Generation award: Kering sets its sights on the MENA region

Kering is strengthening its influence in the Middle East and North Africa regions. By launching the Kering Generation Award in the MENA region, the luxury group is establishing itself in the local economic landscape. Its objective is to provide startups in these territories with the means to “shape the future of fashion”.

This announcement follows the success of the 2025 Kering Generation Award, which attracted over 500 applications, 21 finalists, and three winners. For 2026, the award is a collaboration between the luxury group Kering and the Saudi Fashion Commission. It aims to identify and support innovative solutions addressing the sector's environmental challenges.

The objective is to offer a “platform that empowers committed innovators,” explained Miral Youssef, president of Kering Middle East & Africa, in a statement. She also stated that this platform must “affirm the central role of the [MENA] region in the luxury fashion industry's transition towards a more sustainable future”.

Marie-Claire Daveu, chief sustainability and institutional affairs officer at Kering, specified: “The Kering Generation Award was born from our conviction within the group that sustainability must drive innovation in the fashion sector.” The startups supported by the programme benefit the Kering group and the “entire industry,” added Daveu.

Kering generation award develops sustainable fashion resources

This second edition focuses on the challenges of sustainable fashion through several strategic pillars: regenerative materials; circular business models; animal welfare; and cultural consumer engagement. The programme is aimed at startups in the MENA region that offer innovations with a measurable environmental impact.

Selected companies will gain access to an ecosystem of international resources. The journey includes:

• An immersive trip to Paris with a visit to the Kering headquarters.

• A presentation at the “Change NOW” global innovation summit in 2026.

• A three-month mentorship with industry experts.

• A six-month residency at The Garage incubator in Riyadh.

• Access to the Plug and Play investor network.

Before arriving in the MENA region, the Kering Generation Award was launched in China, with the award ceremony held during Shanghai Fashion Week. It later expanded to Japan (2024) and Saudi Arabia (2024).

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