Style.com/Arabia and Dubai Design & Fashion Council Launch Style.com/Arabia – DDFC Fashion Prize to Incubate and Promote Middle Eastern Talents April 19, 2015 Dubai, United Arab Emirates — Today, Style.com/Arabia, the Middle East’s first Condé Nast fashion and beauty publication, and the Dubai Design & Fashion Council (DDFC) announced the formation of the Style.com/Arabia – DDFC Fashion Prize, an annual endowment for the Middle East’s most promising fashion talents. Following a Royal decree last year by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, the Dubai Design and Fashion Council was established to raise the profile of the Emirate as a global destination for design, and to create opportunities for emerging regional design and fashion talents. By building a framework for the industry, the Council aims to position Dubai as the emerging center for design and fashion. The Style.com/Arabia – DDFC Fashion Prize, launched in partnership with the luxury ecommerce brand Farfetch, addresses the Council’s mandate of invigorating regional talent. It will provide a global platform for emerging Middle Eastern designers to showcase their abilities while establishing the quality control, standards, mentorship, and broader visibility the nascent industry needs. Furthermore, the Style.com/Arabia – DDFC Fashion Prize will facilitate the Middle East’s ongoing transition from a consumer market to an active exporter of fashion. Nez Gebreel, CEO of the Dubai Design & Fashion Council, commented: “Incubating and developing talent is a key initiative of the DDFC. We are proud to be part of the Style.com/Arabia – DDFC Fashion Prize as it is a great program for the world to see the talent we have in the region. There is a tremendous amount of creativity and positive energy in the region’s industry; we are here to help support and mentor these designers to realize their potential and achieve their dreams. This prize is a wonderful initiative that meets many of our objectives for developing the industry and allowing emerging designers to thrive.” Shashi Menon, CEO and Publisher of Style.com/Arabia, added: “Style.com/Arabia’s vision has always been to elevate the regional fashion scene to a truly global level — and to increasingly bring the world to this region. We’re dedicated to supporting home-‐grown talents and to showcasing them on a highly visible international stage. The Style.com/Arabia – DDFC Fashion Prize represents the culmination of years of effort and is another step we’ve taken to provide our burgeoning fashion ecosystem with the structure it needs to truly take flight.” The Style.com/Arabia – DDFC Fashion Prize will be overseen by a Selection Committee comprising senior executives from Style.com/Arabia, the Dubai Design & Fashion Council, Farfetch, and both the regional and international fashion communities, including: § Tim Blanks: Editor-‐at-‐Large, Style.com § Peter Dundas: Creative Director, Roberto Cavalli § Zuhair Murad: Founder and Designer, Zuhair Murad § Stephanie Horton: Chief Marketing Officer, Farfetch § Nez Gebreel: CEO, Dubai Design & Fashion Council § Shashi Menon: CEO & Publisher, Style.com/Arabia § Sofia Guellaty: Editor-‐in-‐Chief, Style.com/Arabia § Patrick Chalhoub: Joint CEO, Chalhoub Group § Afef Jnifen: International model, presenter, and brand ambassadress The inaugural winner of the Style.com/Arabia – DDFC Fashion Prize will be announced this Fall. The winning designer will receive a financial grant; the opportunity to produce a capsule collection for sale on Farfetch.com; a year of mentorship from a collection of highly esteemed mentors; media/press coverage; and an advertising campaign, collectively representing over US $250,000 in value. Page | 1 Spanning several disciplines, official mentors of the Style.com/Arabia – DDFC Fashion Prize include: § José Neves: Founder and CEO, Farfetch § Meredith Melling: Founder, La Marque; former Senior Market Editor, American Vogue § Susanne Tide-‐Frater: Brand & Strategy Director, Farfetch; Fashion Director, Victoria Beckham § Nevena Borissova: Founder, Curve boutique § Angelique Soave: Investor, various luxury fashion/lifestyle brands José Neves, Founder and CEO of Farfetch, concluded: “This partnership represents our long-‐term commitment to the Middle East, by surfacing the region’s most interesting, talented designers and giving them a global platform. In terms of fashion, the Middle East is one of the most exciting emerging regions, and Dubai is helping to lead the way.” Applications for the Style.com/Arabia – DDFC Fashion Prize are open as of today at http://arabia.style.com/fashionprize or http://www.ddfc.ae/fashionprize -‐ ENDS -‐ Notes to Editors For information on Style.com/Arabia or the Style.com/Arabia – DDFC Fashion Prize, contact: [email protected] www.style.com/arabia @StyleArabia For information on the Dubai Design and Fashion Council, contact: [email protected] www.ddfc.ae For information on Farfetch, please contact: [email protected] www.farfetch.com @Farfetch Page | 2 About Style.com/Arabia Launched in 2012, Style.com/Arabia is the first Condé Nast fashion and beauty publication in the Middle East. Like its sister site, the award-‐winning Style.com, Style.com/Arabia is known for its distinctive and authoritative editorial style. Since launching, Style.com/Arabia has become the leading voice in fashion in the Middle East and the only truly global fashion/luxury publication from the region, with readers in 190 countries around the world. In 2013, Style.com/Arabia expanded further with the launch of Style.com/Arabia/MEN. Published bilingually in both English and Arabic, Style.com/Arabia is one of just a few bilingual Condé Nast publications anywhere in the world. About the Dubai Design & Fashion Council The Dubai Design & Fashion Council was established in late 2014 by the Dubai government to position Dubai as a global hub for design and fashion in the Middle East region and to nurture regional talent. The Dubai Design & Fashion Council aims to position Dubai as the emerging design capital of the world, and raise its profile as a regional and global destination for design and fashion. Chaired by Dr. Amina Al Rustamani, Group CEO of Tecom Investments, and run by CEO Nez Gebreel, the Dubai Design and Fashion Council’s board members consist of 15 individuals who represent a mix of key stakeholder groups, including government, academic, not-‐for profit and private sector experts, such as Laila Suhail, CEO at Dubai Festival and Retail Establishments; Holding; Khalid Al Tayer, CEO – Retail of Al Tayer Group; Patrick Chalhoub, CEO of Chalhoub Group; and fashion designer Reem Acra. About Farfetch Farfetch is a revolutionary way to buy fashion. The pioneering website brings together more than 300 of the world's best independent designer boutiques, from Tokyo, New York and Milan to Bucharest, Helsinki and Mumbai, allowing customers to shop an unparalleled range of labels and pieces. Farfetch’s partner stores have been carefully selected for their unique approach, forward-‐thinking attitude and diversity, and include such renowned boutiques as Browns in London, L'Eclaireur in Paris, Kirna Zabête in New York, Restir in Japan, and Smets in Luxembourg. Founded in 2008 by the Portuguese entrepreneur José Neves, Farfetch offers these bricks-‐and-‐mortar boutiques the opportunity to compete with the major players in online retail. And, for lovers of beautiful fashion, Farfetch offers the chance to indulge a passion and shop the world. Page | 3