Modeconnect’s International Fashion Writing Competition - 2014

• Modeconnect’s competition is offering an opportunity to young designers and writers to showcase their skills in terms of writing aiming to promote “good” fashion writing which is researched, reflective, stylish and engaging.
• The competition is run in partnership with The Woolmark Company, Polly King & Co and Laurence King Publishing.
• The jury includes eminent professionals with varied experiences of fashion writing: Grace Eagle and Johannes Reponen, Mark Atkinson, Professor Catherine Harper, João Paulo Nunes.
• The competition is divided into two stages. The candidates who clear the first stage will get a chance to enter into the second stage of the competition.
• To take part, candidates must to be born between May 1, 1986 and May 1, 1996; write in English and be in a position to travel to London in the summer 2014.

• Winners in both categories will be awarded prizes.
• First prize: A five weeks Writing Residency, with independent studio accommodation provided in Central London, close to Modeconnect office. In London, the winner will have the opportunity to meet and interview Holly Fulton or another designer partner of The Woolmark Company to be confirmed. Both residencies are timed so that the winner can cover Graduate fashion Week and New Designer (18 to 21 Residency, May 30 to July 5, 2014) or the London Fashion Week (22 to 27 Residency: August 17 to September 21, 2014).
• The second prize: One day attending Polly King & Co salon in New-York, Tokyo, London or Paris during the respective SS 2015 Fashion Week, is a unique opportunity to see and experience first-hand the collections of a prestigious stable of designers.
• The third prize is an e-voucher worth £100 to spend on books at www.laurenceking.com.

Participant have to apply online for Modeconnect’s international fashion writing competition 

Round 1: write an informative, critical and reflective piece, providing information, insight and perspective on a subject fitting one of the following categories:

1) Social Issues that could be addressed by fashion such as identity, fair-trade, sustainability, body image, diversity, fast fashion, environmental issues.
2) Opportunities and Challenges faced by a sector of the fashion industry at local or national level. These may touch on: creative or manufacturing processes, local skills and resources, regional specialism, cultural heritage, impact of new technologies. 
3) A body of work or the latest collection by an emerging fashion designer: a designer of garments available for retail under a label less than five years old – remember that insight matters; carry your investigation to go beyond the surface!

• The judging criteria for Round 1 will be overall quality of writing, relevance of the subject, critical skill, and ability to engage the reader, quality of research, insight and knowledge of industry, design and manufacturing processes. Note that you are more likely to hold your reader’s attention when writing from a unique point of view and offering an individual perspective. Think outside the box but keep it relevant!

Round 2: The shortlisted candidates will have to submit a piece of creative writing centred on Wool. This text could be anything from a short story to a technical text or poetic writing. The approach should be individual and the central subject an object made with Wool – a favourite garment for example – or a process involved in the manufacture or maintenance of Woollen goods, from shearing to mending.

• Here the judging criteria will be creativity and originality, ability to engage the reader, skills at communicating the qualities of wool as a material and overall quality of writing.

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E-Mail: info@modeconnect.com