured designers like Thando Magumise of Ntombi Couture and Joe Osawaye of Kiza Bespoke.
Maison Valentino’s Forever Valentino Exhibition In Doha
Maison Valentino launched its biggest exhibition ever, “Forever Valentino,” in Doha, Qatar during October 2022. This theatrical experience is in concurrent with Qatar Creates‘s ongoing cultural events agenda and is open to the public until April 1, 2023.
Arab Fashion Council x Emily In Paris
Netflix MENA and the Arab Fashion Council rolled out the pink carpet to celebrate the Dubai debut of Emily in Paris Season 3. Netflix invited Arab designers, like Nadine Kanso and Ilyes Ouali, to showcase looks inspired by the show, which they pulled from their ready-to-wear collections. Heavyweights from Dubai’s fashion and entertainment scene debuted some of these outfits, like Enjy Kiwan (pictured above) who wore Marmar Halim to the event.
Arab World’s “First Curvy Model” walked Pfw
Arab Fashion Council ambassador and the first curve model from the Arab fashion world, Ameni Esseibi, walked in Paris Fashion Week for the first time during Victor Weinsanto’s Spring-Summer 2023 show. “Thank you so much Arab Fashion Council for helping make my dream come true,” the model said in an Instagram post afterward. It’s a landmark moment Esseibi’s personal career, but for the Arab fashion world as a whole–as she stated in her post, “this is just the beginning.”
bella hadid Received Model Of The Year Award
2022 was a supercharged year for US Palestinian-Dutch model, Bella Hadid, who was awarded “Model of the Year” by the British Fashion Council at The Fashion Awards, for her outstanding achievements on and off the runway.
