Design Academy: How Zalando supports young fashion designers
Design Academy: How Zalando supports young fashion designers
Ten talented young designers will showcase their innovative creations during Berlin Fashion Week 24
Ten talented young designers will showcase their innovative creations during Berlin Fashion Week 24
From February 5 to 8, 2024, an inspiring exhibition will take place as part of Berlin Fashion Week showcasing the creations of ten talented young designers from the VORN Design Academy's 'Loom' program, sponsored by Zalando. Themed "Luxury Goes Circular and Virtual", this exhibition will be accessible in-person and through a cutting-edge virtual showroom.
These ten designers were carefully selected from a pool of 50 applicants across Europe, who completed an extensive virtual 3-month training programme led by industry experts. The curriculum covered digital creation, sampling, brand innovation and the principles of circular design. From this group, a high-calibre jury - among others consisting of Felice Piacenza (Fratelli Piacenza S.p.A.), Carmen Gama (Eileen Fisher) and Lena-Sophie Röper (Zalando) - awarded scholarships to the ten most promising designers. These select few then participated in a four-week residency at the Berlin Fashion Hub, a place dedicated to promoting more sustainable fashion innovation.
During their residency, the designers were mentored by industry professionals, helping them transform their concepts into tangible, innovative fashion pieces. Their creations, which will be unveiled at the Berlin Fashion Week, have been designed to meet the challenges of a more sustainable fashion industry. They include solutions such as virtual fittings, size optimisation, upcycling and the use of recycled and organic materials.
Lena-Sophie Röper, Director of Designer at Zalando highlights the importance of this project: "The future of fashion lies in nurturing young talent. We recognise our role in this journey towards a more sustainable industry. The Design Academy drives knowledge transfer and helps realise the full potential of integrating sustainability into future designs."
2024 marks the second successful run of the Design Academy. The project has evolved significantly since its inception as a small pilot with 10 designers in 2022. By 2023, it expanded into a comprehensive five-month program involving 50 designers, culminating in the 2024 showcase.
Launched as a pilot project with Zalando as a main sponsor, the Design Academy was developed by our Corporate Citizenship team to use the power of community to promote more sustainable fashion design. Our idea is to work together with the next generation of fashion designers and help them embed sustainability in their creative process.
"At Zalando, we look beyond our business operations and embrace a role of responsible citizenship within the broader society. Our commitment involves imparting knowledge and nurturing young talent, aiming to foster positive, long-lasting transformations within the industry. Together with our partners and the community at large, we can bring these ambitions to life. In VORN, we've found a team of like-minded people, united in our mission to forge a more sustainable future in the fashion industry.”, says Daniel Enke, Director of Public Affairs and Corporate Citizenship at Zalando.