Something special is about to drop! Between late November 2024 and early January 2025, designmiami.com is unveiling three collectible design collections from IRTHI Contemporary Crafts Council — the Sharjah-based initiative dedicated to empowering women artisans and preserving craft traditions in the MENASEA region, under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of the Ruler of Sharjah.

Since 2015, IRTHI has been a vital catalyst for contemporary craft collaborations, developing new market opportunities for regional craftswomen by partnering them with international designers and artists and promoting the exquisite products they create together to the world. As we approach the end of 2025, we wholeheartedly congratulate IRTHI as it heads into its ten-year anniversary!

“Over the past decade,” IRTHI’s Director General H.E. Reem Bin Karam tells us, “IRTHI Contemporary Crafts Council has been a beacon of contemporizing crafts and social empowerment, honoring the artisans and crafts of the MENASEA region while elevating Emirati crafts on a global stage. Our commitment goes beyond handmade; we strive to nurture the well-being of our artisans, fostering sustainable livelihoods and creating a legacy of innovative crafts. As we celebrate this milestone, we honor every hand-in-hand effort that stitches stories into every craft, ensuring they endure for generations to come.”

Aisha Al Harmoodi, IRTHI’s Head of Marketing and Events, underscores the importance of collaboration in pursuing the organization’s mission. “Stepping into IRTHI’s ten-year anniversary,” she reflects, “we are proud to be considered as pioneers of evolving craft traditions in the MENASEA region. Our robust brand positioning and visual language emphasizes the importance of cherishing the cultural identity behind every piece that our artisans make.”

Reem Saif Almazrouei, IRTHI’s Head of Design Projects and Curation, adds: “Collaboration between traditional craftspeople and multidisciplinary designers at IRTHI creates a dynamic platform for cultural dialogue. This fusion not only preserves heritage but also breathes new life into it, offering innovative interpretations that resonate with contemporary markets and today's evolving economy.”

As DESIGN MIAMI’s Official Digital Partner, IRTHI is commemorating its decade-long mission by presenting its three latest collections here on our website over the next few months. The first is already available, and the second and third are coming soon. Stay tuned!

To create the Adham collection, Mexico City-based artist Ricardo Rendón used traditional Mexican wood-turning techniques to create totem-like benches and pedestals in pine and volcanic rock. Rendón’s structures have been adorned with vibrant belts of Talli and Safeefah, woven in cotton and palm fronds respectively by women in the UAE specialized in these two traditional Emirati handcrafts.

Melding the aesthetics of two distinct cultures from opposite sides of the globe, these striking functional sculptures are designed to evoke the spirit of palm trees — tropical flora that defines the gorgeous landscapes of both Mexico and the UAE.

Originally developed for IRTHI’s Craft Dialogues — an initiative that invites Emirati and international designers to collaborate — the Moui collection was designed by Dubai-based Shaikha Bin Dhaher and Barcelona-based Adrián Salvador Candela in 2018. Thanks to its popularity, IRTHI asked these designers to imagine a second iteration of the Moui collection, which resulted in a new colorway that is exclusively available through DESIGN MIAMI.

Encompassing a range of centerpiece bowls, the Moui collection is handcrafted from Spanish vegetal leather by Emirati women using deconstructed Talli, a traditional textile technique commonly applied to the hems, cuffs, and collars of Emirati garments. Named for the word for “sea waves” in Emirati dialect, these vessels feature sculptural, undulating forms inspired by desert dunes and draped veils.

Designed by Levantine designer Nada Debs, the Zenobie collection is a contemporary interpretation of the vessels traditionally carried by Bedouin women. Adapting the forms of traditional copper pots, these functional yet eye-catching objects are intricately crafted in oak, incorporating two distinct techniques: Talli and marquetry.

Marquetry is practiced predominately by men and involves wooden cross-sections that are assembled by hand and then shaved using machine tools; Talli is practiced predominantly by women who weave textile threads by hand. The marriage of the two represents a one-of-a-kind dialog between crafts from different worlds. for DESIGN MIAMI, IRTHI is offerning a new, petite version of this popular collaboration.