Qatari designers make North American runway debut in Toronto

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Three emerging designers connected to Qatar’s creative hub M7 have taken a major step onto the international stage, presenting their collections at Fashion Art Toronto, one of Canada’s leading platforms for independent fashion and contemporary art.

The showcase marked the designers’ North American runway debut and formed part of the Qatar, Canada and Mexico 2026 Year of Culture, an initiative that uses culture and creativity to strengthen ties between countries.

Fashion Art Toronto, one of Canada’s leading platforms for independent fashion and contemporary art, provided the backdrop for that exchange.

Alongside runway presentations, the designers met buyers, retailers and industry professionals, offering a glimpse into the North American fashion landscape and creating opportunities for future collaborations.

For Fashion Art Toronto founder and executive director Vanja Vasic, fashion has always been about more than clothes.

“I think it’s just a way to create relationships and international bonds,” she said. “Fashion is such an amazing space to do that because clothing is a way to express identity and culture.”

Finding identity between cultures

That idea of identity was central to the work of designer Rayan Alami, founder of Authentic Roz.

Raised in Qatar with Moroccan and Brazilian roots, Alami presented Third Space, a collection inspired by the feeling of belonging to multiple cultures at once.

“I was never really able to identify myself as one culture because I lived in so many places,” he said. “It brought me to a big question. What is identity?”

The collection blends influences from across his background, using colour, texture and storytelling to explore what it means to exist between different worlds.

Toronto’s diversity made it a particularly meaningful place to share that message.

“When I first got here, it was a place where I saw multicultural people,” Alami said. “I think this is something that the brand looks for.”

Challenging expectations

Designer Samah Sulyman arrived in Toronto with a collection that reimagines one of fashion’s most familiar materials: denim.

Her collection, Jeu Due Denim: In Play, combines recycled materials, sculptural silhouettes and 3D printing techniques to explore sustainability through experimentation.

At the heart of the collection is a desire to bring different influences together rather than choosing between them.

“I wanted to bring Western culture into my own culture,” Sulyman said. “I wanted to bring a mix of cultures and silhouettes together.”

She also hopes audiences leave with a different perspective on the creative talent emerging from the Arab world.

“I want people to actually see that our region can actually create something out of the box.”

The power of simplicity

For Qatari designer Noof Al Mulla, founder of LIN, the focus was on a quieter form of expression.

Her collection, HER AURA, featured flowing silhouettes, natural fabrics and refined details that celebrated elegance through simplicity.

“The message I hope people take away is that elegance can be found in simplicity,” she said. “Sometimes the most powerful statement is made through softness, authenticity and understated design.”

One of the most rewarding moments, she said, was seeing people engage with contemporary interpretations of the abaya.

“It reminded me that thoughtful design has the power to build understanding, spark curiosity and bring cultures closer together.”

Fashion as a cultural bridge

The Toronto showcase reflects a broader effort to strengthen ties between creative communities in Qatar and Canada through the Years of Culture initiative, which has spent more than a decade using cultural exchange to build lasting international relationships.

“For Qatar, Canada is a particularly important partner because it understands something essential about modern identity,” said Qatar’s Ambassador to Canada, Tariq Ali Faraj Al-Ansari.

“As multicultural societies shaped by global communities, both Canada and Qatar understand that identity is strengthened through exchange.”

Supporting that exchange is M7, Qatar Museums’ creative hub, which helps designers and entrepreneurs develop their businesses through mentorship, professional development and international opportunities.

“M7 exists to help creative talent move from local promise to international opportunity,” said Stefano Merenda, who led the delegation. “Their participation in Toronto demonstrates both the strength of Qatar’s emerging fashion ecosystem and the growing international appetite for new perspectives from the region.”

More than a runway show

The delegation also included accessories brand Tash & Ley, founded by friends Tasha Saradar and Lea Al Chaa.

Their brand transforms original artwork into silk scarves inspired by storytelling, symbolism and Middle Eastern visual culture.

“We wanted to create something that blends art and fashion,” Saradar said.

“It becomes an extension of the person that they are,” Al Chaa added. “It’s an accessory that adapts to you, not the other way around.”

For everyone involved, Toronto was about much more than showcasing collections. It was an opportunity to exchange ideas, build relationships and introduce international audiences to a new generation of designers connected to Qatar and the wider region.

As Al Mulla put it: “Fashion is truly a universal language.”

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