A network for the young European creative scene in the fashion sector
createurope: THE FASHION ACADEMY AWARD is a Europe-wide competition for young fashion designers and fashion design students.
On the initiative of the Goethe-Institute and in cooperation with EUNIC Berlin, the European partnership of national institutions for culture in Berlin, this year the competition createurope: THE FASHION ACADEMY AWARD will be held for the first time.
The objective of the contest is to create links between European fashion training schools in addition to promoting lasting, active dialogue between students and teachers, initially on the European and later on the international level.

One of the chief instruments for establishing this European network is the website www.createurope.com, where all private and public fashion schools in Europe can present themselves. Here, a potential young designer from Greece, for example, who would like to study fashion design in another country, can obtain an overview of the content, courses of study, conditions and costs of different European fashion schools.

As yet, fashion schools from 28 countries are supporting the competition. Institutes such as the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, Village des Cr©ateurs in Lyon and the Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts in Istanbul and many other European fashion schools are giving the project great support.

Creative young people can find information on contest entry requirements at the website www.createurope.com.
Every entrant must send their submissions to the Goethe-Institute Berlin by 30 June 2008. A European jury made up of fashion journalists and designers will select a maximum of 30 finalists from all of Europe by the end of July 2008. The finalists will be notified that same month and invited to attend the final elimination ceremony in Berlin in mid-October 2008, to present their collections at a large fashion show. There, a celebrity jury will determine the prizewinners in three categories:

„Best Upcoming Designer Award“
This award will go to an entire collection on the basis of the outstanding creativity, overall appearance, diversity and distinctiveness of the collection.
A minimum of three and maximum of six outfits may be presented.
The One-Year-Berlin Package or Quelle-Fellow: Accommodation, coaching, presentation at a fashion trade fair, supervision by fashion professionals in Berlin and, if desired, the development of a personal collection for Quelle.
Total value € 25,000

„Best Avantgarde Award“
This award will be given to collection pieces in the field of avant-garde, the design of which is progressive, trend setting and future-oriented, whether with regard to materials, cuts or workmanship.
A minimum of three outfits must be presented.
Presentation at a fashion trade fair, specific and intensive media support, grant of € 10,000 for the development of a collection.
Total value € 15,000

„Best Student Award“
This award is for the development cycle of an outfit – from sketches to drawings, fabric samples and colour samples to the finished model.
A paid, six-week traineeship in the departments of Marketing and Distribution at the Quelle firm in Nuremberg.
Total value € 5,000

Dirk Schönberger, creative director of Joop!, is the project patron.
The British artist Tony Cragg will design the trophies. He is one of Europe´s most successful contemporary sculptors and has resided in Wuppertal, Germany since 1977.

QUELLE is the chief sponsor of the project, which is taking place in cooperation with the German Foreign Office.

www.createurope.com