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24 July 2015 – Only a few days left until applications close on Friday, 31 July for a young designer seeking to make a mark in the fashion world in Africa and internationally. “The search for fashion’s next Rising Star is on! And the reward is the opportunity of a lifetime, says ELLE South Africa publisher Gisèle Wertheim Aymés. You’re eligible to enter this life-changing award if you’re a final-year fashion student or a fashion graduate with less than three years’ experience, but not working for a South African or African fashion retailer.
The eight finalists will be named on Friday, 7 August 2015. The winner of the 2015 ELLE Rising Star Design Award in association with MRP will be announced on 7 November 2015 at the prestigious Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Johannesburg.
If you are Africa’s most talented young fashion designer, ELLE, Mr Price and Africa Fashion International (AFI) will help you kick-start your career! All finalists for the 2015 ELLE Rising Star Design Award in association with MRP will have the opportunity to work in collaboration with MRP to launch their own range. They will also benefit from a mentoring programme, including business coaching with a reputable institution and receive exposure in ELLE Magazine which will assist them in the competitive world of fashion design.
“In the highly competitive world of fashion, you need more than great talent to succeed,” says Joanne Frédéric, Trend Director at MRP and a member of the judging panel. “We have carefully constructed a prize package equipping our next Rising Star with the tools to go on to win big in African and global fashion markets. By practically being involved in all aspects of developing a range for retail, the winner learns hands on the reality of taking a collection from conception, to production as well as marketing it to the MRP customer. Previous Rising Star winners have gained invaluable experience through the mentorship program that has seen many of them experience great success in their careers.”
To help the rising stars, MRP will contribute R10 000 to each of the eight finalists towards development of their ranges to be shown on 7 Novemberat the 2015 ELLE Rising Star Design Award during AFI’s prestigious Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Johannesburg. These ranges will also be showcased in an ELLE SA fashion story, giving the finalists even greater opportunity to be talent-spotted.
Up for grabs in this year’s competition is a stunning prize package from ELLE and MRP:
- R30 000 cash prize from MRP to launch the Rising Star’s fashion career;
- The opportunity to show a range at the 2015 ELLE Rising Star Design Award,
plus R10 000 from MRP towards the costs of creating this range;
- Two weeks’ mentorship at the MRP head office in Durban for a hands-on experience of fashion’s retail cycle, from trend forecasting to merchandising;
- The opportunity to redesign a predetermined range in collaboration with MRP to be sold in selected MRP stores
- Two weeks’ mentorship at the ELLE Cape Town office, studying what makes great fashion editorial with ELLE editor Emilie Gambade and her fashion team;
- A business course with a respected institution to help the Rising Star to fine-tune a business plan and learn how to tackle the business of fashion;
- A feature in ELLE and a year’s subscription to the magazine.
“The bar was set high with our one of our first-ever Rising Star winner, David Tlale, who went on to take events such as New York Fashion Week by storm, says Wertheim Aymés. We welcome entries from all over the continent and look forward to a wide variety of fashion visions from young designers with talent and determination, who feel the pulse of Africa pounding in their veins.”
“At ELLE SA, we join MRP in believing strongly in the authenticity and credibility of Africa’s fashion industry,” says Emilie Gambade, editor of ELLE South Africa. “We’re looking forward to mentoring another Rising Star in our office before the springboard of business, marketing and garment-development skills makes our winner fly high, transforming vision into reality.”
“With so many global brands competing for a share of the African fashion market, ELLE believes it’s vital to strengthen Africa’s innate fashion potential, consolidating the African brands here and in the competitive markets globally”, says Gambade.
To stand a chance of being the winner, go to: http://www.elle.co.za/elle-rising-star-3/
Official hashtag: #ELLERisingStar
Released on behalf of: ELLE Magazine
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