How One Entrepreneurship Programme Is Supporting The Next Generation of Emirati Designers
Ten women have begun training under ‘Azyame,’ an incubator programme organised by Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council, in collaboration with London College of Fashion
‘Azyame’, the flagship fashion entrepreneurship programme by Irthi Contemporary Craft Council (and the first its kind in the UAE) has officially kicked off with its third edition. Seeing its female participants work towards graduating from the programme and showcasing their collections.
Starting with the training of 10 Emirati designers, the programme’s mission is to support the next generation of creative talent within the country, along with their goals to break into the fashion industry.
The participants selected to take part in the third edition include an array of local talents such as Maitha Hamdan, founder of ‘Decencia’, who focuses on modest travel wear; Aysha Salem, who will be launching her label by the end of the programme and Shoug Fardan, founder of the eponymous art-inspired brand ‘SHOUG’. As well as featuring Fatma Alawi, founder of ‘Mzyan’ centering on exquisite Moroccan kaftans, Ayesha Al Mheiri, founder of ‘OSH Collection’ and Badria Salim, founder of ‘Abdar Jewelry’ to name a few.
Through various workshops, the programme focuses on training participants in business model innovation, as well as developing their entrepreneurial skills – but, most importantly, it focuses on ethical and sustainable practices in the fashion industry. It will also give its participants an opportunity to interact with experts in branding, public relations, sales and marketing.
Other notable designers taking part include; Sara Almulla, founder and CEO of ‘Piece of Heart Jewellery’; Moza Al Mazrou, founder of ‘Moza Al Mazrou’; Sara Al Bedwawi, founder of ‘By Live Designs’; and Wafa Balaswad, founder of eponymous label ‘Wafa Balaswad’.
The third edition of Azyame is being delivered by the founder and director of TNM Consultancy Ltd, Toby Meadows, who is also a visiting lecturer at the London College of Fashion. Toby has lead the award-winning London-based cult women’s wear designer label Belle & Bunty, and is the author of the bestselling ‘How to Set up & Run a Fashion Label.’
“I am very excited to be back in Sharjah working on the Azyame Entrepreneurship programme once again. This year we have another batch of 10 exciting local designers all looking to develop their businesses and take them to the next level,” he says.
“As part of our commitment to promoting ethical and sustainable practices in the crafts sector, the programme will offer its participants guidance on developing their label using a sustainable approach that can be applied through all stages of work, from research to design, sampling and production,” says Reem BinKaram, Director of NAMA.
She went on to discuss how they wish to “… support women fashion entrepreneurs to build unique, sustainable, and socially responsible businesses, and at the same time marry traditional crafts and modern ambitions of fashion into one dynamic ecosystem, creating an authentic genre of crafts-inspired and woman-led fashion in the UAE.”
Supported by Irthi, Azyame’s alumni over the past two editions have shown their collections at Paris Fashion Week 2018, a trunk-show in Sao Paulo, and a two-month pop-up store at Fenwick of Bond Street in London.
Lead Image Courtsey of Instagram/ @shoug_offical
