Paris, Milan, Doha Fashion Week…

‘Emerge’, an initiative established by supermodel Naomi Campbell, the show debuted in 2022 and showcased stunning looks from young emerging fashion designers in the Middle East, Africa and the diaspora

The initiative debuted during the Qatar Creates campaign before the World Cup in the Ceremonial Court in Education City, the show showcased the talents of emerging talent from the Middle East & Africa. looks on the runway combined art and fashion in a meaningful way.

the star-studded show was an insane experience within itself, seeing a fashion show with a runway and all happening minutes away from my university was truly an experience, fashion shows in the Middle East are rare to come across, and the fact I got to experience this from my second home was insane to me.

the show featured uprising designers such as Bianca Saunders, Thebe Magugu, Abdel El-Tayeb, and many more inspiring designers. the show was full of talent from different backgrounds, each look that was walked down the runway transcribed a story unique to the designer, from the threading to the materials used in the making of the clothing to the base materials I can tell that each design put their blood, sweat, and tears into making the garments.

we were seated on the benches of the Ceremonial Court, a place I’m used to sitting during my trips to the Farmers Market on Saturdays, the show began with a grass-swaying performance, I felt that was a great touch of culture to begin the show with.

Thebe Magugu, a designer I am extremely fond of presented numerous looks at the show that had me feeling inspired by his journey, Magugu’s journey began when he witnessed the landfills of abandoned clothing in Johannesburg and was inspired by reworking clothing. I feel like not only does that send a powerful message to the consumers urging us to become more aware of the fashion decisions we make but also how we can make use of clothing we no longer use.

Bella Hadid, Alton Mason, and Chanel Ayan were all seen on the runway, it was a funny coincidence when I saw Chanel Ayan walk down the runway in a stunning black gown, I remembered a scene from the reunion of the Real Housewives of Dubai where Naomi complemented Chanel on her performance on the show and invited her to walk to the show in Doha — insane!

To conclude the night, the show ended with a performance from Wizkid, the performance was spectacular he performed his new album ‘Love & Ego’ and my favorite song ‘2 Suga’ was performed, the vibes were immaculate… we ended the night feeling the music and vibing on the stage as Wizkid sang.

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& my talented friend

Anji @a.axo