Global Denim Talent Programme (GDTP) Application Guidelines
PROGRAMME OVERVIEW
About the Global Denim Talent Programme (GDTP)
Organised by the Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI), a member institution of the Vocational Training Council (VTC), and sponsored by Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the 3rd Hong Kong Denim Festival (HKDF) is a cultural and design event that aims to nurture Hong Kong young design talent, promote denim culture, and boost denim and fashion economy in Hong Kong.
Part of the 3rd HKDF, the Global Denim Talent Programme (GDTP) which is a 6-month incubation programme will be held to nurture Hong Kong creative talent for the denim industry. Through its comprehensive global industry experience programme, GDTP provides aspiring young designers and start-ups with invaluable mentorship, training, extensive networking opportunities, and comprehensive business support.
GDTP seeks to empower Hong Kong designers to enhance their skills, broaden their horizons, push creative boundaries, and establish a reputable presence as distinguished denim brand representing Hong Kong. This initiative brings together industry-leading companies that wholeheartedly embrace the vision of supporting and empowering young talent in their pursuit of building their own denim brands. These influential companies possess extensive expertise in sustainability and business, making them ideal partners of this collaborative endeavor.
GDTP Objectives
- Nurtures and empowers local young design talent to become skill-based workforce with a global perspective; thus the growing pool of denim design talent will become one of the driving forces of the local creative economy.
- Offers training on innovative denim design and production with a strong emphasis on sustainability, supply chain management, and business planning by introducing new technologies and practices to young talent, fostering a demand for innovation and creativity.
- Facilitates start-ups and the development of creative establishments while offering local young creative talent a chance to enter the global denim arena through a global attachment programme with renowned denim companies.
- Encourages the growth of Hong Kong's denim fashion creative industry and enhance its global presence.
- Strengthens the connection between local young designers and denim industry leaders to foster stronger collaborations.
- Promotes creative industries by widening market opportunities while cultivating entrepreneurial and leadership skills among local young designers to enhance brand identity and market potential.
GDTP’s Offerings
- 6-month Local Denim Industry Attachment Selected designers (the Awardees) will participate in a 6-month local denim companies’ attachment programme, which engages prominent international and local denim companies and brands, including Advance Denim, Crystal International Group Limited, Jeanologia, Lycra, Lenzing Fibers, MGF, Newtimes, and Washi Jeans.
- Expert Consultancy The Awardees will receive mentorship from renowned denim experts or companies. This mentorship covers the areas from exploring new business opportunities, fostering connections with potential sponsors, to ongoing guidance and support throughout the entire mentorship period.
- Empowerment Experience Denim companies will provide mentorship, advices, and training to support awardees in creating sustainable and commercially viable denim collections. In the process, the awardees will gain valuable insights and hands-on experience in various aspects of the denim design and production, ranging from fiber selection and finishing techniques to garment manufacturing and marketing strategies.
- Global Exposure The Awardees will be invited to participate in Centrestage and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) showcase in 2024. Additionally, they will have the opportunity to join the Kingpins Show and take part in a denim field trip visit to New York in 2025 upon completion of the programme.
- Branding Support GDTP provides comprehensive mentorship in branding, guiding the Awardees throughout their startup journey to create high commercial value products and become sustainable denim designers. Within GDTP, ongoing expert advice and valuable opportunities to participate in international trade shows and exhibitions support the Awardees in promoting their unique brand identity and enhancing their market presence.
THE AWARDEE’S REQUIREMENTS
Eight talented designers (the Awardees) will participate in a 6-month local denim industry attachment programme.
- The Awardees will collaborate closely with the assigned denim companies (Employers) to each develop a design brief and workplan. The workplans will be reviewed and commented upon by the HKDF project team.
- The Awardees can choose to work on-site or off-site during the design development process within the attachment period, based on their agreement with their Employers and HKDF project team. They will further have the opportunity to visit Mainland denim mills and factories, and local denim companies to expand their denim knowledge.
- Two interim reviews will be scheduled involving the Awardees, the Employers, and the HKDF project team to ensure progress and quality of the Awardees’ design development.
- The Awardees are each expected to create a collection of four denim outfits, with materials and production supported by the Employers. The denim collection must meet a minimum 80% of the requirements as set out in the Awardee’s design brief and workplan for them to attend overseas events.
- Based on specific participate requirements, the Awardees will receive invitations to participate in Centrestage and the GBA showcase in 2024. Furthermore, they will have the chance to join the Kingpins Show and take part in a denim field trip visit to New York in 2025.
The Awardee’s Eligibility for Denim Field Trip Visit to New York (New York trip)
The Awardees should meet the following requirements to participate in the New York trip, which include:
- Fulfilling a minimum 80% of the requirements as set out in the Awardee’s design brief, which involves following the denim collection design and manufacturing standards as suggested by the Employers.
- Fulfilling a minimum of 80% of the requirements as set out in the Awardee’s workplan, which includes attending regular meetings with Employers.
