All Winners

Ammanii jewelry was born from a desire to tell stories and untie women while transcending cultural barriers. A shared journey of hope and revived dreams is told through every design, with a desire to provoke courage, inspire a vision of global sisterhood and create a better tomorrow. CEO and designer Amany Shaker has had a non-traditional path, which culminated in a passion to create timeless pieces of jewelry. Inspired by her Egyptian heritage and influenced by a background in psychology and conflict resolution, and an extensive global experience as a humanitarian counselor, she has found jewelry design to be a powerful tool to empower women and to celebrate their own personal stories.

Born in London and raised in Beirut, Andrea Wazen developed a great passion for sketching and designing at a young age. To fulfill her dreams of becoming a fashion designer, she moved to Paris and attended Istituto Marangoni, where she discovered and refined her shoe-designing skills. In 2010 Andrea relocated to London, where she trained under the tutelage of Rupert Sanderson and Christian Louboutin. She also took shoe design courses at London’s Central Saint Martins. The Andrea Wazen label is based in Beirut, the city in which the brand’s shoes are designed and created by hand.

Lebanese designer Krikor Jabotian jump-started his career within the creative department at Elie Saab following his graduation from the École Supérieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode (ESMOD) in Beirut, an enriching experience that paved his path into the industry. Soon after, Krikor developed independent designs and was selected by Starch Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Rabih Kayrouz and Solidere, to showcase his creations. His first collection marked the beginning of Atelier Krikor Jabotian. At the age of 23, Krikor set up his first studio and designed his very first collection. The company quickly evolved into a thriving, family-run business with support from his father, mother and sister. Atelier Krikor Jabotian takes pride in its refined craftsmanship and use of opulent fabrics to create a timeless message of heritage, style, tradition and innovation.

In February 2009, three Indian-Lebanese sisters (Maya, Meena, and Zeenat Mukhi) decided to take their passion for fine jewelry to the next level. And so Mukhi Sisters was born out of the vibrant influences of different cultures and rich traditions. The three sisters grew up surrounded by design and jewelry-making. Their childhood was full of private shows, trade exhibitions, witnessing artisans at work and exciting discussions about the art and science of jewelry. It was only natural since their father, Chandru Mukhi, comes from a long line of Indian jewelers who have been in the business since 1875 and their mother, Effat Kreidie, has been the woman behind Effys Jewelry since 1982. This intergenerational background makes Mukhi Sisters an independent brand that tells an exceptional story of its own. Mukhi Sisters transforms stories and personal moments into finely crafted jewelry with real individuality. Perfect jewelry for day and night, the creations reflect each sister’s personal style, interests and obsessions. At Mukhi Sisters, the subtle meets the bold, the vibrant clashes with the sober, the nostalgic meets trendsetting style, the ethnic merges with the urban, and nature blossoms next to fanciful symmetry. It’s a cascade of sensations that celebrates the beauty of semi-precious stones, gold and diamonds to create original statements and to reflect a lifestyle sparkling with individuality. It’s ultimately an invitation to remain true to yourself.

Omer Asim is a Sudanese designer living and working in London. He graduated from the Bartlett School of Architecture before completing a postgraduate at the London School of Economics and Political Science. After a short stay with the United Nations Development Program, he started training as a psychoanalyst. During his psychoanalytic training he became fascinated with clothing and appearance, in relation to mind and body. Omer learned his craft through a number of internships, starting with Maurice Sedwell of Savile Row and ending at Vivienne Westwood. Before freelancing in the industry, he attended Central Saint Martins, specializing in creative pattern cutting. He launched his label in 2011. His design process does not rely on sketching or theme inspirations. The focus is on substance and craft to un-design a solid silent aesthetic. Modern shapes, cuts and textures mix with primitive elements to create a sense of regressive future.

Roni Helou was born in Lebanon in 1992. He attended Creative Space Beirut, a progressive fashion design institution offering free education. Upon graduating, he took part in Starch Foundation for two seasons, and through Starch his collections were presented at Fashion Forward Dubai. Roni was awarded the Boghossian Foundation Fashion Prize for 2017, which offers a residency at Villa Empain in Brussels. Pieces from Roni's previous collections were displayed at Les Nouveux Créateurs in Paris as part of Exposition Mode Emergente du Monde Arabe, co-curated by Institut du Monde Arabe and Fashion Forward Dubai. The brand Roni Helou has been featured in prominent regional media outlets such as Vogue Arabia, Harper’s Bazaar Arabia and UAE's The National. His designs are sold at various boutiques in the region.

