Elle magazine and Mr Price offer the winner the opportunity to launch his or her own fashion label, with an extensive mentoring programme. There is a cash prize of R25,000 and the opportunity to redesign a pre-determined range in collaboration with Mr Price.
According to Jackie Burger the magazine's editor, the Rising Star Design Award was conceptualised to identify and nurture young design talent and to offer valuable experience to be successful in the fashion industry. "The competition and the collaboration is a perfect fit for the magazine. It not only develops and mentors home-grown talent but also ensures that our fashion industry gets a constant boost of new energy and creativity."
"Our collaboration provides us with a strategic opportunity to focus on young emerging fashion design talent within our country," adds Louise Holmes, Mr Price's marketing director. "We provide a platform to showcase the winner's designs, both in the show and through a retail appropriate range which we put into a select number of our stores. This process exposes him or her to the reality of designing and producing and retailing a successful range."
The extensive mentorship programme, both during the competition and for 12 months after winning, includes two weeks at the retailer's head office in Durban where the winner will be exposed to the complete retail cycle, from trend forecasting to merchandising. The winner will also receive personal coaching by a business expert from the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) and two weeks' fashion inspiration at the magazine's Cape Town office with editor Jackie Burger and her fashion team.
The recognition of winning this award will be further enhanced, as the winner will have the opportunity to show the range at the 2014 ELLE Rising Star Design Awards, including R6500 from Mr Price towards the cost of creating the range. Apart from featuring in the magazine, the winner will receive a year's subscription for further fashion inspiration.
Entry forms are available in the June issue of Elle, on sale now or online at www.elle.co.za.
