Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) and Sharjah-headquartered property development company Arada have partnered up to launch an initiative that supports emerging talent in the UAE’s fashion sector. The first phase of the initiative involves a contest, wherein interested individuals can send in their applications by September 21, 2023 by clicking here.

The joint impact investment initiative is targeted primarily towards local as well as locally-based designers that are in need of mentoring and support to scale their fashion concepts. As such, the contest has been especially designed to find modestwear as well as other UAE-based fashion brands that are located in Sharjah or are looking to expand in the Emirate.

Local and resident designers as well as university students who have been operating online through social media, and budding entrepreneurs who have a fashion concept in mind, but do not have access to expert guidance or mentorship, are also encouraged to apply for the contest before the deadline.

“The fashion industry in the UAE is as vibrant as it is competitive, and sometimes the right mentoring and showcasing opportunities become the difference between failure and success, particularly for individual designers who are up against giant global brands,” Iman Ben Chaibah, Head of Community Engagement at Sheraa, said. “This impact investment initiative has been designed by Sheraa and supported by Arada to ensure that the exceptional talents in the field of fashion design in Sharjah and the UAE receive world-class mentoring and support to bring their dreams to fruition. As a nation, we admire and respect ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit, and therefore design initiatives that ensure that art and creativity continue to thrive.”

The winning ideas will thus be offered a three-month rent-free retail space at Artal, a contemporary Emirati women’s fashion brand located at Aljada, a residential community built by Arada in Sharjah. Moreover, the Arada team will also review the winner’s proposal and offer advisory support on branding topics such as design, signage and marketing strategy, while the firm’s commercial experts provide a detailed finance and business model review. “Through this initiative, we are reinforcing the importance of the fashion industry in the United Arab Emirates, which is fast becoming a global hub for the sector,” Zainab Salem, Founding Manager of Artal, said. “Artal will be offering the winner of this competition not just retail space at its Aljada store but also the benefit of a full advisory scheme in conjunction with Arada’s commercial experts to continue its successful journey and achieve excellence”.

The winning fashion concept will also be given the opportunity to connect with a wide network of entrepreneurs, investors and industry experts who will be present at Sheraa’s flagship entrepreneurship annual festival, Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival (SEF) 2023. Sheraa will thus mentor the shortlisted candidates in finetuning their pitching skills, with the winning candidate having the opportunity to showcase their concept at SEF 2023.