See your collection on the runway at New York Fashion Week on September 13, 2020!

In advance of World Suicide Prevention Day 2020 (which takes place on September 10, 2020), FWO is working with Mikeysline in Inverness and Flying Solo in NYC to raise awareness about the topic of chronic loneliness, depression, and the importance of getting help.

Although the competition is open to non-professional designers worldwide, our focus this season is on the Scottish Highlands. In 2019, suicides increased a shocking 15% in Scotland, with a disproportionate amount in the Highlands area.

Two Grand Prizes

Two prizes will be awarded to non-professional designers:

1. One to an international designer
2. One to a Scottish designer

Both winners will receive:

• 2 winning looks on the runway during Flying Solo‘s NYFW show (projected date of show September 13, 2020)
• 2 months in Flying Solo’s SoHo NYC showroom for stylist / press pulls
• Venue, model, hair and makeup
• Photos & videos from the show and backstage
• Backstage interviews with designers
• Press in FWO and promotion on Instagram @FashionWeekOnline to coincide with New York Fashion Week in September, the biggest month on the fashion calendar
• Front-row tickets to the winners to see their looks on the runway. (Hotel and air accommodations not included.)

In case of show cancellation or postponement due to COVID-19, prizes will be transferable to February 2021’s show, AND an interview with designers will run in September 2020 on FWO. ❤️

Who Can Enter

You can apply if you meet all of the following criteria:

• Open to non-professional / non-established designers only; both design students and self-taught designers are welcome!
• If you’re a professional designer, you can apply to Flying Solo’s regular, 8-look show here.
• Aged 18 years or over as of application closing date of July 31, 2020
• Hold a valid ID/passport/visa/residence permit in your country of residence

Guidelines

Theme of submitted designs should relate somehow to the topic of suicide prevention: happiness, depression, mood, hope, etc.

Last Season’s Show

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What to Submit

• Two (2) original, ready-to-wear outfits that best reflect your design aesthetic
• Each project must include: concept / mood board, sketches from development process, technical flats, plus picture of a previously completed, ready-to-wear look
• Name, city of origin, short bio
• A half- to full-page response to the following: What is the concept / inspiration behind the look? How does this project relate to the topic of suicide prevention?

Submission Deadline: August 3, 2020

Winners will be selected and notified by August 10, 2020.

How to Apply

The contest is 100% free to enter! Submit requested materials in a single email to designers@fashionweekonline.com by August 3, 2020.

A Special Note – Please Help

Mikeysline’s life-saving services have been severely impacted by the COVID crisis, and they are in need of your help. We encourage you to give to keep them — and their valuable lifeline — afloat by giving here.

From Mikeysline and The Hive

Mikeysline was founded in late 2015 after a number of suicides in the Highland area. Since then, a lot has happened. We have been supporting those in need ever since.

We run two services, a text line, as well as the Hive in Inverness City Centre. People struggle on a daily basis with a multitude of mental health difficulties, yet only a fraction of people are actually talking about it.

Sadly, there is a huge stigma attached to having poor mental health, this needs to change. There would be no shame in going to see a professional if someone was suffering from an infection of the lung, liver etc. – so why is there shame in seeing someone about an infection of the mind? This is what we are trying to do, open the conversation on mental health in an engaging manner. The more we talk about it, the more normal it becomes – thus battling stigma head on.

The clothes we wear are a statement of who we are as individuals. When we are trying to enforce a positive image about ourselves, our look should reflect who we want to be.

The clothes we wear are a statement of who we are as individuals