Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition (Heya) has grown to become Qatar’s biggest platform for contemporary Arabian fashion. Welcoming emerging designers alongside established global brands, Heya strengthens the country’s position as a major shopping destination and centre for fashion innovation in the region.
Held under the patronage of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, Heya provides a collaborative environment where up-and-coming local designers, female entrepreneurs and fashion enthusiasts can come together to showcase, inspire and motivate others in the industry. Featuring a large exhibition space, daily fashion shows and forums and hands-on workshops, Heya attracts thousands of ladies from Qatar and the GCC who come to shop for exclusive collections and discover new designers. Heya is organised by Qatar Tourism Authority and delivered by Design Creationz.
Heya 2017 presents the latest Spring/Summer collections from over 350 GCC and international brands, and this year welcomes four embassies to give visitors the chance to discover designers from Japan, Spain, Portugal and Qatar’s Year of Culture partner, Germany.
The ‘École supérieure des arts et techniques de la mode,’ or ESMOD, is the iconic French private school of fashion founded in Paris in 1841 by the master tailor Alexis Lavigne, and the world’s first and oldest fashion design school with exclusive and patented methods. ESMOD is this year providing a daily programme of hands-on workshops at Heya to share practical knowledge and guidance to aspiring designers and fashion influencers. Insightful workshops given so far have included ‘How to Launch Your Own Fashion Brand’ and ‘Fashion Illustration’.
TV personality and makeup artist to the stars, Joelle Mardinian, of renowned beauty and spa, Maison de Joelle, opened Heya with a talk entitled ‘Where Does Beauty Go with Joelle?’. Sandra Wilkins, Chair of Fashion Design at the VCU-Q said that Heya is a great source of inspiration for young designers and entrepreneurs to tap into.
This year’s show brings a broader international perspective to the workshops and talks taking place, which makes Heya appealing for all.’
A Pivotal Platform for Qatari Fashion Talent
This year, Heya featured a record-number of Qatari exhibitors. More than a third of the 250 exhibitors at the exhibition are represented by home-grown talent. The emerging designers are in the company of internationally renowned peers including Eriko, Hessa Falasi and Naseem Alandalo. Two of the many successful Qatari brands on show are Debaj and Aisha’z Collection.
Founded in 2012, Debaj is a pioneering Qatari abaya brand that offers ladies innovative cuts and detailed designs paying homage to international destinations such as Paris and Florence, whose art, culture and people have provided much inspiration to draw upon. Each collection uses the finest materials and master tailoring to create bespoke, elegant and luxurious abayas to suit every occasion. Debaj presented the Grand Opening Fashion Show at Heya with an awe-inspiring Spring/Summer catwalk collection.
Aisha’Z Collection, founded by Aisha Alnaemi in 2010, started life as a small business known by friends and family and has grown to become a much-desired GCC brand and is appreciated all over the world. Style, comfort and simplicity are at its heart, combining western influences with traditional customs.
Heya provides a launch platform for Qatari designers and helps established and emerging brands tap into the billion-dollar Islamic fashion market. The show is testament to the success of Qatar Tourism Authority in their ongoing efforts in exhibitions and conferences as an important tool in developing business events tourism.
Supporting this year’s Heya are Qatar-Germany Year of Culture, Qatar Airways, Shangri La hotel and Adagio aparthotel, who are offering visitors special Heya promotions for attending the show. In addition, key partners include Q-post, Qatar Red Crescent, Maison de Joelle, ESMOD, Guerlain Spa, Bonsai, Qatar UAE Exchange, Zahrat Al Khaleej, Ohlala! Magazine and Marhaba Information Guide.
For more information, visit their website at heya.qa.