London fashion brand Qasimi is set to launch an emerging talent incubator to amplify new voices in fashion design.
Called Qasimi Rising, the initiative is described as the "next phase in Qasimi's journey" and reaffirms the brand's commitment to creating a legacy "far beyond selling more clothes."
Launching this month, Qasimi Rising will nurture two emerging designers over a three-year period, providing support across all elements of business, from production and product development to merchandising and marketing. The successful candidates will have access and support from a network of industry leaders, "placing them firmly within the Qasimi family while they develop their own voice".
They will also have access to a co-working studio and be given digital space within Qasimi's e-commerce platforms to build brand identity and sell products.
The initiative is being spearheaded by the brand's creative director Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, daughter of Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, and sister of the late Sheikh Khalid Al Qasimi, who founded the label in 2015.
Al Qasimi, who is also president of Sharjah Art Foundation, The Africa Institute, Sharjah Architecture Triennial and the International Biennale Association, will bring her expertise from the art world into the Qasimi Rising incubation programme, with the aim of "unearthing the most promising new fashion talents from across the globe".
The successful candidates will be selected by Al Qasimi and an expert panel, with winners unveiled in a ceremony set to be held in Sharjah in early March.
The mentorship programme will be flexible, allowing it to be tailored to each designer's needs based on goals and location. Each cohort will be provided with three years of funding and practical support; however, Qasimi says it is committed to the long-term success of the initiative and will offer designers a further seven years of mentorship support once they have completed the programme.
Qasimi also announced it will "refocus its own brand on a curated permanent collection and collaborations with artists from around the globe", suggesting a step away from presenting a new co-ed collection for each season, as it has previously done in recent years.
Founded in London in 2015, Qasimi has built a well-deserved following for collections created around four pillars: architecture, colour, military and messaging.
Realised as thoughtful collections that explore ideas and pre-concepts, the brand has not been afraid to raise difficult issues. In the past, the brand has released T-shirts supporting Palestine and has also released a line of "Don't Shoot" t-shirts in support of Lebanon's Save the Children.
See pictures from Qasimi's spring-summer 2023 collection
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
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Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
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Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
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