#QatarCreates includes the showcase and judging for the Fashion Trust Arabia Awards and presentation of various fashion and design exhibitions.

Dynamic leaders and rising stars from creative industries in Qatar and around the world are converging in Doha for the second annual #QatarCreates: two weeks of cultural exchange, dialogue and collaboration at the forefront of art, architecture, fashion, design and digital culture.

HE Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, said: “The cultural innovation economy is one of the world’s greatest job providers for young people, ages 18 to 25, generating more than $2.25tn US annually and growing rapidly. It is the key to a sustainable future—which is why we are so thrilled this year to welcome so many cutting-edge figures in fashion, design, and the arts to #QatarCreates, to enjoy the wide array of experiences we offer and meet with outstanding creative peers from Qatar.”

A global summit for the cultural innovation economy, #QatarCreates brings together a range of exciting events and programmes throughout Doha. Taking centre stage this year is M7, Qatar’s new 312,000sqft hub for innovation and entrepreneurship in fashion and design, built in the heart of Msheireb Downtown Doha.

#QatarCreates includes the showcase and judging for the Fashion Trust Arabia Awards and presentation of the exhibition, ‘Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams’ at M7. Fashion Trust Arabia will also host events at Culture Pass Club, Qatar’s first members-only arts club, located in a suite of 14 townhouses designed by international artists and designers, including Diane von Furstenberg, India Mahdavi, Rossana Orlandi, and Qatari designers Aisha al-Sowaidi and Wahda al-Hajri.

Other highlights of the 2021 #QatarCreates include major exhibitions dedicated to the work of Jeff Koons, the artist’s first major survey in the Middle East, and artist and designer Virgil Abloh, the first large-scale exhibition dedicated to his pioneering artistic practice. A compelling set of public programmes—the #QatarCreates Programming series and the Art for Tomorrow Talks, in association with ‘The New York Times’ – presents thought-provoking dialogue and expert analysis. The schedule is complemented by opportunities to experience recently installed works of public art, including major pieces by Tom Claassen, Bruce Nauman and Isa Genzken.

To celebrate the launch of #QatarCreates, an opening reception took place on Tuesday evening with Maison Valentino at the Museum of Islamic Art. Twelve artworks featured in the Valentino Des Ateliers Haute Couture Collection were exhibited during the reception, and British musician Cosima, who performed at the Valentino Show in Venice in July, will offer a special live performance.

The 2021 #QatarCreates will include:

* Fashion Trust Arabia (FTA) – the first initiative of its kind supporting and showcasing talented designers in the Arab world – will bring together, on November 3, renowned FTA jurors and advisory board members to award the highly coveted annual prize. Under the patronage and in the presence of honorary chair Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser and co-chairs HE Sheikha Al Mayassa and Tania Fares, the prize provides financial support, guidance and mentorship to emerging designers in the Mena (Middle East and North Africa) region and offers a platform of opportunity through which every talented Arab designer can grow and receive international recognition. The showcase and judging for the awards will take place at M7.

* ‘Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams’, on view from November 6 through March 30, 2022, at M7 in Msheireb Downtown Doha, is the first fashion exhibition of its ambition and scale in the Middle East. Reinvented anew following successful presentation at prestigious museums in Paris, London, Shanghai and New York, the retrospective features a selection of pieces that are being shown for the first time and ensembles from the private collection of Her Highness Sheikha Moza, a long-standing client of Christian Dior Couture. This is the inaugural exhibition at M7, which opens on November 5.

* ‘Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech’, on view from November 5 to March 31, 2022, at the Garage Gallery, Fire Station, is the first major exhibition dedicated to the work of the acclaimed American artist and designer. The mid-career retrospective brings together more than 55 works for an in-depth look at Abloh’s diverse pioneering media practice that ranges from visual arts to music, fashion, architecture and design. ‘Figures of Speech’ is organised by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, adapted for this presentation by Qatar Museums, and designed by and in collaboration with AMO. It is part of the Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture programme.

* ‘Jeff Koons: Lost in America’, a new exhibition on view from November 21 to March 31, 2022, at QM Gallery Al Riwaq, is the first in the Gulf region of the work of the American artist Koons. Organised by renowned curator Massimiliano Gioni, the exhibition provides a unique view into the exceptional career of one of the best-known contemporary artists, whose work bridges pop, minimalism and the readymade. The exhibition is presented as part of the Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture, an annual international cultural exchange programme designed to deepen understanding between nations and their people.

* #QatarCreates Programming will bring together distinguished international leaders and cultural innovators for conversations on fashion, design and art from November 3 to 5. Highlights will include Valentino’s creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli and Naomi Campbell, moderated by HE Sheikha Al Mayassa with an introduction by journalist Anders Christian Madsen; Dior’s creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri in conversation with photographer Brigitte Lacombe and journalist Caroline Issa; and Abloh, architect Samir Bantal, and designer and academic leader Rosanne Somerson on Abloh’s exhibition in Doha and the inspiration that architectural firm OMA has had on his work.

* Art for Tomorrow Talks, presented in association with ‘The New York Times’, will convene artists, museum leaders, curators and cultural experts to look closely at topical issues, exploring the social and economic impact of art. To register for the free talks, which will take place from November 19-21 in Doha and on November 23 virtually, one has to visit artfortomorrow.org