In today’s rapidly shifting design landscape, young creatives are being called to do more than make beautiful objects, they’re being asked to create meaning, challenge norms, and build bridges between worlds. One such visionary call has just arrived on the international stage: the FROMM.Lab Design Competition 2025, launched during Milan Design Week and now open to designers under 35 across the globe.
Organized by FROMM.Lab, the cultural innovation platform of luxury design house FROMM., this competition is more than a contest, it’s a conversation between heritage and innovation, between the Arab world and the global creative community.
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The Theme: “Design for a Changing World: Bridging Cultures”
At its core, this competition invites young designers to reinterpret Arab heritage through modern design. The goal is not to replicate tradition, but to transform it, to take the symbols, stories, materials, and rituals embedded in Arab culture and reimagine them into contemporary forms that speak to today’s global audience.
This is about design as a living language, and Arab heritage as a rich well of inspiration, from geometric patterns and calligraphy to nomadic lifestyles, regional craftsmanship, and architectural wisdom born from desert and sea.
The Opportunity: What Designers Gain
FROMM.Lab’s platform is rooted in education, co-creation, and mentorship. The selected designers will have the rare chance to:
- Be mentored by globally respected figures like Giulio Cappellini, Joseph Grima, Aline Asmar d’Amman, and Fahad Al Obaidly, all leaders in architecture, design curation, and cultural production.
- Bring their ideas to life with full prototyping and material support from FROMM.’s expert team.
- Exhibit their work internationally at the Design Doha Biennale 2026, where their prototypes will be presented within the prestigious FROMM.Collections.
- Gain international visibility through exposure in global design media and curated showcases.
The competition covers four main categories:
- Seating
- Tables
- Storage
- Lighting
Each category offers a canvas for innovation, a way to transform familiar object types into poetic forms that carry meaning and memory.
Arab Heritage as Innovation Fuel
In the context of modern design, Arab heritage has often been underexplored or misrepresented. Yet this region, spanning North Africa, the Middle East, and the Arabian Peninsula, has given the world centuries of craft, geometry, architecture, textile art, and storytelling traditions.
At YAZ Magazine, we believe this heritage offers a blueprint for future-facing design: one that is sustainable, symbolic, and rooted in community.
FROMM.Lab’s competition challenges young creatives to take this heritage and speak a new design language, one that is:
- Local but not nostalgic
- Global but not generic
- Bold, inclusive, and timeless
Why This Matters for Moroccan and MENA Designers
For Moroccan designers, and creators from across the MENA region, this competition is an opportunity to represent local stories on a global stage. Whether it’s through Arabic Calligraphy, Amazigh or Ancient Egyptian weaving symbols, Moroccan zellige patterns, palm woodcraft from the Sahara, Palestinian Tatriz Stitches, or the geometry of Islamic architecture, the inspiration is endless.
This is a chance to assert cultural authorship and take part in shaping how the Arab world is perceived through design.
How to Apply
- Designers under 35 are invited to register online to receive the full competition brief.
- The brief includes detailed technical specifications, format guidelines, and submission instructions.
- Proposals will be judged on originality, cultural resonance, feasibility, and their ability to engage international audiences.
Deadlines:
- Registration Open till 30th of May 2025
- Submission Deadline 1st of September 2025
Conclusion: Rewriting Design Through Heritage
Design has always been a mirror of civilization and in times of change, it becomes a tool for reflection and reimagination. FROMM.Lab’s Design Competition 2025 is an invitation to rethink what it means to design with heritage, purpose, and global impact.
At YAZ Magazine, we are proud to support this initiative. We urge young designers in Morocco, the Arab world, and beyond to seize this chance to leave their mark on the future of design.
Let’s build a new design legacy, one grounded in culture, and open to the world.
