Etihad Airways announces design competition winners

Etihad Airways has launched a competition to invite four young Emirati fashion designers to design new in-flight casual wear.

The contest attracted nearly 71,000 votes via the social media channels of respected UAE fashion publication Zahrat Al Khaleej.

Four Emirati designers kicked off the competition with a challenging set of criteria: Design themes had to involve strong Emirati and Emirati influences, use traditional patterns and accents, and had to be modern and stylish.

Rawdha Al Shafar (my friend from Xpoze), Manaal Al Hammadi (Manaal Al Hammadi), Asma Al Matrooshi (Epiphany) and Aisha Al Marri (1981 Boutique) develop designs within a week for a chance to win a grand prize at the Etihad The airline’s first class cabin and the official residence of the Airbus A380 offer their designs.

Nearly 71,000 ballots were submitted through Zahrat Al Khaleej’s Snapchat channel during the three-day voting period and website. Two finalists, Rawdha Al Shafar (A Friend of Mine) and Aisha Al Marri (1981 Boutique), were selected to develop prototype designs for the final round of judging within a week, with Rawdha Al Shafar from A Friend of Mine by Xpose winning the final design .

Rawdha Al Shafar said of the competition: “I am honored to win this prestigious competition. Zahrat Al Khaleej and the team at Etihad Airways have provided incredible support. The other designers will certainly be tough opponents as they Both showed a lot of skill and talent.

“It was an extremely challenging competition – getting a design and prototype in just a few weeks was an ordeal, but certainly rewarding. I can’t wait to see my designs next year!”

A Friend of Mine by Xpose’s team will work closely with Etihad Airways’ Customer Experience and Delivery and Product and Brand teams to monitor the production of the loungewear over the next few months before launching onboard in the first quarter of next year. .

Linda Celestino, Vice President, Customer Experience and Delivery, Etihad Airways, said: “This is the first time an airline has done something like this. I absolutely love working with these very talented young Emirati women who show such passion and enthusiasm. Determination. It gave Etihad the opportunity to showcase the talent of the region. It was certainly a tough call, but my friend deserved to win.”