High jewellery Maison Van Cleef & Arpels, in partnership with Tashkeel, has named Moufida Mohideen as the winner of the ninth Middle East Emergent Designer Prize.
Cultivating talent across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait, the Van Cleef & Arpels Middle East Emergent Designer Prize aims to encourage and support designers to bring their ideas to fruition. This year’s theme, Renewal, reinforced the importance of sustainable approaches to creation, highlighting the use of materials that are sourced locally and in an ethical manner.
The judging panel consisted of representatives of Van Cleef & Arpels and Tashkeel as well as Saudi interior architect and design mentor Nawaf Nahar Al Nassar.
Together, they chose ‘Ascension’ by 20-year-old architecture student Moufida Mohideen for the big prize. Inspired by the Desert Rose crystal formations that appear during Springtime, the sculptural book stand symbolises everlasting growth. Designed with two locally sourced materials, Damas wood and mother of pearl, the project reflects earthiness and nostalgia associated with the Arabian desert.
