British-Arab fashion brand Qasimi launched in December 2022 its first ever talent incubator program, called Qasimi Rising, which is led by Hoor Al Qasimi, president of the Sharjah Art Foundation, the Africa Institute, Sharjah Architecture Triennial and the International Biennale Association. “Legacy is not just about what you leave behind. It’s also what you do going forward,” said Al Qasimi.
The incubator is dedicated to supporting and nurturing emerging labels in fashion. Qasimi Rising selects two young designers to mentor over the course of three years. Brands were selected based on exhibiting excellent creativity and aesthetic sense and craftsmanship within their design, being a responsible entrepreneur and having a clear plan for future growth. The program provides 360-degree holistic support across all business verticals, a total of 10 years of professional support from industry experts. Three years of tailored financial investment and mentoring, covering 6 seasons, and further seven years of additional mentoring and business support, access to multi-brand wholesale showroom and dedicated e-commerce platform to build the brand identity and sell products. The incubator gives designers access to co-working space, production support, product development, merchandising, marketing and business function support from a network of industry leader. Mentorship and support are tailored based on each individual brand’s needs, goals, and location, rather than strict criteria or fixed business plans
London-based Sudanese designer Omer Asim and Lebanese designer Salim Azzam are the winners of the first talent incubation prize. Asim graduated from the Bartlett School of Architecture, completed a postgraduate degree at the London School of Economics and Political Science, trained as a psychoanalyst with the UN before doing a fashion stage. He worked for Maurice Sedwell on Savile Row, Norwegian designer Kristian Aadnevik and Vivienne Westwood. He debuted his label at London Fashion Week SS10. His design is minimalist, refined, and elegant. Salim Azzam is a luxury rtw brand celebrating traditional crafts. The label utilizes fashion as a tool to reimagine and revive the skills of artisan communities across different regions in Mount Lebanon. It creates clean-cut tailoring inspired by the local white and black attires with interactive embroidery work adorning each piece.
For more information about Qasimi Rising, see www.qasimi.com.
Visit also www.salimazzam.com and @salimazzam.
Photo: Salim Azzam and Omer Asim. Courtesy Aqib Anwar
