First-ever winner of War of Shades: Celebrating artistry and women empowerment

Curated by Rumana Sameer, Founder of Elysium Amara Events, the event aimed to celebrate artistry, innovation, and women empowerment through beauty and fashion. The event set a new benchmark in the city’s creative event landscape, offering a unique platform that celebrated makeup artistry, runway fashion, and the spirit of women empowerment under one roof.

Designed as a concept-driven experience, War of Shades – DXB Edition moved beyond the format of a conventional makeup competition. The event focused on creative expression, transformation, and presentation, offering makeup artists the opportunity to showcase their skills in a professional, high-visibility setting.

At the centre of the show was a creative makeup artistry competition that encouraged participants to explore originality and push artistic boundaries. Artists were evaluated on their creativity, execution, and overall impact, reinforcing the event’s emphasis on artistic integrity rather than commercial trends.

A key highlight of the evening was a dedicated runway walk celebrating women empowerment. The segment emphasised confidence, individuality, and self-expression, aligning with the event’s broader message of supporting women-led creativity across the beauty and fashion industries.

The show also featured five women couture designers and 3 women jewellery designers runway showcases, adding a strong fashion dimension to the event. The collections presented reflected a range of aesthetics, craftsmanship, and creative philosophies, offering audiences a visually engaging experience while reinforcing the multidisciplinary nature of the platform.

The competition was judged by a panel of respected industry professionals, including MJ Traya, creative expert Mehreen Zubair, and Lyartist. Their combined experience ensured a structured and professional evaluation process, lending credibility to the competition and valuable recognition to the participating artists.

The jury assessed participants on multiple criteria, including originality, technique, and presentation, providing an industry-standard benchmark for talent showcased during the event.

The competition winners were Jessica Karen Tolentino, Chanda Patnaik and Binish Shahzadi.

War of Shades – DXB Edition was supported by leading brands within the beauty and lifestyle space. The show was partnered by Kryolan, Asian Angels, Cosmo Cosmetics, and other partners, whose involvement reflected growing industry interest in platforms that nurture creative talent.

The gift partners’ presence added value to the overall experience, contributing to the professional scale of the event and supporting its objective of offering meaningful exposure to artists and designers.

Produced by Sameer Ahmed, Elysium Amara Events, War of Shades – DXB Edition aligns with the company’s vision of creating meaningful platforms that elevate artists, designers, and creatives. Known for curating unique and world-class events, the company continues to focus on experiences that combine creativity, collaboration, and cultural relevance.

By bringing together makeup artistry, fashion showcases, and empowerment-driven narratives, War of Shades – DXB Edition positioned itself as a distinctive addition to Dubai’s creative calendar. The event fostered collaboration, encouraged artistic dialogue, and created opportunities for talent to gain visibility within a professional setting.

As the curtains closed on its debut edition, War of Shades – DXB Edition left a lasting impression on audiences and participants alike. With its strong creative vision, industry backing, and emphasis on artistic excellence, the platform has set a solid foundation for future editions.

The success of the event signals a promising future for War of Shades, with the potential to grow into a recurring showcase that continues to champion creativity, empower artists, and contribute to Dubai’s evolving cultural and creative scene.