From Emirati Heritage to Haute Couture: Maitha Alansaari Wins the ADMAF x Dolce&Gabbana Design Award 2025

What happens when Emirati heritage meets Italian couture? For fashion designer Maitha Alansaari, the answer is A Journey Woven in Fragments, a striking cape that has won the ADMAF x Dolce&Gabbana Design Award 2025.

Blending cultural storytelling with contemporary design, her collection celebrates traditional details and craftsmanship that make fashion much more than something to wear.

The award is now in its second edition and champions emerging Emirati talent. Maitha’s design, alongside the creations of runners-up Fakhra Almansoori and Mohamed Alowais, was unveiled at a special gathering in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday 13 October.

These designs will be on display at the Dolce&Gabbana boutique in The Galleria, Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi, for 6 months. If you’re interested in fashion that tells a story, this is a chance to see how a new generation of Emirati creatives is reimagining traditional dress.

A Contemporary Take on the Emirati Abaya

This year’s award challenged emerging designers to reinterpret the Emirati abaya through florals, lace, patchwork, hand-painted elements and embroidery.

Alansaari has created a piece that combines Emirati heritage and Italian artistry without losing sight of either. Her cape features layered patchwork motifs inspired by both cultures, forming a rich, continuous surface.

Advanced digital printing helps keep the garment fluid and comfortable, while hand-applied embroidery adds texture, depth and a couture finish.

Her award brings a significant next step too. In January 2027, she will begin a 6-month international internship at Dolce&Gabbana in Milan and gain hands-on experience in the fashion house’s ateliers under its artisans.

Another Pair of Designs Worth Explorin g

Dolce&Gabbana also recognised 2 other Emirati designers whose work offers different interpretations of the same theme.

Self-taught artist and fashion designer Fakhra Almansoori was named runner-up for Lace Mirage, a contemporary take on the black abaya inspired by the dunes of Liwa and Dolce&Gabbana’s signature lace.

In this work, concealed pleated silk and lace panels reveal themselves through movement, adding a subtle dramatic sense to the design.

Fellow runner-up Mohamed Alowais presented Ethereal Being, a modern interpretation of the Emirati mukhawar. Lace, beadwork and archival motifs are blended with flowing drapery and structured elements.

If you’re interested in seeing how fashion can be used to symbolise themes of memory and the evolution of cultural identity, then there’s plenty of time to pay the boutique a visit. At day’s end, each designer brings their own perspective to the relationship between heritage and modern-day fashion.

You Can Take Part in the Next Edition Too

There’s more to look forward to for aspiring designers. ADMAF and Dolce&Gabbana have announced the third edition of the award.

Emerging Emirati designers aged 18 to 35 can submit their fashion concepts. Applications are open until Monday 16 November 2026.

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