W Doha and VCUQ Fashion Award winner showcases her award-winning collection

Press release

Published June 5th, 2011 - 07:32 GMT

The winner, Selina Farooqui

Doha's fashionistas gathered today in the exquisite EWOW Suite of W Doha where W Doha and VCUQ Fashion Award winner, Silina Farooqui, showcases her award-winning collection.

This year for the first time W Doha sponsored the ‘W Doha & VCUQ Fashion Award’, which was presented to the most exciting VCUQ fashion design student of the year, Silina Farooqui, on the night by Edgar Vaudeville, PR & Events Manager, W Doha. The prize-giving took place at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar’s (VCUQ) annual Fashion Show, under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser.

As best VCUQ fashion design student, winning student Silina Farooqui was given the opportunity to display her collection in the stunning EWOW Suite at W Doha Hotel & Residences, with many new pieces of garments exclusively designed for W Doha.

Edgar, PR and Events Manager, commented: “W Doha was delighted to support the local fashion talent in creating the W Doha & VCU Qatar Fashion Award, the first fashion award given by W Doha in Qatar. This is why W is now offering the winner, Selina Farooqui, the chance to showcase her fashion collection in our EWOW suite where various celebrities stayed, such as Kevin Spacey and Kate Moss, to name a few.”

Silina Farooqui said of this opportunity: ‘It was a great honour to win this award and to have W Hotel supporting VCUQ design students in this way. The W is a style icon in Doha and a beacon for design students in the city. It is an amazing opportunity to be able to showcase my collection in such an amazing setting.’

The criteria for the new award was the design of an inspired collection of 6-12 must-have contemporary fashion pieces and accessories by the hottest local emerging talent. The winning student designer, Silina Farooqui, was chosen by a Jury of 10, which included Edgar Vaudeville and Blandine Binet from the communications team at W Doha.

Background Information

W Doha Hotel & Residences

W Doha is a leading-edge, contemporary lifestyle experience with a complete service offering, including 260 guest rooms including 42 suites, and 138 W branded Residences. To experience W’s approach to B&F (Beverage and Food), W Doha features three stylish bars for guests to mix and mingle including the signature W Living Room experience; Wahm, a modern poolside lounge, and Crystal Lounge, a sleek, fashionable spot where guests can sip cool cocktails and groove to the latest world beats. In addition, W Doha boasts three signature restaurants offering French gourmet gastronomy at La Maison du Caviar and modern fusion cuisine at Spice Market and Market by Jean-Georges, both concepts created by three-star Michelin Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. W Doha’s latest luxury outlet is chic hideaway W Cafe, an eclectic coffeehouse serving up W's newest slice of serenity with delectable desserts and mouth-watering cup cakes. W Doha offers the signature Bliss Spa, New York’s hottest spa to unwind, Alexandre Zouari hair salon from Paris to bring the signature Parisian flair and glamour to Doha and Teuscher Chocolates of Switzerland from Zurich, all introduced in the Middle East for the first time. W Doha is conveniently located in the West Bay of Doha on the Qatar peninsula, providing easy access to Doha’s world-class shopping destinations, pristine beaches and water sports facilities, first-class greens of Doha Golf Club, and scenic Corniche waterfront district.

Company Profile

Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar

VCUarts Qatar is the Qatar campus of the prestigious Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Richmond, Virginia. Established in 1998 through a partnership with Qatar Foundation, we offer students the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in fashion design, graphic design, interior design and painting & printmaking, a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history and a Master of Fine Arts degree in design.