In the high-stakes architecture of the global fashion industry, few figures have managed to transition so seamlessly from the periphery of creation to the very center of institutional power as Tania Fares. While the headlines often focus on the glittering galas of the Fashion Trust Arabia (FTA) or the star-studded launches in Los Angeles, the true narrative arc of Fares’ career is a study in systematic infrastructure building. It is a story that begins not in a boardroom, but in the atelier of Pierre Cardin—a foundational "first job" experience that provided the blueprint for what has become the most significant non-profit ecosystem in modern luxury fashion. By pivoting from direct design to philanthropic architecture, Fares has effectively corrected a global market failure: the lack of access for talent outside the traditional Western axis.
From the Atelier to the Boardroom: The Cardin Blueprint
To understand the sheer scale of Tania Fares’ influence in 2025, one must look back to her formative years. Before the British Fashion Council (BFC) accolades and the strategic alliances with Qatar’s Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Fares was an intern at Pierre Cardin. This specific entry point is critical to analyzing her current methodology.
Cardin was not merely a designer; he was a futurist and a master of licensing who understood that fashion was a global language, not just a Parisian dialect. For Fares, this early exposure to the machinery of a heritage house likely instilled a vital lesson: creativity without infrastructure is volatile. The chaotic brilliance of an atelier requires a rigid support system to survive commerce.
This "Cardin Blueprint" is visible in every initiative Fares has launched since. Unlike many patrons who simply write checks, Fares builds institutions. Her trajectory from co-founding LuLu&Co in 2007 to establishing three distinct Fashion Trusts serves as a masterclass in operationalizing mentorship. She recognized early that the gap between a talented designer in Beirut and a buyer in London wasn't a lack of skill—it was a lack of translation.
Correcting the Market: The Three-Pillar Trust Ecosystem
The contemporary fashion landscape is littered with incubators, but Fares has constructed something far more robust: a tri-continental ecosystem comprising the BFC Fashion Trust (founded 2011), Fashion Trust Arabia (2018), and Fashion Trust U.S. (2022).
This is not merely philanthropy; it is strategic market correction. By 2017, following the publication of London Uprising and a tour through Jordan, Fares identified a "void" in the MENA region. There was no shortage of heritage or craft, but there was a total absence of the "invisible infrastructure"—the PR networks, the showroom appointments, the legal counsel—that Western designers take for granted.
The genius of the Fashion Trust model lies in its hybrid nature. It sits comfortably between the altruistic and the commercial. By engaging heavyweights like Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli and leveraging partnerships with conglomerates like LVMH (evidenced by Dior’s Lady Art collaborations), Fares creates a sanitized, high-status pipeline for luxury houses to discover "authentic" talent without the reputational risk of exploitation.
Decolonizing Style: The Pivot to the Middle East
Perhaps the most culturally significant aspect of Fares' work is the decolonial framework embedded within Fashion Trust Arabia. The industry has long operated on an extractive model: Western houses mine the East for aesthetic inspiration—caftans, embroidery, tile patterns—while the originators of those styles remain marginalized.
Fares has flipped this script. By centering the prize giving and the mentorship within the MENA region (Doha, Marrakech), she forces the Western fashion elite to travel to the source. It is a subtle but powerful reassertion of geographic authority.
In interviews, Fares has noted that MENA designers are "inherently sustainable," utilizing handmade techniques and local production out of necessity rather than trend-chasing. This positioning is brilliant. It reframes the "emerging" designer not as someone playing catch-up to the West, but as a guardian of the slow-fashion values that Western luxury is desperately trying to reverse-engineer for ESG compliance.
The Sustainability Paradox and Luxury’s New Pipeline
However, this ecosystem is not without its tensions. Fares operates at the intersection of artisanal advocacy and global mass luxury. There is an inherent paradox in championing the slow, embroidery-heavy work of designers from the Chouf region in Lebanon while simultaneously integrating them into a global system built on consumption.
The recent collaboration between FTA-supported designer Deema Al-Ghunaim and Dior for the Lady Art 10th edition highlights this complexity. For the designer, it is an unparalleled platform and a career-defining validation. For Dior, it is effortless cultural capital and "local relevance."
Yet, the mentorship model Fares champions—where advice from industry titans is valued higher than cash grants—suggests she understands that longevity requires more than just capital. As Pierpaolo Piccioli has demonstrated through his active judging roles, the transfer of knowledge regarding supply chains and brand building is the only way to ensure these emerging brands survive beyond their initial viral moment.
The Timeline: A Trajectory of Influence
- 2007: Fares co-founds LuLu&Co with Lulu Kennedy, entering the industry through direct creation and curation.
- 2011: The pivot to infrastructure begins. She founds the BFC Fashion Trust with Sian Westerman, shifting focus to high-level donor support for British talent.
- 2017: A pivotal research phase. While touring her book London Uprising in Jordan, she encounters the systemic lack of support for MENA designers.
- 2018: Fashion Trust Arabia is born with Sheikha Al-Mayassa, institutionalizing the bridge between "East and West."
- 2022: The model is replicated in the Americas with the launch of Fashion Trust U.S., cementing Fares’ status as a global talent architect.
- 2024: Strategic validation peaks as FTA alumni like Deema Al-Ghunaim are integrated into top-tier luxury collaborations (Dior).
Forecast: The Next Phase of Fashion Philanthropy
As we look toward 2026, the "Fares Model" faces a critical evolution. The initial phase of awareness and community building is complete. The next phase must be defined by hard metrics and commercial viability.
We predict a shift toward formalized governance and endowment growth. The philanthropic model relies heavily on the social capital of its founders; to survive generationally, these Trusts must become self-sustaining institutions with transparent data on designer success rates—sales uplift, wholesale placement, and business longevity.
Furthermore, expect the geographic expansion to continue. The template developed in London and perfected in the Arab world is perfectly suited for other underserved creative economies, specifically Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. Fares has proven that talent is universal, but opportunity is not—and she has the blueprints to fix it.
Ultimately, Tania Fares has rewritten the job description of the "fashion patron." She is no longer just a donor; she is a builder of bridges in a world that has spent too long building walls.
Written by Ara Ohanian for FAZ Fashion — fashion intelligence for the modern reader.
