Yasmin Mansour, this year’s FTA Prize winner in the Eveningwear category, is just getting started.
Having launched her brand ten years ago, the Doha-based design has big plans, and thanks to Fashion Trust Arabia, those plans will so become a reality as she embarks on the next chapter of her brand. Launching in 2013, her brand was one of the first luxury womenswear labels based in Qatar and has remained steadily successful ever since. Beginning as a made-to-order brand, Mansour soon saw the need to make her products more sustainable and she created a unique technique that utilised leftover fabric, inspired by the region’s landscape with geometric and structural details. Creating elegant one-of-a-kind pieces Mansour has carved out a niche and significant following of customers who come to her for her timeless, unusual designs. Now, since winning the FTA Prize this year, she is starting to plan the next steps for her brand. We find out more.
Congratulations on winning this year’s FTA prize in the eveningwear category – what does this achievement mean to you as a designer?
For me, it was a very long journey from when I started the brand back in 2013. There were a lot of challenges because, back then, there were very few brands based out of Doha. It was a journey of discovering myself as a creative. Winning the FTA Award comes at the right time when I’m ready to show the brand’s new direction and expand to the global market. I believe it happened at the right moment.
Can you tell us about your experience of the event itself?
Marrakech is such an amazing city. I have a lot of Moroccan friends who showed me around the city, and it was fantastic. I was so shocked by how magical this city is and so I was really happy that this year’s event took place in Marrakech, especially as part of The Qatar-Morocco 2024 Year of Culture, that’s connecting the cultures of Qatar and Morocco. It was an incredible experience. Seeing the museums, the food, the architecture and the people was very diverse and interesting. I would love to go back and discover more about the craftsmanship, the techniques for the embroidery and more about this industry there.
How do you think Fashion Trust Arabia is helping to elevate and support the work of designers in this region?
FTA is there to help take your brand to the next level, which is what I need right now for my brand. I think this prize can give you the tools needed to expand your brand as well as mentorship to help you as a creative move in the right direction and know where you should be. This is what I need right now.
Plus, there is the huge exposure that came alongside the event, especially with the local scene – I didn’t expect it. A lot of people from Morocco have approached me, and it was fantastic. I think this was the biggest event in its history.
And of course, being awarded by Princess Lalla Hasna of Morocco was the biggest highlight for me. I felt so honoured to be part of this, and it was really special to be given the award by her.
Tell us a little about your brand and its background.
My brand started in 2013. I started out making custom-made dresses for private clients. I also made some ready-to-wear capes. We did unexpected embroidery with different materials. Then in 2020, when Covid happened, I put the brand on hold. At this point, I started working on new research into how the brand could be more sustainable and how to have a clear brand DNA. I created an exhibition for the opening of M7 Doha from leftover material. The story behind it was that a long time ago, women were the ones who used to build the traditional tents in Qatar, and they would do it by hand. So we called this piece “the book” and it was a celebration of the power of women.
The piece was sold immediately, making me realise that I needed to work more with this millefiulle technique. I loved it and saw a way to develop to become my signature. In 2021, I created a bag using the same technique, and the success of this made me want to stick to this DNA and take it to my ready-to-wear collections. So now we have capes, dresses, and skirts, all following the same layering technique, which has become my brand DNA.
We are not producing seasonal products to make the brand more sustainable. We focus on timeless pieces of around ten pieces twice a year and I think this will make the brand special.
Can you tell us about the technical process and craftsmanship involved in your signature technique?
The first bag was made from leftover fabric from a dress I made for a private client. I saw the fabric on the floor, and I wondered what I could do with it. So, I started to collect materials, and over a period of 8 months, the first bag was completed. That’s how it started. Everything is handmade in my studio in Doha. Some of the bags are made from leftover material from other ready-to-wear pieces. If not, we talk to our suppliers who supply us with different colours of fabric. Everything is made to order, we don’t have any ready production for now, but for the next year, we are looking to have a few pieces in department stores.
Our message is to create “Made in Qatar” products that can go everywhere and target all kinds of women, regardless of location, age, etc.
How do you plan to scale the brand, and where do you envision it in the future?
When I started my brand ten years ago I dreamed of having a Qatari global brand that goes international. Plus, I wanted to make sure that all the products were made locally. With winning the FTA prize and my support from M7, I can see how my brand can be easily expanded to be sold in big department stores in Europe and The United States. I also plan to have some dinner gatherings to get people to know more about the label and the story behind it.
What’s your plan of action now you’ve won the FTA prize?
My next steps are producing more and finding the right platform to present my items. I think my focus market will be Europe since we have already been selling a few pieces there, and I want to expand that further. I want to focus on my new ready-to-wear line and develop that as well as bags. That will be my goal for the next two years. Produce and create more.
Would you like to further expand into other categories?
Yes, of course. We do have a plan to produce a perfume. It’s something I’ve been researching for six years, but I haven’t found the right moment to go through the process yet, but we are going to produce it in Grasse in France and we are going to start this next year. Hopefully, we will launch the perfume by the end of 2026. Why perfume? Because I have a very close relationship with the countryside. I fell in love with flowers, and nature is a really important element in my life, so I want to have my scent. Something really special.
Footwear is also another category I would love to produce, but when I have no idea!
What’s the biggest challenge?
A good thing about me is that I’ve always been consistent, and I didn’t give up. I’ve always wanted to produce and have a clear message. But I think the challenge now is to keep the success going. I must work hard to do this and focus on moving forward.
What inspires you?
Travelling. I travel a lot and meet a lot of people. Everything around me inspires me when I’m travelling – the buildings, the streets, the food, the people. Art also inspires me. I’m in love with Yayoi Kusama and Andy Warhol. I read about these artists and their journeys and look at their art. Keith Haring’s last exhibition in Paris was very inspiring. These artists open my eyes to new creations.
How would you assess the fashion industry in the region today and where it’s heading?
Everything is happening in our region now. When I started the brand ten years ago, everything was much slower, but now I feel the future is here, and I think the scene will continue to change very quickly. We have a lot of creatives here. We have very special techniques for creating our products. We have dreams. We have a very beautiful culture to share with the world. I feel our culture, heritage, and stories also inspire other people. I believ in a few years, cities like Doha, Riyadh and Dubai will be cities that people really want to travel to to attend fashion weeks.
Do you feel there is a hunger for it here from the designers?
Yes I think so, especially with initiatives like FTA. When you see someone appreciate your hard work, that encourages you more. This prize is not only about mentoring or financial support; it’s much deeper than that. It’s inspiring for other generations and motivates people to know that someone will appreciate their work on a global scale. It pushes you to try harder and fight for it more.
It’s not easy to be a designer, especially in this region. We don’t have the manufacturing that other parts of the world have. We don’t have the resources, so we have to travel and invest. But I think the success is worth all the steps in the journey. When you have it, it’s a very special feeling.
What do you think organisations like FTA can do to further support design talent in the Middle East?
It’s a hard question for me because I navigated my journey alone, I never asked for support. I feel that when it comes to organisations, it needs to be about more than just putting you on the right platforms. When I started my brand, I was lost. I didn’t know how to make it happen. I didn’t know where to produce, which factories to use, what to do next. Even if you have the knowledge to create that’s not enough – you need to understand the business side of the industry. I wasn’t a businesswoman; I was a designer, but I became a businesswoman because of my business. So, I feel these organisations could give further support in finding the right direction in the business side of our brands and offering support and direction.
What’s the final message you would send to our readers?
Keep dreaming and creating because it’s a beautiful thing to share your creations with others.
