Tiffany & Co. creative director Ruba Abu-Nimah, Jordani-born and of Palestinian descent, highlighted the importance of the FTA Award in bringing attention to the wealth of creative talents in the region. “Being from this part of the world, I’m extremely proud that such extraordinary and brilliant talents from the Middle East are finally being nurtured,” she said. “There’s a meaningful story behind each designer, a strong raison d’être for what they’re doing, as in the Middle East it’s actually much harder to enter into the arts, because it isn’t supported. Their struggle to do what they love and to turn their passion into purpose is a much rockier road than in the West.”
The glamorous award ceremony, held at the Doha National Museum and presented by actress Jodie Turner-Smith and comedian Nemr Abou Nassam, had high-wattage guests in the form of Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Bella Hadid, but what stole the show were the emotional speeches of many of the honorees, who recalled both their struggles and their drive to never give up. “What I found really touching is how proud they all were of their heritage,” underlined Yoon Ahn, the creative director of Ambush. “The ones that stood out for me were the ones who had more purpose, not just a surface level of ticking off marketing points, the ones who wanted to give back to their communities, building up broken people, giving opportunities to women who didn’t have the chance or access that men have to tell their stories. I was impressed,” she continued, “by the ones who were not too concerned about showing in Paris, but wanted to give strength and resources to their communities back home, building everybody up together, taking pride in where they’re from.”
