The renamed DDFC/Vogue Fashion Prize, which recognises the Arab world’s most promising fashion talents, has announced 10 ready-to-wear and accessories finalists for 2016.
Awarded by the Dubai Design & Fashion Council (DDFC) and Vogue Arabia, winning designers will receive a financial production grant, the opportunity to sell their collections on Farfetch.com, as well as retail pick-up from Browns (London), Curve (USA), and Al Ostoura (Kuwait). The prize is collectively worth $250,000 (Dh918,028) in value, organisers say.
“The Fashion Prize aligns with our vision to invest in ecosystem development and elevate the regional fashion scene. There’s no shortage of emerging talent in the Arab world, and with the power and scale of the Vogue brand and partners like Farfetch, the Fashion Prize will provide our region’s designers with a larger opportunity to compete on a global stage,” said Deena Aljuhani Abdulaziz, the editor-in-chief of Vogue Arabia in a statement.
The prize was earlier called Style.com/Arabia – DDFC Fashion Prize.
Applications from more than 100 designers were received from 12 countries in the Arab world, says Vogue Arabia.
Following a vote from the selection committee, five ready-to-wear and five accessories designers have been chosen as finalists. They are:
- Daneh by Daneh Buahmed: ready-to-wear
- Karoline Lang by Karine Tawil: ready-to-wear
- Mira Hayek: ready-to-wear
- Mochi by Ayah Tabari: ready-to-wear
- Reemami by Reema Al Banna: ready-to-wear
- Hooked | HKD by Farah Nasri: accessories (jewellery)
- Nathalie Trad: accessories (bags)
- Okhtein by Aya and Mounaz Abdelraouf: accessories (bags)
- Ralph Masri: accessories (jewellery)
- Rula Galayini: accessories (bags)
Winners of the DDFC/Vogue Fashion Prize will be announced in the autumn. Vogue Arabia will also make its Middle East debut online later this year, as a bilingual website in both English and Arabic, followed by 11 print editions from next spring. More on vogue.me.