Fashion Trust Arabia has announced the 21 finalists for its 2026 Awards. They will present their collections to an international jury in Doha on November 28. That evening, seven winners will be announced at the awards ceremony. The shortlist spans Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Palestine, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and beyond.
How the Awards Work
Each year, FTA’s advisory board selects 18 designers from the Middle East and North Africa. They compete across six categories: ready-to-wear, evening wear, accessories, jewelry, the Franca Sozzani Debut Talent Award and the Fashion Tech Award. This year, three designers from Mexico, the guest country, compete for a seventh award. The advisory board includes stylists Wayman and Micah, 16Arlington founder Marco Capaldo, Ann Demeulemeester creative director Stefano Gallici and critic Oscar Chabbi. Beyond recognition, Fashion Trust Arabia offers funding, mentorship and opportunities to grow a business.
Ready-to-Wear
Three designers compete here. Algerian designer Rayana Heemskerk blends Algerian, Kabyle and Dutch heritage into sculptural, architectural silhouettes. Sara Mannei Boruc of The Mannei represents Jordan. Ahmed Hassan of KML represents Saudi Arabia.
KML is a conceptual fashion house that Ahmed and Razan Hassan founded in 2022. Its research-based approach looks at the history of how people dress. Arab News describes minimalist designs, sharp tailoring, and unisex silhouettes.
Evening Wear
Palestinian designer Dana Riad competes alongside Lebanon’s Cindy Abi Chala of CIN and Haidar Krayem of Oscar Kraye. Riad’s house reimagines power dressing through architectural tailoring and sculptural silhouettes. It explores feminine strength and duality.
Accessories and Jewelry
The accessories finalists are Alia Zaki of L’alingi from Lebanon, Maryam Al-Malki from Qatar, and Safa Boudokhane of Balga Design from Tunisia.
In jewelry, Egypt’s Varouj Vartan Kazandjian of Harry V competes with Layal AlSultan of ELURA from Kuwait and Joelle Kharrat from Lebanon. Kazandjian founded Harry V in Cairo in 2021. The fine jewelry brand mixes sculptural gold with colorful gemstones and unexpected details.
Debut Talent and Fashion Tech
The Franca Sozzani Debut Talent finalists are Layla Al-Tawaya, who is Palestinian-Jordanian, Lebanon’s Youssef Zogheib, and Syria’s Zeina Issa.
In fashion tech, Egypt’s Shaimaa and Fatma El-Alawy of Mesh-Mesh compete with Lebanon’s Sirine Kobeissi of Girle and Tunisia’s Emna Hussein.
A Strong Regional Map
Lebanese designers appear in several categories, with strong showings in evening wear, accessories, jewelry, and fashion tech. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Palestine and Egypt each have standout names. In other words, the list shows how widely Arab design now spreads across the region and its diasporas.
What Comes Next
On November 28, the finalists present to the jury in Doha. Winners are announced that same evening.
