WGSF
Women's Growth and Success Forum
Our recent Forum, incorporating the Almas Jewellery Show, the Konooz Fine Art Auction, and the Ziryab Fashion Show
30th-31st May 2014
This attracted an Arab, British and International audience of:
Ministers, Diplomatic Leaders and Ambassadors
Key decision-makers from government and industry sectors
Public policy leaders and civil servants
Journalists from television and the press
Local and international academic and research institutions
Regional and international development organisations
Leaders of NGOs and social enterprises
Chairpersons & CEOs of leading companies, and their delegates
Academic deans, program directors, faculty leaders, career and services directors
Entrepreneurs and representatives of professional services firms
Forum Topics
Session 1
What have governments and individuals done to change the stereotypical view of women, and to create greater public awareness of their capabilities and potential internationally?
How have business patterns changed across the women's world?
Session 2
Entrepreneurial women in the global economy.
Promoting women's entrepreneurship and leadership.
Female entrepreneurs and experts from Arab countries, Kurdistan and Europe present their experiences of starting and growing businesses, including the challenges faced and ways of overcoming barriers.
Session 3:
Creative women in the Arab, Kurdish, and Western world.
Focus on art development in the women's world.
What are the issues with abstract art?
The development of art from the artist’s point of view.
The Forum's purposes were to:
Represent Arab women’s affairs on the world stage.
Create an opportunity for Arab women to express their opinion on relevant issues and discuss their options.
Provide a dialogue and communication platform for Arab businesswomen and their Western counterparts, including experts on global economy.
Enhance Arab women's capability to build professional inter-relations.
Open new horizons and expose new roles for Arab women to encourage their creativity and self-confidence.
Emphasise women's access to better training and education opportunities, and expand the scope of their involvement in the global economy.
Highlight Arab businesswomen's achievements in professional life.
Video of Event highlights
YouTube videos showing some of the highlights from our recent Event, held over 30th-31st May 2014 at the Intercontinental Hotel, Park Lane, London.
These include our visit to the London Mayor's office, where we had a very pleasant meeting with Kit Malthouse, the Deputy Mayor and his staff, on 29th May as a prelude to the main event.
The next day saw our Forum being held, with its many prestigeous speakers and contributors, followed by lunch and a trip to Harrods in Knightsbridge to meet with their Interior Design and Estates experts.
Lastly, the 31st May presented our Almas Jewellery Show, Konooz Fine Art Auction, and Ziryab Fashion Show, with dinner.
For more details on each section of the Event, please see below.
Forum
Please click on the button to see brief profile details of our Forum speakers of the day.
Galleries
In our Konooz Fine Art Auction there was a special feature of art from all across the Middle East. This enabled us to demonstrate the range of creativity and expertise that is available from a wealth of talent on offer to the public.
We were delighted to have the services of a professional auctioneer for this occasion.
Artists and experts from all over the Middle East Region were represented, with their different backgrounds and experiences. They were able to voice their emotions and sensitivities through works of fine art.
Konooz Fine Art Auction
Featured Artists
Rawan Aladwan
Shirine Osseiran
Mohamed Abouelnaga
Laila Shawa
Sakko
Ali Jabbar
Hassan Boukhari
Sadiq Toma
31st May 2014
30th May 2014
Almas Jewellery Show
The Almas Jewellery Show featured the work of fine jewellery designers from around the Middle East
Mas & Morjan are always seeking the perfection and precision achieved by bringing together a wealth heritage of creativity, an impeccable sense of originality and a true understanding of every woman’s need for distinctiveness.
It offers uniquely a wide variety of designed jewelry with the highest-quality creativity and luxury from all over the world like India-Italy-Brazil-Turkey-Lebanon-Singapore-Hong Kong-and many other countries, we aim to satisfy all tastes looking for elegance and regeneration.
Rare collections, unique designs and unmatched quality is our tradition. We are always looking for what is new in the world of global jewelry designs to meet the needs of women.
Toujours Jewellery is a jewellery retailer committed to making fine jewels that can be enjoyed with comfort, glamour, and pleasure. Jewellery pieces in Toujours Jewellery are personal odysseys toward the re-discovery of beauty. The Toujours Jewellery collection reflects sensitivity in design, execution and wearability.
The jewellery embodies a special magic, conjured by a fusion of spirit and dedication, craftsmanship and high art. Toujours Jewellery's showroom located in Dubai Mall is described as a uniquely designed boutique, where the pieces are displayed in harmony reflecting the exceptional soul of magnificence.
Toujours Jewellery, as one of the best Arab jewellery designers, provides consultancy by appointment, where the designer will escort clients through choosing the perfect jewellery piece.
