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Following an opening evening with Moroccan designer Artsi Ifrah, the exhibition welcomes visitors to Msheireb Downtown Doha for live craft demonstrations, interactive embroidery and conversations with designers and cultural practitioners
Doha, Qatar, 28 October 2026: Doha Design District, powered by Msheireb Properties, has opened ‘Designed to Last’, a fashion exhibition by award-winning Moroccan designer Artsi Ifrah, founder and Creative Director of Marrakech-based Maison ARTC. The exhibition opened on 27 October with a gala evening and a special talk by Ifrah, bringing together members of Doha’s creative community, designers, fashion enthusiasts and invited guests.
Open to the public until 5 November, the exhibition is hosted in the main atrium of Doha Design District at Msheireb Downtown Doha. It invites visitors to look beyond seasonal trends and explore what gives fashion lasting value, from the craftsmanship behind each piece to the cultural references, memories and personal stories it carries.
The exhibition presents thirteen one-of-a-kind looks created and styled by Ifrah, alongside his photographic works. Drawing on Moroccan heritage, traditional craftsmanship and personal experience, his artistic practice reinterprets cultural influences through a contemporary lens, reflecting his guiding philosophy: We Move Culture. We Are Culture.
“Designed to Last invites us to consider what makes something worth keeping and how fashion can preserve stories, express identity and connect us to our cultural heritage,” said Dana Kazic, Director of Doha Design District. “We are pleased to bring Artsi Ifrah’s distinctive work to Doha and give the public opportunities to engage directly with the creative processes behind fashion. Through the exhibition, hands-on experiences and conversations with designers and cultural practitioners, we hope to foster a deeper appreciation of craftsmanship and encourage more conscious approaches to design.”
Ifrah’s work has earned international recognition, including the Fashion Trust Arabia Award in 2022, and has been exhibited at prominent venues such as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and 10 Corso Como in Milan.
Complementing the exhibition, Designed to Last offers a public programme of talks and live activities that explore fashion as a form of cultural expression and creative practice.
Explore the programme
The Stories We Wear | 28 October, 4:00–5:00 pm | Sada, First Floor
How do garments carry memories, express identity and tell personal stories? This conversation explores the cultural meanings, experiences and emotional connections people associate with what they wear.
The discussion brings together Artsi Ifrah, Moroccan designer, founder and Creative Director of Maison ARTC; Dr Tara Desjardins, Senior Curator of Decorative Arts and Design at Lusail Museum; and Innas Soufan, founder of Hazati, a Qatar-based embroidery and design studio dedicated to preserving and reinterpreting Palestinian craftsmanship.
The Cutting Studio: Cultural Embroidery | 28–29 October, 3:00–8:00 pm | Main Atrium
Visitors are invited to take part in a collaborative embroidery experience led by two embroiderers. In response to the question, “What does culture mean to you?”, participants can contribute a word or symbol for the artisans to stitch into a collective artwork.
The experience explores embroidery as a way to express identity, preserve meaning and weave individual stories together. Visitors can drop in during the scheduled hours to help create a shared work that reflects the community’s diverse cultural perspectives.
Live Draping with Nuha Errayes | 31 October and 1 November, 5:00–6:00 pm | Sada
Fashion designer Nuha Errayes will lead live draping demonstrations exploring how fabric behaves and takes shape to form a silhouette. Working directly on a mannequin, Errayes will show how a creative idea takes physical form, revealing the technical skill and experimentation involved in garment construction.
Each session is limited to 10 participants, allowing for focused interaction with the designer and a closer look at the draping process. Advance registration is required.
A Designer’s Perspective | 3 November, 4:00–5:00 pm | Sada, First Floor
What does it mean to design something that lasts? This discussion brings together three Qatari designers to reflect on craftsmanship, cultural heritage and the challenge of designing beyond trends. Drawing on their creative practices, the speakers will consider how design can retain its relevance and meaning over time.
Speakers include Abdulrahman Al Hamad, Founder and Creative Director of The Project; Saadia Khabab, fashion and costume designer; and Samah Sulyman, fashion designer and founder of DENIM.
Visit the Designed to Last exhibition
Running until 5 November 2026, Designed to Last invites residents and visitors to experience fashion at the intersection of craftsmanship, cultural memory and contemporary creativity. Its accompanying programme offers opportunities to contribute to a collective artwork, discover professional fashion techniques and hear directly from designers and cultural practitioners.
The exhibition is open to the public in the main atrium of Doha Design District, Msheireb Downtown Doha. Visitors are encouraged to register for the talks; advance registration is required for the limited-capacity live draping sessions.
For registration and further information, visit www.ddd.com.qa.