Sabry Marouf is a creative partnership working in luxury artifacts that pay tribute to the designers’ cultural heritage. Ahmed Sabry’s creative and historic narrative joins Daki Marouf’s training as an architect and design-thinker for a partnership of true alchemy. The designers spent two years working with metalworkers, smiths and leather-workshops in Cairo’s historic crafts district of Khan el Khalili before launching their collections of jewelry and bags. They both graduated from London College of Fashion with Master's degrees in Fashion Artifact and Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation, respectively. Creating timeless objet d’art pieces that combine artisanal tradition with the latest technology in manufacturing, the designers transpose ancient Egypt as a new design language – an expression that is entirely modern. A question Sabry Marouf ask themselves is: where will our pieces be in 100 years' time? The notion of timeless, cherished objects distinguishes their philosophy. Like treasures from a royal tomb, Sabry Marouf pieces have a feeling of being discovered. Beguiling and coded, these modern-day artifacts are talismans in their wearer’s story. Sabry Marouf was endorsed by Vogue Talents in 2016 as an emerging designer. The designers have also represented Egypt at the International Fashion Showcase 2017 at Somerset House.  Supporters include the British Fashion Council’s Anna Orsini, Italian Vogue’s Sara Maino and actor, model and philanthropist Elisa Sednaoui.  

[fusion_builder_container type="flex" hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" overlay_color="" video_preview_image="" border_color="" border_style="solid" padding_top="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" padding_right=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" center_content="no" last="true" min_height="" hover_type="none" link="" border_sizes_top="" border_sizes_bottom="" border_sizes_left="" border_sizes_right="" first="true"][fusion_text columns="" column_min_width="" column_spacing="" rule_style="default" rule_size="" rule_color="" hue="" saturation="" lightness="" alpha="" content_alignment_medium="" content_alignment_small="" content_alignment="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" sticky_display="normal,sticky" class="" id="" margin_top="" margin_right="" margin_bottom="" margin_left="" fusion_font_family_text_font="" fusion_font_variant_text_font="" font_size="" line_height="" letter_spacing="" text_transform="none" text_color="" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" animation_offset=""] Salim Azzam is a Lebanese visual storyteller and illustrator with a Master’s degree in visual communication design from the University of Alberta in Canada. His socially conscious brand is inspired by local traditions and cultural heritage. His bespoke designs are handcrafted and embroidered by women from Lebanon's mountain villages, infusing traditional know-how into his clothing. [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Born and raised in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Yousef Akbar first studied logistics in Australia. But his first love was always fashion. After completing his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Sydney, he earned a Bachelor’s in fashion in 2016. He launched his contemporary eveningwear brand one year later. Fascinated by the interaction of the cloth and body, Yousef challenges conventions in cutting and construction of garments, while maintaining elegance and femininity. He creates a narrative with his collections to evoke emotional undercurrents of everyday life. When a woman wears one of his garments, she lives his story and experiences his personal research and quest for inspiration. The Yousef Akbar brand is built on a spirit of collaboration, creating ethical and responsible couture and ready-to-wear garments that make the wearer look good and also feel good about wearing. The brand uses recycled and upcycled materials while supporting local artisans in small communities around the world. It’s a slower design process, where tradition influences more than trends, where there is a purpose to every piece and where it is all in the details. “Before I begin designing, I don’t really think about designing clothes, I think about creating something beautiful. To me this is truly beyond just a profession, it is something I deeply connect with and feel it gives me a sense of purpose,” he says.

Zeid Hijazi grew up in Jordan, and he credits his art teacher in Amman with having given him the right foundation to eventually purse a degree in fashion from London’s Central Saint Martins. The years spent in London and Jordan have had a major influence on his work, which usually references his past experiences and his most personal stories, while juxtaposing them with inspiration from Lam Qua, Francis Bacon and 1950s Christian Dior. “The fact that I can change how you are represented through the medium of clothes is what makes me want to build my own world,” he says.

Zyne means beauty in Arabic and that’s just what Zineb Britel and Laura Pujol are bringing to the world with their unique interpretation of a timeless Moroccan tradition. Zineb is a Moroccan designer based in Casablanca. Her mission is to bring the ancestral footwear know as the "babouche" (mule) and its traditional craftsmanship into the 21st century. Born in the 1990s, her style is anchored in the laid-back, multicultural vibe made popular by her generation. After studying fashion design at ESMOD in Paris and gaining experience by working at prestigious French fashion houses Christian Dior and Sonia Rykiel, Zineb discovered her passion for shoe design. She furthered her expertise in this discipline at Central Saint Martins in London and Moda Pelle in Italy. It was during those years that she was inspired to explore her own country’s footwear and to develop a fresh new take on the traditional babouche. Laura is Zineb’s best friend and business partner. She graduated from INSEEC, one of France’s top advertising schools. She then went on to specialize in luxury goods marketing at L’Ecole Internationale de Marketing de Luxe in Paris. Laura has a passion for bringing the painstaking craft of making luxury goods to life and honoring those who dedicate their lives to the trades that make it possible. Laura’s mission is spreading the Zyne passion and message across the world while making new friends for the brand along the way. Zyne products combine the traditional craftsmanship of Morocco with the quality production of Paris. The footwear collections are 100% handmade by in Morocco by women, in local collaboratives that simultaneously keep the art of babouche-making alive. Already loved by Chiara Ferragni, Leandra Medine and Eva Chen, the shoes regularly sell out on Net-A-Porter.