The Emirati designer’s winning creation blends Italian craftsmanship with Emirati heritage, and two emerging talents also receive recognition.
Emirati designer Maitha Alansaari has won the Dolce&Gabbana x ADMAF Design Award 2025, an initiative by the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) and the Italian fashion house to support emerging creative talent in the UAE.
Her winning design, A Journey Woven in Fragments, was unveiled at a special reception at the Dolce&Gabbana boutique in The Galleria Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi, on October 13, where the fashion house will display the piece for the next six months. The unveiling was attended by H.E. Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo, Founder of ADMAF, and representatives of the Italian fashion house.
Held under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, the event recognised Alansaari alongside runners-up Mohamed Alowais and Fakhra Almansoori, whose designs offered individual interpretations of Emirati identity, craftsmanship and contemporary fashion.
For the award’s second edition, emerging designers were invited to reinterpret the traditional abaya through themes including flowers, lace, patchwork, hand-painting and embroidery. In December 2025, the jury selected three finalists, who then refined their designs through a regional workshop series organised in collaboration with Dolce&Gabbana.
For Alansaari, the award represents a return to the experimental approach that first drew her to fashion. A graduate of the University of Sharjah’s pioneering Fashion and Textile Design programme, she has since established herself as both a designer and entrepreneur, co-founding Sharjah concept store House of 45 and launching Locallure, a platform connecting local creativity with international communities.
Her winning design is a cape featuring layered patchwork motifs inspired by Emirati heritage and Italian decorative traditions. Advanced digital printing enables a lightweight, fluid construction, while hand-applied embroidery adds texture and intricate detail.
“Participating in the Dolce&Gabbana x ADMAF Design Award has been an incredibly meaningful experience for me, both personally and professionally,” Alansaari told Villa 88. “Beyond the recognition of having my work acknowledged by such an iconic fashion house, this journey reminded me of why I fell in love with fashion design in the first place.”
As her career developed, Alansaari became increasingly focused on the commercial realities of running a fashion business. The award gave her a chance to revisit the conceptual side of design, letting her experiment with materials, techniques, and cultural references.
“It also gave me the chance to celebrate my Emirati identity on an international platform, bringing together elements of Emirati and Italian culture through a design that reflects both heritage and contemporary fashion,” she add.
As part of her award, Alansaari will travel to Milan in January 2027 to begin a six-month internship at Dolce&Gabbana. Working within the Italian fashion house’s ateliers under the guidance of its artisans, she will gain hands-on experience in couture craftsmanship and design.
Two other Emirati creatives were recognised as runners-up, each bringing a distinctive perspective to the relationship between traditional dress and contemporary design.
Mohamed Alowais, whose submission Ethereal Being draws inspiration from the mukhawar and traditional Emirati women’s clothing, explored familiar silhouettes using lace, beadwork, archival motifs and iridescent finishes. Fluid draping and structured details give the design a contemporary quality while retaining references to its cultural origins.
For Alowais, who has no formal academic or professional background in fashion, the recognition carries particular significance. “The opportunity I received from the Dolce&Gabbana x ADMAF Design Award means a lot to me, especially because I come from no formal background in fashion, either academically or professionally,” he says. “Being recognised through a platform like this has given me a rare opportunity to express myself and be seen as a designer.”
Fellow runner-up Fakhra Almansoori approached the brief through the abaya, a garment central to her work as the founder of Fakhra Concept. The 24-year-old, who studies History of Art and Archaeology at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, established her label in 2017, drawing inspiration from European historical and Gothic aesthetics alongside Emirati dress.
Her submission, Lace Mirage, combines the traditional black abaya silhouette with references to the dunes of Liwa and Dolce&Gabbana’s signature lace. Constructed in black Nada fabric, the design conceals a white pleated silk panel beneath its exterior, with carefully positioned openings revealing the contrasting layers as the wearer moves.
“Participating in the Dolce&Gabbana x ADMAF Design Award is a meaningful milestone in my creative journey as an Emirati artist and fashion designer,” Almansoori says. “The award has given me the opportunity to share a design that reflects my identity and my passion for bringing together cultural heritage and artistic influences.”
The event also marked the announcement of the award’s third edition, with applications now open to emerging Emirati designers aged between 18 and 35. Submissions will be accepted until 16 November 2026, continuing the initiative’s efforts to provide young creatives with mentorship, professional development and international opportunities.
For Alansaari, the experience has reinforced the importance of making space for experimentation alongside the demands of building a business. “It has encouraged me to push my boundaries, explore more conceptual designs, and continue telling stories through fashion while staying true to my roots,” she says. “Most importantly, it reminded me that sometimes moving forward as a designer means reconnecting with the passion that started it all.”
