FROMM.Lab International Competition

FROMM. International Design Competiton

“Design for a Changing World: Bridging Cultures”, what began as an international design competition has become Interlaced: Dialogues in Design, an exhibition of twelve finalist designers reinterpreting Arab heritage through a contemporary, cross-cultural lens.

Design Doha Biennale, 5 November 2026 – 31 January 2027

The full exhibition, all twelve finalist designers, will be unveiled at Design Doha Biennale. This is Interlaced: Dialogues in Design’s first complete presentation, following its preview at Alcova during Milan Design Week 2026.

Awards & Nominations

Xinyi Wang, XYTOPIA (Australia/China), his piece “Dusk–Dawn Dune Lamp” (brass, mentored by Aline Asmar d’Amman) is nominated for the ISOLA Design Awards 2026.

Ismail Hutet & Blanca Scully (Lebanon & France/USA), their piece “Minara: Pillars of Light” named a finalist for the Institut du monde arabe (IMA) Design Award, Emerging Talent Award

Milan Design Week 2026, Interlaced Preview at Alcova

Interlaced: Dialogues in Design was first previewed at Alcova, 20–26 April 2026, within the Baggio Military Hospital Complex, Milan, showing work by four of the twelve winners: Cecilia Rinaldi (Italy), Daniel Heilig (Hungary/Germany), Ismail Hutet & Blanca Scully (Lebanon & France/USA), and Xinyi Wang (Australia/China). Curator Etienne Bastormagi described the preview as offering “fragments of a larger conversation, where heritage and identity emerge through the subtle interplay of objects, spaces, and practices.”

How It Began, The Competition

Launched during Milan Design Week 2025, FROMM.Lab’s inaugural international competition “Design for a Changing World: Bridging Cultures” invited designers to reinterpret Arab heritage across four categories, seating, tables, storage, and lighting. The open call received over 120 submissions from more than 50 countries, leading to the selection of twelve winners, supported through a structured mentorship and development process.