SUCCESS OF THE VORN ACADEMY II LOOM: 10 DESIGNERS AWARDED WITH SCHOLARSHIPS
The culmination of talent and innovation took center stage on October 5th as a distinguished panel of eight industry experts handpicked the scholarship awardees of the VORN Academy II Loom. This remarkable event marks a milestone in the journey of 50 budding designers, with 10 exceptional talents emerging as the fortunate recipients of a €3,000 scholarship. Moreover, they will embark on a transformative four-week design sprint hosted at the dynamic VORN Space located in Bikini Berlin this November. Notably, Zalando stands as the steadfast partner of the VORN Academy II LOOM, fortifying its commitment to nurturing creative brilliance.
In an intensive ten-week phase one, the fifty aspirants underwent a profound, remote educational experience. Renowned experts from the international fashion sphere guided them through the labyrinthine corridors of digital innovation, divulging the trade secrets in a series of incisive coaching sessions. The program was an immersive experience into the realm of fashion's future, encapsulating subjects like 3D product development, the art of virtual sampling, circular product design, and the enigmatic metaverse fashion landscape. The syllabus extended to critical areas such as brand establishment, best practices in design, and much more. As an added advantage, participants received unfettered access to professional-grade software including Browzwear, Clo3D, circular.fashion, and Grafis CAD, offering them the digital arsenal needed to craft their dreams.
These creations will not remain hidden; they will be showcased both digitally and physically as part of Berlin Fashion Week 2024. The €3,000 scholarship awarded to each of these talents, complemented by a cache of software, hardware, and materials, forms the bedrock of their enterprise, furnishing them with the tools they need to sculpt their visions into reality. Zalando's unflinching patronage of the VORN Design Academy underscores the industry's collective resolve to perpetuate innovation and creativity.
The jury brings unparalleled expertise to the table. Comprising of Joachim Baldauf, a fashion photographer whose lens has captured the essence of style; Carmen Gama, the Director of Circular Design at Eileen Fischer, a trailblazer in sustainable fashion; Christine Goulay, an authority in corporate sustainability and innovation; Leslie Holden, co-founder of The Digital Fashion Group; Magdalena Schaffrin, co-founder and CEO of VORN — The Berlin Fashion Hub; and Stefan Siegel, the CEO and Founder of Not Just A Label, a pioneering force in the fashion industry.
The list of 10 extraordinary scholarship awardees, poised to shape the landscape of Berlin Fashion Week, reads as follows:
Dorota Stępniak, Content Story - Undergrowth Manifesto
Florian Máthé, Máthé
Harm Coordes, Church of the Hand
Isabel Toledo, EME OM
Salar Mousavi, Children of Time
In essence, the VORN Academy II Loom stands as a symbol of unwavering commitment to the pursuit of fashion's next frontier. With technical innovation and creativity as its north stars, this academy ignites the talents of tomorrow's design virtuosos, heralding a brighter, more sustainable future for the industry. The world will eagerly await the transformation of their dreams into reality on the grand stage of Berlin Fashion Week in 2024.