VUT Fashion students flourish at the Edcon Design Innovation Challenge

VUT Fashion students flourish at the Edcon Design Innovation Challenge

VUT fashion students entered the Edcon Design Innovation Challenge during November last year. The challenge consists a 21-step programme in line with Edcon’s transformation objectives and its overall strategy to develop talent and leverage its expertise to the benefit of fashion students and the retail industry at large.
The challenge was open to final-year, honours’ and master’s fashion students in Gauteng, providing the opportunity to develop further fashion, design and entrepreneurial skills through the learning platforms created by Edcon in partnership with Runway Productions.
As entree, ten students submitted their third-year open ranges consisting a collection of six garments. Following an extensive judging session, eight students were invited to interviews with the Edcon design panel during December. Six students were chosen as finalists (out of a total 17 in Gauteng) for the three-month programme that commenced in January 2024. Their prizes include: three months’ business and collection design training from specialists to fast-forward their careers; a year’s business-to-business support; a show launching the collections of selected designers to the media, VIPs and celebrities; and the opportunity to be selected to be part of the design team at Edcon.
“This programme will prepare the fashion students for the realities of ‘the business of fashion’, which will fast-forward their careers on every level,” said Lucilla Booyzen, CEO of Runway Productions.