Graduate Fashion Foundation partner with FACE: Fashion Academics Creating Equality, to launch the Black Excellence Prize 2021

The Graduate Fashion Foundation are delighted to announce that they are evolving their support of FACE, Fashion Academics Creating Equality, to launch a new prize that will make visible, the spectrum of Black excellence within a framework of diverse Black and Brown creativity.

The aim of the Black Excellence Prize is to amplify Black creativity as a broad and limitless possibility and inspire all young Black and Brown creatives to find belonging in a prize that recognises their unique contribution to style, culture, fashion and society.  The award is open to all Black and Brown final year students in any BA fashion related course in the UK and the winner will be presented with their prize as part of the prestigious annual Graduate Fashion Week Awards to be held on Friday 18th June, following two rounds of judging panels.

For the first time in its 30-year history, this particular prize is open to all further education institutions and not just those that are members of the Graduate Fashion Foundation with students able to nominate themselves by submitting their final projects alongside video or written statements in support of their work.

The award will be judged by an esteemed industry panel of; NewGen Prize-winning and LVMH Award Shortlisted Designer Bianca Saunders, Creative Director and Cultural Curator Harris Elliott and Designer, Educator and Co-Founder of FACE Andrew Ibi.

THE DETAILS: 

GRADUATE FASHION FOUNDATION X FACE, BLACK EXCELLENCE PRIZE 2021

PRIZE: 1x winner will receive £250 and 2x runners up will also receive £150 each. The winner will be presented with their prize at the GFW Awards Ceremony in June.

WHO CAN APPLY:

Open to all Black and Brown final year students in any BA fashion related course in the UK that could include but is not limited to journalism, marketing, photography, communication, fashion design, textile design, hair and make-up design, styling, creative direction.

ABOUT THE BLACK EXCELLENCE PRIZE: 

This prize makes visible, the spectrum of Black excellence within a framework of diverse Black and Brown creativity.

The aim of the Black Excellence Prize is to amplify creativity as a broad and limitless possibility and inspire all young Black and Brown creatives to find belonging in a prize that recognises their unique contribution to style, culture, fashion and society.

NB: Open to all Black and Brown creatives who identify as non-white.

SUBMISSION:

For this prize students can self-nominate. Tutors are not required to be involved in the selection of student work but can encourage the year group to enter and promote the prize opportunity. 

– Please submit your final BA project for consideration.  

– You will need to include your Institution, Course and Tutor to be considered.

CRITERIA:

Upload a selection of your final project of no more that 15 pages in one continuous PDF.

You must also either:

Submit a film of no longer that 59 secs on Instagram detailing the ideas and outcomes of your project with the hashtag #FACEBlackExcellence.  Students will not be judged upon the quality of the film submission, but its content and the way in which ideas, personality and mood are communicated as part of the film presentation.

Or submit a written statement of no more than 500 words detailing the ideas and outcomes of your project

Page submissions can be a maximum of 10mb.

No physical products can be submitted, a full digital submission only.

IMPORTANT DATES:

The deadline to submit your entry is Monday 17th May 2021 by 18.00.

This is a digital submission of a maximum of 15 pages of your BA project and a filmed hash-tagged Instagram post or written statement.  Shortlisted students will be asked to send their full portfolio for final judging in June

Please visit https://forms.gle/VvwjYdWtnSrFkKtj6  to upload your page submission

SELECTION & JUDGING:

Industry experts will shortlist 10 students from entries submitted.

Thursday 27th May, 2021 – The names of the shortlisted students will be announced.

28th – 31st May 2021 – Shortlisted students must send via WeTransfer to Graduate Fashion Foundation their full completed entry (portfolio) for the final judging panel to view digitally.

Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th June 2021 – Judging in central London by an esteemed industry panel of; NewGen Prize-winning and LVMH Award Shortlisted Designer Bianca Saunders, Creative Director and Cultural Curator Harris Elliott and Designer, Educator and Co-Founder of FACE Andrew Ibi.

5 finalists will be shortlisted and their names announced on the GFW website on the evening of the judging. 

Further information on prize winner announcements and attending the GFW awards ceremony on Friday 18th June, where the winner will be announced will be shared in May.