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DUBAI: Designers Shaikha Noor Al-Khalifa and Shaikha Haya Al-Khalifa of Bahraini label Noon By Noor are set to present their Spring/Summer 2026 collection during London Fashion Week.

The event runs from Sept. 18-22, with the duo unveiling their new pieces on Sept. 19.

Founded in 2008, the brand is known for its blend of relaxed tailoring and refined detailing. The designers, who are cousins, both studied fashion in the US and returned to Bahrain to launch their label, which combines masculine tailoring with subtle feminine details.

Their collections often feature oversized shirts, tailored blazers, wide-leg trousers and fine knits, with the pair drawing inspiration from art, architecture and nature to produce pieces designed to be wearable, versatile and subtly expressive.

Production remains largely based in Bahrain, with the brand committed to preserving craftsmanship and creative control locally. In 2024, Noon By Noor opened a boutique at The Ritz-Carlton in Manama, further cementing its presence in the region.

The brand has also shown collections at both New York Fashion Week and London Fashion Week. In February, the Fall Winter 2025 collection was presented in London with a salon-style display at Somerset House.

The designs were inspired by Bahrain’s architectural landscape, specifically the work of Swiss architect Christian Kerez, whose multi-story car parks in Muharraq have become a cultural hub.

The four car parks were commissioned by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities as part of a wider preservation and development project in the city, which served as the Bahraini capital until 1932.

“We are fortunate to have been nurtured in art and architecture, both in our home and in our surroundings in Bahrain — a place rich in both, from which we can draw constant inspiration,” Shaikha Noor Al-Khalifa said at the time.

The line featured sculptured jackets, draped bodices and sliced silhouettes. As per the brand’s design ethos, embellishments were minimal, and textures and fabrics played a key role.

The designers employed a technique of stripping and fraying wool tweeds and reapplying them onto tulle to create their own lightweight fabric.

DUBAI: ��������’s King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, also known as Ithra, has announced the return of its flagship design event Tanween from Nov. 17-22.

Tanween’s eighth edition returns under the theme “Design the Unspoken,” with the aim of encouraging designers to anticipate hidden needs and respond with bold, forward-looking design. 

As of Monday, the Tanween Challenge has begun its open call, seeking designers worldwide to participate in this year’s competition. 

Designers can register to take part in one of the six-day Tanween Challenge design sprints that will be held during the event. Applications close on Oct. 26.

This year’s challenges are united by the theme “Design for the 90 percent,” inviting participants to shift attention away from the top 10 percent of consumers toward the wider 90 percent, who form the majority yet remain underserved in the design market. 

The various challenges include “Global Impact Challenge, Elevating the Learning Journey,” which seeks to reimagine learning in rural areas with limited resources, infrastructure and access; “Product Design Challenge, Farmer Gadget,” which asks applicants to develop a multifunctional product that supports the daily needs of farmers working in extreme climates; “Urban Spaces Challenge, Communal Pavilion,” which calls on applicants to reimagine inclusive micro-environments that encourage human connection in an individuality-driven world; and “Visual Communication Challenge, Awareness Campaign for Diverse Communities,” which calls on applicants to create inclusive visual materials that cross language barriers and build cultural bridges.

Last year’s edition of Tanween attracted more than 2,000 attendees who participated in a range of workshops, talk sessions and hands-on courses.