Calling all our creative collegiettes!
Do you dream of becoming a designer in the fashion industry? Do you sketch your own designs in your spare time or even sew/hand-make them yourself? Would you love to have a handbag designed by you potentially recognized, manufactured, and sold by a well-name brand? If so, then enter HBD Network’s 2013 Seventh Annual Independent Handbag Designer Awards!
This design contest is the ultimate opportunity to make a name for yourself and get your foot in the door of fashion! 2000+ contestants are expected to submit their own handbag designs to various categories in hopes of winning the amazing prizes HBD Network is offering… such as Bloomingdale’s carrying your designed handbag! Yes, Bloomingdale’s, as in the upscale department store, Bloogmingdale’s. Have I caught your attention yet?
IDHA Founder, Emily Blumenthal said, “One of the most thrilling parts of the Awards is that we have become the true talent source for discovering and launching new handbag designers and brands. The IDHA is a launch pad for bringing new and relatively unknown designers to the forefront, with brand-changing opportunities including a feature in the September issue of InStyle magazine.”
There are six categories that you can enter including one specifically for students like you! They are:
Best Handbag in Overall Style & Design:
- Requirements: Must be under the designer’s own label
- Prize: The winner will receive a booth at WWDMAGIC, the opportunity to have their line carried at Bloomgindale’s, and a collaboration with 2013 ICONOCLAST recipient, Rafé.
Best Student Made Handbag:
- Requirements: Students must be currently attending high school or university on any level, have started their lines in school, and their bag must be under their own label
- Prize: The winner will receive a branding and collaboration opportunity with a well-known brand.
The Brother Best Handmade Bag:
- Requirements: Bag must be made using a sewing machine or by hand, under the designer’s own label, and cannot be a manufactured/factory-made bag
- Prize: The winner will receive a designer profile and guest blogging opportunity on the BrotherSews Facebook page as well as a feature-packed computerized sewing machine from the Simplicity® by Brother™ line.
The Timberland Best Green Handbag:
- Requirements: Bag must be completely made of sustainable, organic, or recycled materials (details can be found in the FAQ section of the website), the bag should be completely recyclable at the end of its life, and any dyed fabrics should be done with a non-toxic dye that doesn’t use fixing agents
- Prize: The winner will receive the opportunity to collaborate with Timberland.
Most Socially Responsible Handbag:
- Requirements: Bag must be under designer’s own label, made in a country where portions of proceeds are given back to that country of manufacturing, and must be made in a country that employs local communities to create jobs and work in third-world countries or poverty-stricken regions
- Prize: The Winner will receive a marketing feature and collaboration with JP Selects
Audience Fan Favorite Handbag:
- Requirements: N/A– One of the 25 finalists’ handbags will be selected by InStyle.com
- Prize: Featured as “Audience Fan Favorite Handbag” in InStyle Magazine
You have until April 27th, 2013 to apply and the winners will be announced at an award show on June 19th, 2013 in New York City. For more details on IDHA and to actually apply, visit: http://www.hbd101.com/p/2013_IHDA_Apply.
How amazing would it be for talented HC collegiettes to win one or more of these amazing prizes filled with so much opportunity? Don’t miss out! You never know, you might be the designer of the next brand-name handbag.
HCXO