The annual Grazia Style Awards, now in its fourth year, concluded last Tuesday night at Exclusive Hotel Partner Mondrian Doha with over 370 guests and 15 awards presented to Qatari and international achievers in fashion, art, culture, and philanthropy.
Staged by Grazia, Qatar’s most influential women’s monthly magazine, the awards celebrate female achievement in Qatar and beyond.
Recipients this year included Jessica Kahawaty, who was awarded the prestigious Woman of the Year award for her outstanding humanitarian work. In 2016, Louis Vuitton approached her to be part of their Make a Promise campaign, designed to help children in urgent need through its support for Unicef, the United Nations Children’s Fund.
In 2018, she became a member of the Unicef Leadership Circle, which gave her the opportunity to visit and support a variety of refugee camps around the world as well as sit amongst major philanthropic donors in the Middle East to discuss Unicef’s objectives and fundraising.
She ended her acceptance speech, in which she outlined her personal experiences on these missions, with a call to action. “We must change the culture of greed, social indifference and superiority that has thrived,” she told guests.
Winners included leading Qatari couture brand TIIYA, the recipient of the prestigious Editor’s Choice Fashion Gamechanger Award; Breakthrough Stars of the Year Yasmin Mansour and Hissa Haddad; Best Luxury Boutique Amici di Moda; Modest Wear Brand of the Year Fil Noir; Artist of the Year Sara Al Obaidly; Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Amal Ameen Almehain; and Cover of the Year for Grazia’s Real Beauty Revolution produced in association with The Creative Union Qatar.
Highlights at the event included an exceptional activation curated by Salam Stores which featured elegantly dressed mannequins positioned on towering sculptural blocks. Against the magnificent backdrop of the Mondrian Doha ballroom with its dazzling chandeliers, the presentation recalled the glamour of the Great Gatsby era and showcased some of Salam’s most dazzling new season collections.
Exclusive Automobile Partner Lexus Qatar showcased a selection of stunning car models and presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to leading Qatari entrepreneur and fashion icon Amal Ameen Almehain.
Elsewhere, Exclusive Airline Partner Qatar Airways flew guests of honour Jessica Kahawaty and her mother Rita Kahawaty in style and cabin crew from the world leading airline served guests traditional coffee and dates. The airline also generously supported a special flight giveaway to new destination Langkawi.