About the Prize
FTA Prize is the first of its kind initiative in the Arab world. The first edition was successfully launched in 2018, under the patronage and presence of FTA’s Honorary Chair HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser and Co-chairs HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani and Tania Fares at an awards ceremony event held Doha, Qatar. Each year, six winning designers are selected across six different design categories with a seventh category launched this year; The Fashion Tech Award 2024. The Prize is currently on its 6th edition and applications are currently open.
Categories
Prize Requirements
Evening Wear, Ready-to-Wear, Accessories and Jewelry Categories:
Applicants must be in business for a minimum of 2 to 10 years.
Applicants must hold a MENA nationality. They can either be based in the MENA region or have an office or production facility in the MENA region.
Franca Sozzani Debut Talent Award:
Applicants should be either currently enrolled in a fashion program or have earned a fashion design degree, from 2022, 2023 or 2024, and are in the process of launching their own brands.
Applicants must be involved in designing womenswear and/or menswear and are required to submit a newly completed graduate collection via portfolio and images for consideration.
Applicants should hold a MENA nationality but are not required to be studying or graduating from the MENA region.
Fashion Tech Award 2024:
The FTA Fashion Tech award is a recognition that celebrates and promotes young designers who demonstrate technological integration and innovation within their brand's production processes and end products. This award specifically focuses on the fusion of technology and fashion, emphasizing its applications for the betterment of the industry, such as sustainability, wellness, comfort, performance or other beneficial reasons.
Eligible applicants for this award are young Arab designers based either in the MENA region or abroad who are either graduating with a fashion degree or have established their brands and are actively implementing advanced technological techniques in their production and garment creation. These techniques could encompass a wide range of innovations, including but not limited to:
Wearable technology that integrates with fashion for practical or innovative purposes
Biofabrication processes using living organisms to create textiles and materials, offering a sustainable alternative in fashion
Smart or functional fabrics that enhance wellness, comfort, or performance
Innovative manufacturing processes that improve efficiency or reduce waste
Cutting edge technological innovations specifically aimed at advancing sustainability in the fashion realm
The FTA Fashion Tech award aims to spotlight and support those pushing the boundaries of fashion by incorporating cutting-edge technology in their design and production processes. Recognizing the pivotal role of technology in shaping the future of fashion, this award seeks to honor young designers who are leveraging these advancements to create impactful, sustainable, and innovative clothing and accessories.
Financial Grants & Mentorships
The winning designers in the Evening Wear, Ready-to-Wear, Accessories and Jewelry categories receive a financial grant of $100,000 to $200,000 cash prize, for key areas of business development depending on the size of their business and yearly turnover. Grants are tailored to each winner in-line with their brand objectives.
The Franca Sozzani Debut Talent Category winner will receive a financial grant of $25,000 to $50,000 to help jumpstart their business in addition to a tailored mentorship program from industry figures and partners to assist them in developing their brands.
Ready-to-Wear, Accessories and Jewelry Category winners will also receive a one-year mentorship program by MATCHES, who will carry their collections for one season. Harrods will carry the Evening Wear category winner’s collection for one season as well.
Huntsman Savile Row will offer the Ready-to-Wear category winner an internship in London. As part of the internship the winner will be creating a capsule collection to be sold on the retailer’s e-commerce platform.
All winners will receive a personalized one-year mentoring program delivered by FTA’s Retail Partners and a global network of industry professionals, covering a variety of topics relevant to the business of fashion, including mentorships with The Bicester Collection and showroom representation and PR consultancy by Maison Pyramide. Luxury ethical fashion retail platform Maison De Mode offers a tailored mentorship that focuses on the importance of sustainability and ethical fashion practices.
FTA Sponsors
