The applications for the EIB Fashion Design Competition, which will be held for the 16th time this year by the Aegean Ready-made Clothing and Apparel Exporters’ Association, with the support of the Ministry of Commerce, have been extended to June 25.
The theme of the competition this year is the concept of contact-less, which is one of the trends created by the pandemic. According to Burak Sertbas, President of the Aegean Ready-to-Wear and Apparel Exporters’ Association, we are in a radical system change that will require people to constantly adapt themselves, and this change includes the holistic transformation of systems in countries, companies, sectors and society. “The message the pandemic gave us was clear: “Break the mold.” This transformation, which I will summarize briefly, causes us to question our identity, sense of ownership, consumption patterns, careers, how we meet people, how we develop our relationships, the hierarchies on which we are based, and the nature of human existence. That’s why our theme for 2021 is “contact-less”, the concept at the center of a transformation unlike anything we’ve experienced before, which removes barriers with its highly accessible, geographically neutral nature, and interaction that crosses social, economic, cultural, political and ideological boundaries. A new era where producer and consumer meet at the same time and consumer behavior can be observed down to the second. In short, the dynamic of the new world is based on contact-less. Last year, we covered the TECH-TILITY theme, which includes sustainable designs that bring nature and technology together, the final of which we realized online. This year, we are focusing on how we can best adapt, shape and influence societies to the potential for great change that is transforming the global economy.”
A TURNING POINT FOR DESIGNERS
EHKIB Social Organizations and Competition Committee Chairman Tugba Hazar is of the opinion that now everyone has a mission to raise technology and environmental awareness.
“We offer a platform to our young designers who are dedicated to making the world a better place by working for a purpose beyond ourselves with the competitions we have organized since 2004. In this way, our industry is highly competent in design, quality and efficiency. EIB Fashion Design Contest is beyond being a competition, it is actually a turning point for our youth. Because, rather than cash awards, overseas education scholarships and fair visit awards are very important for their future. We have brought hundreds of designers to Turkey for 15 years. Our young people made their names known to the world by crossing the borders of the country with their original and innovative designs. You can follow the details of the competition both on our website and in our informative seminars, which we held live on our @eibmoda Instagram account as of May 17, accompanied by fashion designer Ozlem Erkan, the mentor of our competition.”
WHAT DOES CONTACT-LESS MEAN?
Contact-less presents the concept of the reality of digital contact, which can be established with billions of people through physical contact and technology, as the new playground for fashion designers this year. Environments that will be simulated with technologies that will enable people to experience the concept of mixed reality by adding touching to visual and auditory reality, Avatars that will be our new digital identities, the rise of bio-materials and the biophilic design world, the transformation of the concept of sustainability from a concept into a vital necessity, reinterpreting the business world, wealth, prosperity, success, politics and economy in a way that emphasizes the concept of individual satisfaction and pleasure… A completely different world awaits us. We look forward to our designers’ interpretation of this new world, where hierarchies in every field will disappear, through the eyes of fashion designers, who are among the pioneers that shape societies, and their works that will surprise and amaze us all in the context of the 2022-23 Spring-Summer/Women’s and Men’s collection.
WHO CAN APPLY TO THE COMPETITION?
• Citizen of the Republic of Turkey,
• At least high school or equivalent school graduate,
• To be born on or before 01.01.2003, and after 01.01.1991.
• Not a well-known name or brand in the Turkish fashion industry and not having a registered commercial workplace for fashion products,
• Competitors who have not entered the first three places in any men’s/women’s outerwear fashion design competition organized by the Exporters’ Association and who meet the above conditions can participate in this competition.
• First-degree relatives of any employee of Aegean Exporters’ Associations cannot participate in the EIB XVI. Fashion Design Competition, cannot receive an award even if they have participated and passed any selection, or if they do, they lose all their rights and return their awards.
• First-degree relatives of the Jury on the final night, employees of the institutions they work and/or own, cannot participate in the EIB XVI. Fashion Design Competition, they cannot receive an award even if they have participated and passed any selection, they lose all their rights and return the awards.
What are the prizes?
- First Prize: ₺18.000
- Second Prize: ₺13,000
- Third Prize: ₺8,000
OVERSEAS EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
If the project to be submitted to the Ministry of Commerce within the framework of the “Communiqué on Design Support and Implementation Procedures and Principles” by Aegean Exporters’ Associations is approved, the winners will be given the right to study abroad in line with the number of people determined by the Ministry of Commerce. The provision of overseas education support is subject to the approval of the Aegean Ready-to-Wear and Apparel Exporters’ Association Board of Directors and the approval of the Ministry of Commerce. The Union has the final discretion on how many and in which way it will use this right of education from the winners.
The competitor who is likely to win the education abroad award must start their education within 2 (two) years from the date of the competition, otherwise, this right will be waived. The foreign language proficiency certificate (IELTS, TOEFL, YDS, etc.) required to start overseas education must be provided by the competitor.
OVERSEAS FAIR PARTICIPATION
Among the first 10 finalists, the number of finalists to be determined by the Aegean Ready-to-Wear and Apparel Exporters’ Association Competition Committee and under the conditions to be determined by the Aegean Ready-to-Wear and Apparel Exporters’ Association Social Organizations and Competition Committee, It is planned to grant the right to visit any of the fairs organized by the Aegean Ready-to-Wear and Apparel Exporters’ Association. The collections of the top 10 finalists will be exhibited at the Turkey Design Week event, which is expected to be held every year under the coordination of the Turkish Exporters Assembly and the Ministry of Commerce.
After the competition, the finalists can not make any demands from the EİB except for the awards to be given.
Source: Sabah / Translated by Irem Yildiz