FTA Prize 2022 / Evening Wear: Who Will Succeed Benchellal?

After the Ready-to-Wear, Accessories and Debut Talent nominees, we’re moving to another collection of FTA Prize 2022 finalists. Today, we dive into one of our most glamorous categories, Evening Wear, with Kuwaiti Amna Alsalem, Moroccan Artsi Ifrah (Maison ARTC), Syrian Moulham Obid and Egyptian Yasmin Mansour.

Here, we’ll discover why they decided to apply to this year’s FTA Prize, and uncover everything about their relationship with fashion, their goals, loves and their plans for the future.

Who will succeed the talented Mohammed Benchellal, the winner of last year’s edition? Will the male domination of this category continue (Krikor Jabotian won in 2019 and Yousef Akbar in 2020) continue, or will a woman finally take the Prize?

1/ What pushed you to send in your submission to this year’s FTA Prize? What do you expect from this experience?

A great opportunity and an amazing platform to share my voice, learn and network.

2/ What was the first object related to fashion (a piece of clothing, jewelry, an accessory…) that dazzled you when you were a kid, and why?

I was actually interested more in paper sculpting and origami, in making buildings and shapes when I was a kid, to be honest fashion was not on the radar.

3/ What was the trigger that made you realize that you wanted to be a fashion designer and nothing else?

For me, fashion is an extension of not only self-expression, but it’s a way to start conversations and escape the world if need be. It’s a survival technique and a way to make change.

4/ Which fashion designer, Arab or international, inspired you, and why?

The late Alexander McQueen, maybe. It’s a very hard question, because I really believe that many designers have inspired me over a certain period of time.

5/ What is the one thing you wish people would stop wearing?

I’m always fascinated by how people are dressed, it doesn’t really matter whether I like it or not, I love to see how different people express themselves.

6/ What was your worst fashion faux-pas?

Self-doubt that ended in poor decisions.

7/ If you were to choose one of your looks, or that of any other designer, to wear every day for the rest of your life, what would it be, and why?

Anything black and simple.

8/ Who do you dream of dressing?

People who inspire me.

9/ What does the word “sustainability” mean to you?

Giving the future back to our children.

10/ What is something that makes you uncomfortable in the MENA fashion industry and that you would like to see changed?

Since we don’t really have great infrastructure for brand building, I would like to see changes to support brands, a create a healthier point of departure. Keeping in mind how new and fresh we are to the industry and taking into consideration the challenges that our world is nowadays facing, I believe we really have a great advantage, in that we can build a strong and altruistic base that will eventually add value and meaning to the industry.

1/ What pushed you to send in your submission to this year’s FTA Prize? What do you expect from this experience?

I believe the work that FTA is doing for the MENA region is important and the platform fit completely with the region’s creative DNA. A big part of my work is related to showcasing and elevating our cultures and our region by using our past to bring it to the present. I expect through this experience to create a change in the understanding of the creativity in the Arab world.

2/ What was the first object related to fashion (a piece of clothing, jewelry, an accessory…) that dazzled you when you were a kid, and why?

I was, and still am, fascinated with jellabas and kaftans, I remember seeing them on the street and in old Egyptian films. As I see it, they hide the figure and reveal our imagination in unexpected ways, the energy and the movement provoke my creativity and my need to tell a story through culture and spirit.

3/ What was the trigger that made you realize that you wanted to be a fashion designer and nothing else?

I believe that it was destiny that made me become a designer, I was a dancer when I was younger, and there I was surrounded by costumes with lots of fabrics, colors and textures. There, I realized fashion would be the field I was going to express myself through.

4/ Which fashion designer, Arab or international, inspired you, and why?

I respect every designer, and I am inspired by my culture and heritage and by the creativity and the history of the Arab world.

5/ What is the one thing you wish people would stop wearing?

Their insecurity! They need to start wearing their confident, beautiful self.

6/ What was your worst fashion faux-pas?

Every mistake teaches a lesson! So I guess I need to pass these lessons to improve and learn.

7/ If you were to choose one of your looks, or that of any other designer, to wear every day for the rest of your life, what would it be, and why?

My black jellaba covered with embroidered Hands of Fatima. It’s a timeless piece.

8/ Who do you dream of dressing?

Everyone who has their own personal style and would like to have one of my pieces.

