FROMM Mentors Local Talent
FROMM.Lab announces the winners of its design competition inspired by heritage and innovation.
FROMM., a contemporary furniture and accessories brand that empowers the creative talent of the MENA region announced the winner of its design competition. The design competition was launched as part of the design workshop “Crafting Heritage”, in its showroom on the 4th floor of M7, Qatar’s hub for design, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
FROMM.Lab, is an educational and talent scouting platform, providing designers with an opportunity to collaborate and contribute to FROMM.’s collections and projects through workshops, mentorship programmes, and their co-design process. These collaborations are represented locally, globally and showcased at the largest events in the industry.
Shuaa’ Ali at the workshop, mentoring new designers.
The workshop, led by the Head of FROMM.Lab, Dana Said, focused on how to integrate heritage into design, the importance of storytelling, and cultural research. Participants had the chance to learn from the team of experts, as well as from Shua’a Ali, a FROMM. designer part of the ‘Crafting Spaces’ exhibition. Her Zal carpet and Multicolored Maktaba Wall Unit stood as testaments to heritage-inspired design, offering insights into her creative journey.
Multi-coloured Maktaba by Shuaa Ali
The design competition challenged the participants to submit design proposals for a product inspired by a traditional element from a chosen cultural tradition or heritage. It aimed to encourage cultural exploration through design, creating innovative, meaningful, and culturally rooted products.
The competition received many impressive submissions, which showed the creativity, originality, and passion of the participants. A panel of the FROMM. team and Shuaa Ali, the FROMM. evaluated the submissions and selected the winner and the two honourable mentions.
The winning project explained through beautiful representations.
The history behind the product, makes for good story telling.
The winner of the competition was Fatema Maki, a new Qatari designer who designed a vase inspired by Al-Raha, the traditional stone mill, that was commonly used in the MENA region. They were used for grinding grains into flour, a fundamental process for producing staple foods like bread.
She transformed Al-Raha into an elegant, luxurious vase that narrates the story of the past and showcases the evolution of our present era. She crafted the vase as two different parts, using different glass blowing design techniques, mirroring the daily efforts of women using Al-Raha in the old days. The vase has a round shape with holes, resembling Al-Raha, and a grainy glass base that adds sophistication.
Fatema Maki, the designer whose design was chosen for its heriatge value and passionate story telling.
Fatema Maki’s design proposal was stunning, functional, meaningful, and culturally relevant. She demonstrated a deep understanding of the heritage element, a creative and innovative approach, and a great sense of aesthetics, design, and storytelling.
Stephen Amoyo from the Philippines received honorable mention at the FROMM. Lab workshop, for his contribution to the dynamic design landscape in Qatar.
The two honourable mentions are Galyiah Al Mohannadi, a Qatari designer, who designed a room divider inspired by the fluidity of water meeting the ever-shifting sand dunes, and Stephen Amoyo, a Filipino designer based in Qatar, who designed a wall lamp inspired by the Lu’lu’a, a pearl that is a symbol of wealth, beauty, and prestige in the Gulf region.
Both Galyiah Al Mohannadi and Stephen Amoyo captured the essence of the FROMM.lab’s mission: inspiring future talent with a deep-rooted passion for culture and heritage design.
The FROMM.Lab design competition was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate heritage and innovation in the MENA region, and to showcase the talent and potential of the MENA design scene.
“We would like to thank all the participants for their amazing work and enthusiasm. We hope that this experience was enriching and rewarding for them, as it was for us. We also hope that they will continue to pursue their design dreams and aspirations, and that they will keep in touch with us and with the FROMM.Lab community,’ said Dana Said. “We would also like to thank M7, Qatar Museums, and Shua’a Ali for their collaboration and support. We are grateful for their partnership, and we look forward to working with them on future projects and initiatives.”
All Images and information Courtesy FROMM.
