DUBAI: Batoul Al-Rashdan, founder of fashion tech brand Studio B.O.R, is on a mission to provide sustainable alternative materials in fashion.
Al-Rashdan is a nominee in Fashion Trust Arabia’s Fashion Tech category, with the winners of the set of Qatari prizes to be announced at a ceremony in Marrakesh on Oct. 24.
The FTA 2024 Advisory Board selected 18 finalists from applications submitted by emerging talent across the MENA region.
They are competing for six awards: The Ready-to-Wear Award, Eveningwear Award, Jewelry Award, Accessories Award, Fashion Tech Award and Franca Sozzani Debut Talent Award.
The board included the likes of British celebrity-loved designer Erdem Moralioglu, jewelry designer Gaia Repossi and US designer Kelly Wearstler.
Armed with two postgraduate degrees in digital fabrication and textiles, Al-Rashdan is pushing the boundaries of sustainable design in the fashion world.
“There are two aspects of what I do: One is sustainable fabric solutions, some are made from food waste, while (the other) involves bio-design techniques, like extracting natural colors from plant-based bacteria or creating bio-plastics that return to the earth,” she said.
In addition to engineering bio-based materials, her studio is also known for its application of advanced technologies like 3D printing, robotics and parametric design.
“I’m trying to optimize sustainable solutions and test the limits with technology. Ultimately, I want to bridge the gap between research and actual implementation,” she said.
Al-Rashdan’s pioneering work led her to collaborate with Lebanese Italian couturier Tony Ward, which she counts as a significant achievement. “Designers approach me when they want to incorporate fashion tech into their work. When I collaborated with Tony Ward, we started with a parametric dress that was then 3D printed directly on fabric. It was showcased at Paris Fashion Week and was worn by Kylie Minogue, too.”
For Al-Rashdan, winning the Fashion Trust Arabia prize would give her the financial support and exposure she requires to continue her journey with cutting-edge technology.
“It will give me the means to enhance and develop new technology. Most fashion incubators focus on general business practices, but with the FTA, I will get specific mentorship and the opportunity to network with top fashion leaders, tech experts and even global sustainability advocates. Hopefully, it will open more doors for me, lead to collaborations with high-fashion brands and elevate my work to larger platforms.”
The winners will receive a financial grant of $100,000-$200,000, based on the size of their business. Various mentoring and retail opportunities are also available, dependent on the award category.
