The Award
Six-month Internship
The programme includes economy-class flights, accommodation and a monthly allowance of 600 Euros with Dolce&Gabbana in Milan or Legnano, Italy.
The winner will also display their winning work at Abu Dhabi Festival 2027 and a selected Dolce&Gabbana boutique in Abu Dhabi.
Timeline
Submissions open 4-September-2026
Submissions close 16-November-2026
Winner announced 31-January-2027
Workshops with Dolce&Gabbana in Abu Dhabi, UAE: Early January 2027
Winner announced: April 2027
International internship with Dolce&Gabbana in Milan or Legnano, Italy: January 2028
(The exact internship programme dates will be determined by Dolce&Gabbana's scheduling requirements).
Application Guidelines
Eligibility
- Open to Emirati emerging artists aged between 18 and 35 years old.
- Applicants may submit entries to one or more themes.
- Participants must demonstrate a strong interest in fashion design and the ability to showcase their skills and creativity through their submission.
- Entries must be submitted individually; group submissions are not accepted.
- All submissions must be original works and must not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of any third party.
- All submissions must be an original design and cannot have been previously published or exhibited.
Selection Criteria
A jury comprising of representatives from ADMAF, Dolce&Gabbana and key individuals from the creative and cultural industries will review the applications and select the three finalists, from whom one winner will be chosen.
Entries will be assessed on their originality, ingenuity and craftsmanship. In all aspects of the competition, the jury’s decision is final and binding.
Requested Documents
- Application form – to be completed online.
- Mood board and Technical design – High quality digital files (PNG, JPEG or PDF) to be submitted online showcasing the fashion design.
- Release form – to be downloaded, completed and uploaded to the application form.
Terms and Conditions
By entering this competition, entrants indicate and confirm their agreement to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.
- Eligibility
- Open entry: The award is open to Emirati fashion designers who have created original designs.
- Age and legal capacity: Participants must be between 18 and 35 years of age and legally capable of entering into a binding agreement. In cases where legal capacity is in question, entrants must provide documented consent from a legal guardian.
- Nationality: Open to UAE nationals only.
- Originality: All submissions must be original works and must not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of any third party. In entering the Award, applicant warrants that his/her entry is completely original under his/her own creation, all content therein is accurate and lawful, and does not contain material that is harmful, libelous, or defamatory to, or material that may infringe the right of, any person or entity in any nature. The applicant will be obliged to indemnify any damage ADMAF and Dolce&Gabbana may suffer because of any inconsistency with the foregoing.
- The applicant warrants that his/her entry has not been previously submitted to any other competition, published, or sold. Entries that do not meet this requirement will be disqualified.
- Exclusion criteria: Employees, contractors, or representatives of the organising body, sponsors, or affiliated partners of ADMAF and Dolce&Gabbana are not eligible to participate, except as explicitly stated in these Terms and Conditions.
- Submission Guidelines
- Submission period: Entries must be submitted within the official submission period. Late submissions will not be accepted.
- Format and content: Submissions must include a detailed description of the work, technical specifications, and an artist’s statement. Digital files must adhere to the accepted file formats and size limits specified.
- Visual documentation: Digital files visualising the artwork must be submitted in one of the following formats: PNG, JPEG or PDF and must adhere to the specified file size limits.
- Judging Processand Criteria
- Selection committee: An independent panel of experts in art and fashion will evaluate all submissions.
- Final decision: The committee’s decisions are final and binding.
- Intellectual Propertyand Usage Rights
- Moral rights: Participants confirm that any use of the submitted works in connection with the award does not compromise their moral rights. Any third-party rights associated with the submission must be clearly identified and managed by the entrant.
- Participant declares and warrants that the submission are free from any third-party rights.
- Award Disbursement
- Award: The award includes a six-month internship determined by Dolce&Gabbana’s schedule requirements.
- Additional benefits: Winners may receive exhibition opportunities, global media exposure and mentorship, as required to support the realisation of the proposed artwork.
- Award acceptance: Winner must formally accept the award by signing an award acceptance agreement. Failure to do so may result in the forfeiture of the award.
- Travel requirements: In accepting the award, the winner agrees to travel domestically and internationally if and when required.
- Publicity and Use of Likeness
- Consent: By participating, entrants grant consent to ADMAF and Dolce&Gabbana for the use of their names, likenesses, biographical information and submitted works for promotional and publicity purposes related to the award, without additional compensation unless otherwise agreed.
- Filming and photography: All applicants consent to being photographed and filmed in connection with award-related activities.
- Media release: Programme participants and the award recipient agree to take part in interviews, photo sessions and other media activities as reasonably requested by ADMAF and Dolce&Gabbana.
- Confidentiality and Data Protection
- Confidentiality: All information provided in submissions will be treated with strict confidentiality and used solely for the purposes of evaluating the award and subsequent administration.
- Data protection: Personal data will be handled in accordance with applicable data protection laws and ADMAF privacy policy.
- Dispute Resolution and Governing Law
- Arbitration: Any disputes arising out of or in connection with these Terms and Conditions shall be resolved by confidential binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of Abu Dhabi.
- Governing Law: These Terms and Conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction of Abu Dhabi.
- Jurisdiction: Participants consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the relevant courts for any disputes not resolved through arbitration.
- Limitation of Liability
- No guarantees: ADMAF is not liable for any technical issues, unauthorised third-party interventions or other disruptions that might impact the submission process or evaluation.
- Force majeure: ADMAF shall not be responsible for any delay or failure in performance due to events beyond their reasonable control.
- The applicant agrees to release Dolce & Gabbana, ADMAF, or any associated entities for any liability and keep them indemnified without exception for any loss, damage or injury associated with his/her participation this competition.
- Amendments and Modifications
- Right to amend: ADMAF reserves the right to amend or modify these Terms and Conditions at any time, with changes effective immediately upon publication on the official award website page. Participants will be notified of significant changes and continued participation constitutes acceptance of the amended Terms and Conditions.
- Communication: All notices and communications regarding amendments will be sent to the email address provided during registration or posted on the official website.
- Termination and Forfeiture
- Non-compliance: Submissions that do not adhere to these Terms and Conditions or the guidelines will be disqualified at the sole discretion of ADMAF.
- Withdrawal: Participants may withdraw their submission at any time prior to the submission deadline. Withdrawn entries will be permanently removed from consideration.
- Miscellaneous Provisions
- Severability: If any provision of these Terms and Conditions is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.
- Entire agreement: These Terms and Conditions, together with any additional guidelines or documents referenced herein, constitute the entire agreement between the participants and the organisers regarding the award.
Coming soon