Young design aiming for Europe
ACTE supports young talented designers to reach out and create success. Through the Native project, designers enjoyed an educational program inspired and supported by expert mentors. A digital artistic residency at a fashion company and finally a virtual exhibition to display their work.
During the digital residency, the designers were partnered with a selected textile company and created and produced a collection. This was displayed at the end of the project in a virtual exhibition reaching European cities and international audience.
Connecting and networking
Native aims to develop talents through mentorship and inspiration. The project helps to connect mentors and creative residences at fashion companies with artistic and cultural institutions as well as organisations connected to the design and fashion industry in Italy, Poland, Sweden and Spain. Each of the selected young designers got the opportunity to benefit from hard-earned commercial knowledge and experience.
NATIVE also aims for an intercultural and generational dialogue. We want to increase the understanding of cultural diversity among young designers, as the project also strengthens networking and communication skills. All this hopefully helped the designers, giving them an opportunity to enter new markets.
The progress
The project was completed in the Summer of in 2021, in connection with a virtual exhibition displaying the collections. At the big final the designers’ work was shown at the fashion competition Rebelpin. This was held as a digital event where public could vote for the popular vote award winner.
All planning was somewhat flexible, due to the Covid-19 situation. July 1 was the date for the final presentations of our ten designers of the Native project.
– The Native project is co-funded by the European Union’s “Creative Europe” programme. This aims to develop the competence of designers in the design industry sector, as well as to facilitate the integration of creative knowledge and skills in the fashion industry in SMEs (small and medium-sized companies).
– The City of Borås is leading the project, in which the Italian city of Prato, the Polish Academy Sztuk Pięknych, the Catalan fashion cluster MODACC and other members of the European textile network ACTE also are participating.
– Together with “Creative Europe”, several young European designers are selected. The designers will create and produce their own collection, through digital residencies at SMEs in the fashion sector.
– Native enables the exchange of talent and experience in Europe. The project also promote intercultural exchange.
