Winners of Design For Dubai Competition Announced

Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), has today announced the five talented winners of its inaugural ‘Design for Dubai’ fashion competition.

Launched in support of local and regional designers, the five winners were selected by an esteemed judging panel featuring the biggest names in the retail and fashion industry, including Jazia Aldhnahani, CEO Dubai Design & Fashion Council (DDFC), Maitha Al Suwaidi, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, d3, Maryam Hassani, Founder of 55FIFTY7 and Lisseth Azab, Global Director, Azdef Group.

Chosen for their use of creativity, colour and fabric, the five winners can be revealed as:

Shaikha Amal Almaktoum – The talented Emirati designer started her fashion label Azzalia a year ago and has had exhibitions and shows around the Middle East, and most recently showed at London Fashion Week

Bazza Alzouman – Kuwaiti designer Bazza combines fairytale gowns with beautifully cut asymmetric dresses to create classic eveningwear

Leenah Almansoury – Sudanese fashion designer Leenah uses her passion for fashion and art to create eye-catching designs from traditional Sudanese fabric to produce modern designs and styles

Maison Nabooda – Creative Director at Maison Nabooda, a demi-couture brand that showcases unique artistic femine designs for the contemporary woman

Marwa Sayed – Based in Dubai, Egyptian designer, Marwa Sayed, launched her ready-to-wear label in 2014, aimed at introducing wearable art, the first of its kind concept in the region

Each of the fabulous fashion designers will now get the opportunity to showcase their collections at a combined pop-up at next year’s Market Outside the Box (MOTB), one of Dubai Shopping Festival’s flagship events. This is an annual market which features emerging and talented regional designers and shines a spotlight on some of the best homegrown and artisanal products from independent retailers across the city. Here the public will be able to see the amazing designs in the flesh and browse the collections.

Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of Dubai Tourism says: “Dubai continues to shine bright as a leading fashion retail destination and this competition is a great way to showcase the incredible local talent we have here in the Gulf. The vibrancy, passion and energy of the Middle East make it a great place to draw design inspiration and we’re proud of our ability to nurture future fashion stars locally. I can’t wait to see the collections and encourage everyone to come and support these talented designers.”