As part of an ongoing partnership to forge, facilitate and increase the entry of emerging talent into the Who’s Next and Premiere Classe tradeshows, NOT JUST A LABEL (NJAL) and Who’s Next and Premiere Classe present the third edition of The Future of Fashion Program. This invaluable opportunity is a stepping stone for 30 emerging designers to grow internationally and showcase in the heart of the fashion capital that is Paris for up to three seasons for free. Every year, each finalist aquires multiple new stockists facilitating exponential growth for their brands in what are easily Europe’s biggest trade shows.
From NOT JUST A LABEL’s international network of over 23,000 talents worldwide, 10 ready-to-wear designers (either menswear or womenswear), 10 accessory designers (all types: jewellery, shoes, leather goods, textile accessories) and 10 urban wear designers (menswear and womenswear showcasing denim and contemporary streetwear) are cherry-picked to present their collections at these renowned tradeshows.
At each stage of the programme, participants compete to be selected for the following season through sessions of individual interviews held by mentors. For the first tradeshow of the 2016-17 edition, held in September 2016, all 30 shortlisted designers were invited to showcase on collective stands at Who’s Next URBAN or FAME areas, or at the Premiere Classe trade show, with one-to-one mentoring sessions. It is during this first season that 15 designers are chosen to proceed to the next stage.
The chosen 15 designers (5 women’s ready-to-wear, 5 accessory and 5 urban wear), judged both on their creative and business acumen, will now proceed to the next stage and season to present their Autumn/Winter 2017-18 collections in January 2017 and receive their second free booth at FAME, URBAN or Premiere Classe at the end of which 12 designers are eliminated. The final three finalists (one women’s ready-to-wear, one accessory and one urban wear) will be invited to participate in the trade shows for a third time, in September 2017.
Click here to discover The Future Of Fashion Program: The Final Fifteen