The Dubai Design and Fashion Council, with the cooperation of Vogue Arabia and Farfetch, announced the winners of their Fashion Prize to be the Egyptian accessories label Okhtein, founded by Mounaz and Aya Abdel Raouf. 

This is the second year for the prize, where the purpose is to honour exceptional emerging Middle Eastern talents. The prize is comprised of receiving a collective award valued at $250,000, a financial grant for production, an opportunity to sell their collections on Farfetch.com, and to Farfetch boutique partners such as Browns, Curve and Al Ostoura. They will also have the opportunity to receive mentorship and get to produce an advertising campaign.

The selection committee of the award included senior executives from Vogue Arabia, the Dubai Design & Fashion Council and Farfetch, as well as fashion industry experts from regional and international fields. While Okhtein won the accessories’ award, the award for apparel was won by Reemami founded by Palestinian Designer, Reem Al Banna, who’s known for her experimental, architectural ready to wear designs.

This win, however, was no surprise to us because Okhtein has been turning heads for quite some time. Recognition came from the likes of renowned actress Emma Watson who thanked the label for their sustainable design practices and was gifted with a Palmalett bag from Okhtein’s collection. This bag was worn by the movie star all throughout her six months in New York last year.tumblr_o5x23zqjql1u79vzvo1_1280

And it’s no wonder, their designs are definitely unique and deserve celebration. In Paris Fashion Week, their design take on the iconic Chloé handbag made them a favoured accessory label. They introduced a rounded handle instead of the traditional one, designed in a way to highlight Arabian style while incorporating a Western feel.2-2016-ddfc-vogue-fashion-prize-finalists-paris-pfw-mochi-okhtein-designers

But we can definitely admit that their latest success at receiving the DDFC/Vogue Arabia award will garner them a permanent space in the spotlight.