Arab Fashion Council Launches USD 500,000 Fund For Emerging Designers

What does it actually take to go global? Not a viral moment. Not a pop-up in Paris. Not another “next big thing” headline. What it takes is money, time, and ruthless infrastructure - and that’s exactly what the Arab Fashion Council is now offering with the launch of the AFC Fashion Fund.

The Fund will award a single emerging designer half a million U.S. dollars - yes, you read that right - and offer a full, two-year brand acceleration programme designed to do one thing: create an Arab label the world can’t ignore.

Forget the lip service. This isn’t a prize you frame. It’s a four-season, deep-end plunge into the chaos of fashion building - from raw concept to international retail. We're talking runway shows, one-on-one mentorship from industry heavyweights, full-scale production hookups, global media placement, and access to a vetted network of buyers who don’t just attend for the photo op.

At the core is one big idea: stop exporting watered-down versions of Arab creativity and start building something with longevity. “Export-ready” here doesn’t mean diluted. It means rooted, but loud.

Each season begins with creative alignment sessions - think less classroom, more war room - followed by a fully produced runway show, tailored intros to key buyers, and a final season built around a high-visibility collaboration with a major international fashion house. It’s not just prestige - it’s commercial power, with the receipts to back it.

And then there are the drops. Capsule collections engineered for real cultural impact, timed around pivotal moments like Ramadan and Eid, making sure the designer’s work doesn’t just float on international shelves, but lands hard in regional markets too.

Let’s be clear - this isn’t a benevolent pat on the head from the industry’s upper echelons. It’s a calculated investment in cultural power. The Arab Fashion Council, which represents all 22 Arab League countries and stands as the largest non-profit fashion body in the world, is betting big on one designer. One voice. One shot to rewrite the narrative from inside the region out.

Because maybe the real flex isn’t getting into the global fashion conversation - it’s forcing the world to listen when you start your own.

Applications open in June 2025. The designer will be announced in October.