Last updated 9 August 2017
If you’re a designer and seeking recognition for your work from professionals in the fashion sector then this article is for you. Once again the team at So Catchy! Where Fashion Begins brings you a selection of international competitions that you won’t want to miss out on.
I Fashion Design Awards So Catchy!
Of course, the first competition on our list is our own. The I Fashion Design Awards So Catchy! has three categories: Fashion Design, Accessories (including millinery, bags, footwear and jewelry) and Artistic Pieces (Fashion Artefacts).
The deadline for portfolios is the 15th of July so don’t wait!
Everything you need to know you can find here: in the article
Organized by the Strzemiński Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź and the Łódź Event Centre, Young Fashion is an artistic and educational event, dedicated to the environment of young fashion designers to be held on 18th-21st October 2017 in Łódź.
The main event of the programme is the International Contest, the ŁÓDŹ YOUNG FASHION AWARD 2017 with the theme EMOTIONS, which will take place on the 21st of October 2017. The International Contest is aimed at young fashion designers (up to the age of 30) from all over the world and especially students and graduates of art schools and schools of fashion design ‒ and all those for whom design is a passion.
The deadline is August 13. (More info here)
Calling all foreign-born American designers, stylists, hair- and make-up artists and fashion photographers! The Vilcek Foundation is awarding generous prizes for creative professionals in fashion who are younger than 38. This year’s edition will be awarded in November.
Vilcek Foundation website: www.vilcek.org.
The WGSN Futures Awards is not only held during an extravagant party at the Saatchi Gallery in London, that includes many famous faces, but also has a heart for young designers who offer quality and innovative style. The awards include many categories and entry is free of charge.
Deadline: The 2016 edition opened on January 1st and closed at the end of February so pay attention to the website: www.wgsnfuturesawards.com.
PDN’s The Look Photography Contest: Where Fashion Meets Art
The Look is a competition for young talent and professionals in the world of fashion and beauty photography. This prize is awarded by PDN magazine in the USA but participants from all over the world are welcome.
The entry deadline for 2017 hasn’t been set yet but the 2016 edition stopped accepting applications on June 16th. Be sure to check out their website for up to date information: www.pdnthelook.com.
A’ Design Award is regarded as the worlds’ largest design competition. The competition includes over 100 categories ranging from jewellery to fashion and travel accessories. Despite the high fees for applicants, A’Design will ensure your project gets enough media coverage.
This year the application period has finished but you’ve got plenty of time for the next edition.
Find out more here: www.adesignaward.com.
CFDA/Lexus Eco Fashion Challenge
The prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and Lexus are celebrating American designers who believe and practice sustainable design. The CFDA/Lexus Eco Fashion Challenge will award and promote collections that must contain no less than 30 percent eco fabrics.
2016’s winners haven’t been announced yet so we’re pretty sure that they’ve taken a year off. However, their site is still up and they usually open the application process in June: www.cfda.com.
H&M is teaming up again with design schools from all over the world for its H&M Design Award 2018. If you attend any of the participating schools you have a chance to win a generous prize and develop key pieces for selected H&M stores, but it’ll have to be in 2018 because the 2017 awards just took place. Richard Quinn from Central Saint Martins, whose pieces will be sold at H&M starting Fall 2017.
Find out more here: designaward.hm.com.
The EcoChic Design Award is a platform for emerging fashion designers from the UK, France, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia. Designers are expected to make a sustainable fashion statement, inspired by modern Chinese culture.
The 2017 competition entry starts in January 3rd and ends April 3rd. Participants must have lived for at least 3 years in Asia and Europe: www.ecochicdesignaward.com.
European designers of all disciplines with at least 3 years of work experience are asked to partner up with the Worth Project. The idea behind the project is to get designers involved with European enterprises to produce new and innovative products. It seems that the 2016 edition was cancelled but they might start again in 2017. If you’re interested, here’s the website: www.worth-project.eu.