Nada Alokati is an Iraqi designer living in London who distributes her work around the world. She started her business called Candeline in 2007, where she designs and decorates candles by using Swarovski crystal stones and semi precious stones to make Arabic inscriptions on the candle and to use the lighting effect in order to create the ambiance you want for a special occasion .
Nada’s work has been inspired by many, through participating in wedding exhibitions and special occasions . Her work is based on the cultural history of the Gulf and the Arab world.
Furthermore, her hand-crafted candles are individually made to order. Her success has been achieved by working closely with her clients from understanding and fulfilling their requirements, and in sharing her beautiful ideas and unique works of art.
Ziryab Fashion Show - Designers
Farah Al-Windawi
This was Farah Al Windawi’s very first fashion show in London, the city of fashion.
Windawi, known for her hand made embroidery has taken a part of the Women’s Growth and Success Forum representing Iraq, in support of the working Arab woman in London.
Aisha Al Shamsi
Aisha Al Shamsi is a UAE (Sharjah) based Emirati designer whose interest in fashion design came from her talented mother. She began her professional career in 2008, and is the owner and founder of Sabaa Sanabel Fashion house which means “Seven Seeds” in English. She believes in creating innovative designs for her abayas and appreciates customers' feedback. Her designs vibrate with multiple inspirations from traditional clothes to a modern design with a pop culture twist and mixing arts from different early culture such as Arabic, Indian, Greek, Egyptian , Moroccan and Japanese. Her innate eye for fashion was enhanced through her experience. She took a big step from drawing to bringing her designs alive. She has participated in numerous shows and exhibitions locally and other GCC countries and international (last year in London). When designing an outfit she insists on seeing her client personally so that she can design the magnificent abaya based on their personality. If you look really close around you in malls and at parties we can assure you that you will spot one or two of her royal designs.
Ahang Mohammed
From an early age Ahang was always busy with fashion and artistic designs. At the age of nine she left Iraq (Kurdistan) and fled to the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, she attended the ROC in Amsterdam and completed successfully.
During her studies, she was selected by the school to make the telegraph, styling a fashion reportage. She has also had an independent training regularly abroad (Los Angeles in California.) During her internship abroad she was working with leading brands and qualities, and did an internship in one of the greatest World Fashion Center of California. As a result, she gained a lot of experience and has had her horizons broadened. After her studies, said several contracts were offered for television in Kurdistan * Rojeki Nwe: she was announced as one of the first fashion designers of Kurdistan. * Fashion Show: better known as Project Catwalk, this is the first program that delved into the fashion of Kurdistan, where she was partaking as a jury member.
Nabiha El Ghiati
The work of Nabiha El Ghiati ESR relates to an ancient art and a secular tradition, that in the case of female pageantry, which gives beauty, grace and charm to the woman. The caftan became indeed the mark of a civilization, whose finesse and magnificence have been recognized and adopted by major international designers. Creations Nabiha El Ghiati thus is part of the general movement that aims to revive this tradition and recreate it according to very contemporary sensibilities.
This renewed interest is not a passing fad. It is a sign of commitment to living memory and a deepening of knowledge that perpetuates a specialty and local heritage, while marking a personal artistic imprint. It is in this sense that we can greet the creations of the artist, and can not be seduced by its personal touches.
Her creations are full of life and light. They sparkle with bright colors and show a fertile imigration that keeps renouvler research and expand its horizons.
Nazek Al Sabbagh (House of Zari O' Breesam)
Zari O’ Breesam’s designs is created by its ability in mixing the Arabian Gulf tradition with global fashion trends. All “Zari O’ Breesam” products show style, craftsmanship, quality and sharpness.We believe that all women are beautiful by nature, and we are committed to increase this inborn beauty. As a leading Emirati brand in the Gulf fashion scene, “Zari O’ Breesam” is always ahead in creating different designs with an international point of view, by combining modernity with tradition, and helping the region’s fashion industry to become competitive and of high quality.Within a short time, “Zari O’ Breesam” has created a place for itself in the Gulf fashion region. We operate from Dubai, the colorful and broad-minded place of the Middle East. Designing and production at “Zari O’ Breesam” is done with Efficiency and commitment to Quality.
Video of Keynote Speakers
Sponsors' Links
Fashion Designers
Jewellery Designers
Mayor of London's
Eid Festival
2nd August 2014
Trafalgar Square
London
Mrs Zainab Al-Farhan Al-Imam, representing A&Z Traders and the Women's Growth and Success Forum, was delighted to have been nominated as a member of the Eid Committee, delivering a programme to celebrate Arabic & Middle East art, fashion and culture.
Associated participants
YouTube video from the Iraqi Cultural Centre, London
WOMEN’S GROWTH AND SUCCESS FORUM
