Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition Attracts More Than 250 Brands

The 15th edition of Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition officially opened yesterday, featuring more than 250 brands of abayas and modest fashion designs from around the globe at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre.
Under the patronage of HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the five-day exhibition runs until April 30, bringing a series of events showcasing the latest in Arabian and modest designs, as well as inspiring discussions on the business of fashion, the latest trends, beauty, textiles, and sustainable fashion.

The Heya opening, which was attended by senior officials from the Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC), ambassadors, fashionistas, and representatives from Design Creationz, the long-standing event organisers for the event, also showcased haute couture modest fashion from 11 different countries, including Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, England, Sri Lanka, China, Morocco, Turkey, Belgium, and India.
“Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition is the perfect example of local events that offer an authentic Qatari experience. Over the past few years, Heya has been at the forefront of the events calendar in Qatar,” Mashal Shahbik from QNTC, said in a press statement.
“The exhibition is supported by QNTC as part of its efforts to empower Qatari entrepreneurs and provide them with a platform to promote their brands and to share their experiences with their counterparts in the Arab region and the world,” she said, thanking all the partners who have contributed to the success of Heya throughout its 15 editions.
Shahbik said QNTC is looking forward to more collaborations with partners from the tourism sector to offer greater diversity in local events and exciting experiences for visitors and residents alike.
Qatar Business Incubation Centre (QBIC) also launched the Lean Fashion Programme yesterday, the first of its kind in the country.
The programme is intended to equip aspiring designers and entrepreneurs with a holistic understanding of the fashion industry, helping them transform their ideas into a successful brand, with an exciting acceleration phase in Milan, Italy.
To deliver the best content possible, an agreement was signed between QBIC and Fashion Technology Accelerator (FTA) – represented by its CEO, Giusy Cannone — which is a Milan-based hub, dedicated to supporting fashion startups.
Entrepreneurs who take part in this programme will also learn how to grow their business and will be provided with invaluable opportunities to meet suppliers, distributors and potential partners who are based in Milan.
“As QBIC strives to expand entrepreneurial fields, we continuously want to provide entrepreneurs with the best possible opportunities to develop their ideas. The Lean Fashion Programme will be partly delivered in the fashion capital of the world to ensure maximum impact and development, and we’re looking forward to working closely with FTA Milan,” QBIC general manager Hamad bin Dashin al-Qahtani said.
Day one of Heya also saw Indian design extraordinaire, Suneet Varma, debuting as part of the Qatar-India Year of Culture, where his works are being featured under the Indian pavilion along with S3 by Sonali Raman, Pero, and 3Clothing.
Heya’s latest edition opened with spectacular fashion shows including Varma, and Debaj followed by a celebrity talk with Varma, moderated by designer Raman.

Originally published on www.gulf-times.com