European Fashion Award FASH 2017
You can take part in this competition if you’re currently enrolled in the last year of studies at a European university. Students from outside Europe are welcome but the conditions are different. You can take part as part of an individual or part of an interdisciplinary in collaboration with your university or a private enterprise. This year’s theme is Get Real, a call to authenticity.
You can find out more about the different requirements here: www.sdbi.de/en/einzureichende-arbeit
Deadline: January 15, 2017
If you graduated within the past two years and have not already distributed a collection, then the Designer for Tomorrow Award might give you a step in the right direction. The show will be held during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin. The winner of the 2016 edition was Edda Gimnes.
More information here: www.designer-for-tomorrow.com/dft-fashion-award
ISTITUTO SECOLI LANZA 1st Edition MENSWEAR 2017
Istituto Secoli in Milan is launching it’s first international competition for menswear 2017, open to students and non-professionals passionate about fashion. An original fashion sketch inspired by the concept ‘Hybrid’ uploaded to their platform is enough to take part. The public votes and the winners get a night in Florence and tickets to Pitti Immagine Uomo in January 2017.
Keep your eyes peeled for next year’s edition, the application process usually ends in December: Facebook
One of the most prestigious prizes for young designers is without a doubt ITS, otherwise known as International Talent Support. These awards represent a unique opportunity for support as well as an economic reward, internships and employment opportunities. Keep your eyes open as the 2017 edition should open some time in January.
ITS website: www.itsweb.org
LVMH Young Fashion Designer Prize
First launched in November 2013, the LVMH Young Fashion Designer Prize was created to honor and support young designers around the world. Each year, a designer and three graduates from fashion schools around the world compete for a the prestigious prize.
The 2016 edition is already closed but 2017 is just around the corner: www.lvmhprize.com.
Started in Birmingham over 9 years ago, the Midlands Fashion Awards (MFA) celebrates and rewards fashion and creativity, giving designers from Birmingham and the Midlands the opportunity to show their talent. The 2016 edition just took place so pay attention over the next few months for next year: www.midlandsfashionawards.co.uk.
Student and Emerging Designers Competition
The RSA Student Design Awards are a global competition for emerging designers that has been celebrated since 1924. RSA challenges recent graduates and students to come up with solutions for urgent social, environmental and economic problems using design. The goal is to prepare a generation of graduates for the labor market and to help them realize the potential that design has to benefit society.
The upcoming edition is about Wearing Intelligence, in search of a design solution that uses advanced textiles to improve the well-being or quality of life of people: sda.thersa.org
FashionClash
The 9th edition of FashionClash Festival will take place from the 29th of June to the 2nd of July 2017 in Maastricht and the application period for the event will open at the beginning of 2017. FashionClash Festival, as we’ve mentioned before, is an international and interdisciplinary fashion event that focuses on mostly young designers and emerging artists who are active in a number of fields. The FashionClash Festival program is open to everyone and has become a unique opportunity to discover new talent and find inspiration in the world of fashion.
Any entrepreneur above the age of 18, of any nationality can take part in this event for those who wish to develop a project in the fashion industry in a stimulating, interdisciplinary and experimental environment. Focusing on personalized learning, networking and teamwork with other entrepreneurs in creative fields, the application period starts in February 2017 so mark your calendars.
Desencaja Competition for New Fashion Designers in Andalusia
The next edition will open in August 2017 and this competition focuses on Andalusian residents and natives and/or members of Andalusian communities abroad recognized by the regional government. Participants must submit work that is exclusive to the event.
More info is available over at the Junta’s website.
Once a year in the USA, Kering and Parsons “Empowering Imagination” attracts talented graduates from the Parsons BFA in Fashion Design, selected for excellence, vision and technical ability. Pay attention as the next edition should open starting in January 2017: www.kering.com.
Anabel Cuervas, Lourdes Rodríguez and Lola González contributed to this article.
Translation and layout by Michael Padilla
