Vogue Talents and the African Fashion Foundation have announced a new initiative aimed at scouting new designers from Africa.
The Scouting for Africa Competition 2020 will provide support and promotion for African designers through educational opportunities and the tools to succeed in the fashion industry. It is the brainchild of Vogue Talents, the AFF and IFACC who will provide the cash and logistics for the winner of the competition.
It also revealed that the winner of the Scout For Africa 2020 contest will have the opportunity to showcase his/her clothing creations or accessories in a special corner of Palazzo Cusani during Milan Fashion Week in September 2020.
In a press statement that was released on Vogue Italia’s website, it acknowledged the importance of Africa in the global fashion chain citing its ancient roots, traditions and craftsmanship as a key reason for the decision.
“In the last few years, many African fashion designers are coming on to the scene, with a new approach as well as ideas fuelled by such a strong heritage,” parts of the statement read.
Vogue Talents headed by Sara Maino has been pivotal in supporting the works of emerging designers from the continent including Thebe Magugu, who is the first African to win the coveted LVMH prize in 2019, Kenneth Ize, and knitwear brand, Maxhosa Africa.
“In fact Vogue Talents has always included Africa in its scouting initiatives because it has already realized the potential of this fascinating continent and now wants to launch a new project to offer a more focused and concrete platform for these creatives,” it said.
Interested applicants must be from Africa and living either on the continent or across the world and can apply to be part of this scouting project by writing to the address scoutingforafrica@condenast.it and including the following materials:
– images of the latest two collections specifying the relevant season;
– a biography;
– a list of stockists;
– the application (PDF form) which can be downloaded here and must be properly completed.
Applicants have until the 30th of June, 2020 to submit all important documents for the competition.
About the AFF
African Fashion Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports and promotes African designers providing them with educational opportunities and the tools to succeed in the fashion industry. AFF works as an incubator for these creatives and in order to nurture them it guides the designers throughout a mentorship programme, refining their ideas and showing them the right path to follow, with the purpose to uplift their career and become globally recognized. In fact, AFF has secured industry and educational partnerships to provide capacity building through educational opportunities such as workshops, online courses, and scholarships in addition to internship placements, work experience, mentoring, sales opportunities, access to industry leaders and insiders, and manufacturing and production assistance; while also creating new and sustainable jobs which have important spill-over effects on other industries.