With the aim of empowering young designers, an exclusive award that will cover several design categories will be launched and will provide winners with an internship programme at Dolce&Gabbana headquarter in Italy

Abu Dhabi, UAE – March 10, 2023: The Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) and luxury Italian fashion brand Dolce&Gabbana have announced their collaboration on the new ADMAF x Dolce&Gabbana Award that aims tonurture the talents of emerging Emirati fashion designers while paying tribute to their heritage through design.

Open to current and recently graduated university students from the UAE, the new award will potentially cover clothing, jewellery, fragrance and home decor design aspects and will give finalists the opportunity to gain the necessary skills to develop and realise their finished products through a trained internship in Italy before being showcased to the public next year during Abu Dhabi Festival 2024.  

Commenting on the new strategic partnership, Her Excellency Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo, Founder of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation, Founder and Artistic Director of Abu Dhabi Festival, said: “Together with Dolce&Gabbana, we witness another milestone in both our efforts to drive innovation and creation, advance progressive thinking, and empower the youth. Both ADMAF and Dolce&Gabbana believe in the strong will for evolution—the will to create impact and inspire this generation and many more to come with knowledge, enlightenment, and creative ambition.

This new award will provide our nation’s youth with the invaluable opportunity to learn about the craftmanship of couture and design, enhance their skills, realise their dreams and present their creative talent not only in Abu Dhabi but in the international arena.”

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana are proud to support the creativity in all its forms since the beginning of their career. From dedicating their spaces in their boutiques to young designers, to supporting the creation of collections by emerging fashion talents Sohee Park, Matty Bovan and TomoKoizumi in the last years, giving them the opportunity to present their work during Milan Fashion Week. 

The Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation is committed to recognising achievements in culture and arts and sustaining cultural development by embracing creativity and launching a wide array of initiatives and societal programs to attract various audiences, in addition to cultivating creative talents in the UAE and abroad in cooperation with major local and international cultural institutions.