ABOUT FASHION TRUST ARABIA

FTA Prize is the first initiative of its kind in the Arab world, motivated by the success of the BFC Fashion Trust in the UK, which had tremendous impact in supporting some of the most talented designers. With an initial mission to provide financial support, guidance and mentorship to emerging designers in the MENA region, FTA has become so much more: a platform of opportunity through which every talented Arab designer can grow and receive international recognition.

Fashion Trust Arabia successfully launched the first edition of FTA Prize 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.

ABOUT THE FOUNDERS

Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser
Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser has been a driving force behind education and social reforms in Qatar for the past two decades. She plays a key role in supporting the Qatar National Vision – a far-reaching agenda to transform the country into a robust, knowledge-based society by 2030. Sheikha Moza’s core vision is that quality education is the key to a thriving global economy and sustainable peace. Driven by this vision, she is highly active on the international stage, spearheading projects to promote education and human development throughout the world. In January 2016, Sheikha Moza was appointed as a United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Advocate, through which she committed to advocating for access to quality education around the world, in addition to advocating for the importance of all the sustainable goals for the future of humanity.

Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani is engaged in the fields of formal and informal education. She is Chairperson of Qatar Museums, Doha Film Institute and Qatar Leadership. In having the privilege to serve her country in multiple fields – among them culture, leadership, philanthropy and education – she has been able to facilitate conversations across borders and fields. As a public servant, her objective is to invest in Qatar’s local community, and celebrate Qatar’s diversity using the visual arts as a vehicle for communication. Her current interests are in human development, cultural regionalism and economic growth, using culture as a catalyst for education, dialogue and exchange. Through her public work and support of Qatar Vision 2030, she is building an exciting creative future for Qatar that will connect artistic communities in all areas of culture.

Tania Fares
Tania Fares is the founder and co-chair of Fashion Trust, a non-profit initiative dedicated to finding, funding and mentoring young design talent. She first launched her initiatives in 2011, when she created the UK’s BFC Fashion Trust, which she headed for 10 years. Fashion Trust was conceived with the purpose of supporting fashion designers as they build their brand into a thriving global business. Current byproducts include InStyle Fashion Trust LA and Fashion Trust Arabia, which Tania co-founded. Tania is also an ambassador for the BFC and a regular contributor to British Vogue since 2011, and co-authored “London Uprising: Fifty Fashion Designers, One City” alongside Sarah Mower. The book is the first to go behind the closed doors of the London fashion scene to reveal the full sweep of a contemporary phenomenon that has become the envy of the world. Tania’s second book “Fashion in LA,” published in 2019 and co-authored with Krista Smith, delves into the LA fashion world to reveal the designers who have been instrumental in making it what it is today. Her entrepreneurial background includes co-founding her own fashion label Lulu & Co, with Lulu Kennedy, a key stepping stone in launching BFC Fashion Trust. Tania is on the advisory board of Sotheby’s and on the international council of Tate Modern.

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