DUBAI: Egyptian designer Youssef Karam Hussein was named the winner of the Creators of Craft Design Challenge at the inaugural Vogue Arabia Ball: Art Edition, held at Delano Dubai on Bluewaters Island on Friday.
Hussein, a Cairo-based jewelry designer, won for a mashrabiya-inspired necklace. He was one of five finalists from Egypt, Lebanon and the UAE whose work was displayed at the event.
The black-tie ball, the magazine’s first, was themed around celebrating art through the female gaze, with Vogue Arabia positioning itself as a patron of the arts in the region.
“We have a responsibility not only to document the region’s cultural landscape, but also to contribute to its growth by creating platforms that bring its creative voices to the forefront,” Manuel Arnaut, head of editorial content at Vogue Arabia, told Arab News.
The work of Emirati artists Shaikha Al-Mazrou and Dhabia Al-Qubaisi informed the ball’s artistic direction and immersive environments. “The female gaze is central to this vision, celebrating women’s perspectives and their contribution to the region’s cultural identity,” Arnaut said.
The initiative also extends beyond the evening through a partnership with Art House Education Dubai, which gives UAE residents the chance to win free fine arts courses through a creative challenge to reimagine Vogue Arabia’s November cover.
