As a fruit of Van Cleef & Arpels’ collaboration with Tashkeel and Design Days Dubai, the 2017 Middle East Emergent Designer Prize was as successful as the previous editions. This year, the winner is Dubai-based Jordanian designer Hamza Al Omari, whose piece is really unique that it will be showcased by the famed high jewelry Maison this November at the Dubai Design District (d3).
“Congratulations to all the shortlisted designers and the incredibly talented finalists. We commend them for their positive, impactful designs that expressed this year’s theme of growth. Along with our partners Tashkeel and Design Days Dubai, the aim of The Middle East Emergent Designer Award is to draw attention to the region’s innovative design industry and continue to create new avenues for emerging designers in the region that will help them achieve international recognition,” said Alessandro Maffi, Managing Director Van Cleef & Arpels, Middle East & India. “The quality of talent has grown each year with participants raising the bar and amazing us with their creativity in the competition. We are very much looking forward to being amazed in the 2018 edition too.”
The Middle East Emergent Designer Prize called emerging designers from the GCC region to show off their passion for art and present their pieces. However, Al Omari’s piece – which is entitled Mahad – reached an unexpected level of creativity. Inspired by Bedouins who “have always been on the move, rapidly adapting to their environment in search of the next opportunity to grow and prosper” as explained the designer, Mahad can be used to turn goat milk into cheese during the day and a child's cradle at night.
In addition to an award of AED 30,000 granted to the winner in order to produce his project, he was invited to a five-day trip to Paris to attend courses at L’ECOLE Van Cleef & Arpels and learn about the wonders of the jewelry world. “I am thrilled to have been selected for this year’s Middle East Emergent Designer Prize. I would like to thank Van Cleef & Arpels, Tashkeel, and Design Days Dubai for this incredible opportunity and for their continued support to the design community,” says Al Omari.