9/ What does the word “sustainability” mean to you?

Sustainably means to not forget the creativity that is made from our love, our artisans’ skills and our history. Sustainability is not about mass production, but about values.

10/ What is something that makes you uncomfortable in the MENA fashion industry and that you would like to see changed?

Our creativity and craftsmanship should influence the Western world and not the other way around. We have the potential to choose our own destiny without looking at ourselves in someone else’s mirror. I would love to change this direction and bring more pride to our region.

1/ What pushed you to send in your submission to this year’s FTA Prize? What do you expect from this experience?

Regarding the current global status of fashion, FTA maintains a very high standard and stands out in terms of quality of service and support to young, talented designers, which motivated me to apply for this year’s Prize. I expect to learn more on various levels and to share the experience my fellow nominees and I will gain with future young designers.

2/ What was the first object related to fashion (a piece of clothing, jewelry, an accessory…) that dazzled you when you were a kid, and why?

My mother’s wedding dress was the first fashion object that dazzled and fascinated me when I looked at her wedding pictures as a kid. It was the first time that I felt so many emotions through a piece of clothing, which drove me to look into the finest details of the dress.

3/ What was the trigger that made you realize that you wanted to be a fashion designer and nothing else?

I always looked into patterns on clothes and sewing techniques as a kid. But after studying fine arts, I felt like I wanted to create art that moves around, kind of a 3D thing, which complements my passion for fashion, hence my inner confirmation that I was born to be a fashion designer and nothing else.

4/ Which fashion designer, Arab or international, inspired you, and why?

Alexander McQueen always inspired me with his creations that were always out of the box, proving every time that fashion is beyond expectations and prediction.

5/ What is the one thing you wish people would stop wearing?

Jogging trousers.

6/ What was your worst fashion faux-pas?

Matching and mixing different shades of a single color in one outfit.

7/ If you were to choose one of your looks, or that of any other designer, to wear every day for the rest of your life, what would it be, and why?

The red Carpet outfit from Maison Margiela for Cody Fern at the MET Gala in 2019. I love the colors and layering.

8/ Who do you dream of dressing?

The sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid

9/ What does the word “sustainability” mean to you?

To me, sustainability means responsibility. It is being an active part of creating a safe environment and guaranteeing a better future for everyone.

10/ What is something that makes you uncomfortable in the MENA fashion industry and that you would like to see changed?

I would like to see fairness to workers in the fashion industry (in terms of working conditions and compensation for their work) as well as addressing the issue of child labor.

1/ What pushed you to send in your submission to this year’s FTA Prize? What do you expect from this experience?

I find FTA to be a great platform that allows me to connect and share my ideas with the world. Following a new, innovative direction for my brand, sending in an application was the obvious thing to do. I expect this experience to be quite unique and nourishing. From being surrounded by other great and innovative designers, to challenging my own creativity.

2/ What was the first object related to fashion (a piece of clothing, jewelry, an accessory…) that dazzled you when you were a kid, and why?

A black tuxedo. I enjoy watching classical movies, and tuxedos are very prominent in them. They hold a unique sense of elegance and power, which was very captivating to me.

3/ What was the trigger that made you realize that you wanted to be a fashion designer and nothing else?

The freedom of expression designing gave me.

4/ Which fashion designer, Arab or international, inspired you, and why?

Schiaparelli. My main inspiration comes from art, and Maison Schiaparelli stands out through the art collaborations in their pieces.

5/ What is the one thing you wish people would stop wearing?

Fast fashion. The fashion industry is one of the biggest polluters, and with the current environmental issues we all need to become more sustainable.

6/ What was your worst fashion faux-pas?

Not feeling confident in what you are wearing.

7/ If you were to choose one of your looks, or that of any other designer, to wear every day for the rest of your life, what would it be, and why?

A black tuxedo. As I said, it is what started it all, and I simply cannot think of any other fashion piece that holds as much power as it does.

8/ Who do you dream of dressing?

Audrey Hepburn.

9/ What does the word “sustainability” mean to you?

Working slow and steady, using only what you need, not everything you can use.

10/ What is something that makes you uncomfortable in the MENA fashion industry and that you would like to see changed?

I would like to see more designers expressing themselves, and offering unique and out of the box ideas.