Earlier this month we attended the September show of Fashion Exchange - a new platform established to promote the work of contemporary fashion designers in both Qatar and the UK, as part of the on going Qatar UK 2013 Year of Culture.

Developed by Farheen Allsopp and Sheikha Raya Al-Khalifa with the British Council, Fashion Exchange has organised a series of shows in the UK and Qatar with the aim of establishing new opportunities and collaborations between the two markets.

Held in the Raphael Gallery at the Victoria and Albert Museum, the show combined the work of three Qatari designers from Qatar’s Roudha Centre - Elham Al Ansaari, Hessa Abdulla Al-Mannai and Fathiya Ahmad Al Jaber - with pieces by internationally renowned UK milliner Philip Treacy and luxury brand Asprey.

The pairing of abayas and jalabiyas with these British designs aimed to challenge perceptions of the sometimes controversial and misunderstood womenswear beyond Gulf societies. The combination of headdresses by Philip Treacy with the work of Hessa Al Mannai was especially effective, and is set to have a real impact at the follow-up show in Doha this December.

A video of the show can be watched on Harpers Basaar's website here.