Abayas, Kaftans, and Yara Rule the Runway at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Doha

The second edition of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Doha (MBFWD) took place this month in the Qatari capital with a three-day showcase that played host to over twenty Qatari and regional designers. Held at the Shangri-La Hotel, the bi-annual event and Qatar’s largest fashion platform featured a range of ready-to-wear, couture, and modest collections.

On the catwalk, Dubai based ready-to-wear designer Kristina Fidelskaya debuted her first Ramadan and Eid capsule collection, which consisted of column eveningwear gowns, cocktail dresses, and flowing, caped silhouettes that featured lace and embroidered floral motif appliqués in a soft, creamy palette.

Meanwhile, kaftans and abayas were in abundance from emerging regional designers during the fashion-filled showcase. Moroccan designer Meriem Belkhayat produced an elaborate collection of embellished kaftans; Qatar-based label Almotahajiba revealed elegant abayas; and Kuwait based designer Salma Musab showcased colorful, patterned, loose silhouette dresses and embroidered lapel abayas.

Australian-based Saudi designer Yousef Akbar revealed his Resort 2017 ready-to-wear collection on the runway during MBFWD. Models exited the catwalk in cutout, neoprene separates that featured metal hardware, as well as silk slip dresses and hand-beaded, sequined silhouettes.

On the last day of MBFWD, couture label Sakba by Kuwaiti designer Mohammed Hamada unveiled a collection of structured gowns in a candy-hued palette. The lineup included asymmetrical, embroidered dresses, intricate beadwork, and feather-embellished details across voluminous silhouettes. The runway show concluded with an appearance by Kuwaiti lifestyle influencer The Veeview—who took to the catwalk in an embroidered shift dress that featured a long overskirt—before spectators were treated to a surprise performance by Lebanese singer Yara.