- Developing a collection of four sets of denim outfits.
APPLICATION DETAILS
Eligibility
- Hong Kong Permanent Resident
- Aged 35 or below as at 31 December 2023
- Holder of Higher Diploma or above in fashion design or relevant programme from an accredited local or overseas educational institution.
Application Requirements
Each applicant must submit:
- A completed online application form (https://forms.gle/F1qpm2zCyUtGu5jW7) that requires your basic information.
- A personal statement with a minimum of 500 words in English detailing the applicant’s interest, experience, ability, and achievements in design and why applicant’s interest, experience, ability and achievements are relevant to GDTP.
- A design brief with a minimum of 500 words to elaborate your design concept and rationale in English.
- Design visualisation of a collection of four denim outfits (for women, men, or a mixture of both) consisting of:
- One mood board to present the theme, inspiration and colour scheme of the collection.
- One fabric board to show the creative use of material.
- One design board of the four denim outfits described in details. *Remark: (i) All designs must be original and have never been paraded or presented before. (ii) All presentation boards should not carry any names or logos or signatures as to reveal the contestant's identity. (iii) Collections infringing on copyright or paraded before will lead to disqualification.
- A business proposal consisting of:
- An executive summary of your company/ brand to indicate name of business, area of focus, type of design and the target market.
- Your vision, selling proposition and marketing analysis.
- Proposed manufacturing and distribution process of your designs.
- A financial plan of your company.
Application Deadline
Application is free. The online application must be submitted on or before 21 January 2024 (Sunday) by 23:59 (Hong Kong Time).
SCREENING AND SELECTION CRITERIA
Entry Screening After the submission deadline, an initial selection process will take place at the Hong Kong Design Institute by 26 January 2024 (Friday). Industry professionals and members of the HKDF Project Committee will review all submissions to ensure that they meet the presentation screening requirements. Presentation Screening Eligible applicants will be invited to present their business proposals to the assessment panel, which consists of GDTP denim companies (Employers) and HKDF Project Committee Members, each in a 20-minute presentation on 31 January 2024 (Wednesday) from 10am onwards, with the time assigned to each shortlisted applicant to be confirmed in due course. Venue to be confirmed.
Selection Criteria
Each application will be evaluated by a panel consisting of representatives from from the Employers , industry professionals and HKDF Project Committee Members. The evaluation criteria are as follows:
- Sustainability concepts and application (30%)
- Use of materials (20%)
- Creativity, innovativeness, and uniqueness (20%)
- Commercialisation ability (30%)
APPLICATION PROCESS
Complete the online application form (https://forms.gle/F1qpm2zCyUtGu5jW7) and email the required documents to hkdenimfestival@vtc.edu.hk.
- Submit your completed application form online at https://forms.gle/F1qpm2zCyUtGu5jW7
- Submit the following required documents (in PDF format) by email with email subject “GDTP Application_(Name of Applicant)” to hkdenimfestival@vtc.edu.hk by 21 January 2024 (Sunday) by 23:59 (Hong Kong Time)
- One mood board - to present the theme, inspiration and colour scheme of the collection
- One fabric board – to show the creative use of material
- One design board of the four denim outfits
- One business proposal
- Shortlisted applicants will receive an invitation via email on or before 24 January 2024 11:59 (Hong Kong Time) to attend a 20-minute assessment session each, in which they will present their business proposals.
- Submission of presentation document (in PPT format) two days before the assigned assessment session to hkdenimfestival@vtc.edu.hk
- Awardees announcement will be made by mid-February 2024.
**All personal data and documents submitted by the applicants will be kept confidential and used for the application process only. For unsuccessful applications, all personal data and submitted documents will be destroyed after the HKDF project team completes the recruitment process.
COPYRIGHT
Designers who participate in the Global Denim Talent Programme willown the copyrights of their design works (including sketches, mood boards and the garment samples).
IMPORTANT NOTES TO APPLICANTS
i) The Awardees will have the opportunity to visit Mainland denim mills and factories, and join the Kingpins show and a denim field trip visit to New York. Travelling and accommodation costs incurred in the said visits will be covered by HKDF, sponsoring manufacturers and the Employers. Applicants should ensure they have the necessary travelling documents to the Mainland and the USA.
ii) Complete outfits are not required to be made at the application stage. All submitted artwork must be your original creations.
iii) No changes to artworks or material selection are permitted after submission of applications for preliminary screening, unless with prior approval sought from the Committee of the Hong Kong Denim Festival.
iv) Applicants could be disqualified by the Committee of the Hong Kong Denim Festival at our final discretion at any time should the applicants fail to fulfil the terms and conditions as stated in this set of Application Guidelines, as well as any other reasons deemed appropriate by the Committee of the Hong Kong Denim Festival.
v) The Committee of the Hong Kong Denim Festival has the right to amend all the activities. In case of any disputes, the decision of HKDF Project Committee shall be final and binding on all parties concerned.