Senior students graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) this year presented their collections at a fashion show at the University last week.
Nine senior students from the Qatar Foundation (QF) partner university showcased their designs under the title “Behind the Seen” for an audience that included their families and friends, as well as the VCUarts Qatar community.
The event was also attended by Ambassador of the United States of America to Qatar Timothy Davis, representatives of the American Embassy in Doha, members of the International Council for Arts Deans (ICFAD), staff from the VCU Richmond campus, and A-listers from Qatar’s creative sector.
In line with the theme, the show offered a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the daily operations of a luxury fashion design studio or atelier, as they are sometimes referred to.
Each designer’s unique approach, innovation, and originality were revealed in what was truly a celebration of talent, dedication, and the artistry of fashion. The collections reflected the various sources the designers drew inspiration from – childhood dreams and imagination; traditional Omani designs and punk; Qatar’s beige and gold-hued desert landscapes; the crisp lines and clean edges of origami; saree draping styles from Sri Lanka; ready-to-wear; and styles from the Jazz era.
Christopher Fink, Chair, Fashion Design, VCUarts Qatar, said, “The play on words “Behind the Seen” signals an exploration of what lies beyond the surface. In a twist to the traditional ramp-based presentation, attendees were whisked off into a creative studio transformed into an enchanting atelier, giving them a glimpse of the senior students' individual inspirations and meticulous processes. Mood boards, intricate sketches, meticulous pattern-making, and graceful drapes made for an immersive journey that told the story of the evolution of every collection. The result was an unforgettable immersive experience.”
The names of the collections and the respective designers were: “Serenity” by Wadha Al Attiya; “Omani Punk” by Alfutoon Al Said; “Draped Dunes” by Maha Al-Rabaan; “Ambiguity Unfolded: Fluidity Meets Structure” by Fatima Al-Siddiqi; “Babylon” by Aatikah Al-Thani; “Active Undercover” by Amna Al-Balam; “Desert Rose” by Asma Alkubaisi; “Ceylonese” by Aanji Speldewinde; and “Jazz Era Arabified” by Emman Alsahouti.
Following the show, VCUarts Qatar’s Department of Fashion Design handed out special awards to senior and junior fashion design students.
Fatima Bader Al-Siddiqi won two awards: the Golden Needle Award for Most Outstanding Senior and the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award for a senior student from the graduating fashion design class. Wadha Al Attiya and Amna Abdullah Al-Balam were the other senior students who received awards. Al Attiya received the Harper's Bazaar Qatar Emerging Talent Award, while Al-Balam was recognized with the newly instituted Cultural Vanguard Award for the Most Creative Interpretation of Local Culture.
Halah Murad Mahmoud, a fashion design third-year student (junior), won both the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award – Junior and the Golden Needle Award for Most Outstanding Junior.
Source and cover image credit: Press release
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