If you are a menswear designer, you may want to head over to Mr Porter right now. The world’s leading destination for men’s style has launched Mr Porter Futures to discover talents in the field of fashion.
The global talent search seeks to discover three aspiring who will undergo a year-long business and mentorship programme. The designers will go through a mentorship led by Mr Porter and industry mentors from September 2021 – September 2022.
The Future Of Fashion
Mr Porter Futures is built around the platform’s 10th anniversary themes of craftsmanship, discovery, inclusivity and community. The search aims to identify and nurture new design talent from outside the fashion mainstream. It also aims to break down the barriers to luxury fashion by drawing eligible candidates from an international pool. The search is open to anyone across the globe who meets the required criteria. Entrants will be selected through an initial anonymous application review process.
The three selected designers or design duos will undergo a year-long programme of workshops and one-to-one coaching. They will also benefit from access to leading mentors in the fashion industry alongside Mr Porter’s in-house team of buyers, designers, creative and marketing experts.
Beyond the mentoring and coaching, each designer will gain the essential marketing and retail skills. The knowledge provides will allow them to build successful, standalone brands in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
Most importantly, they will also learn to design, develop, and deliver their very own responsibly sourced and produced collections. Through the support of Mr Porter’s own-label Mr P. team and consultancy Create Sustain, their creations will be made globally available on the platform in September 2022.
Applications Are Now Open
The applications for Mr Porter Futures ends on Sunday, 6 June 2021. Mr Porter and a selection committee will assess eligible applications through an anonymous review process. Each application will receive a rating based on a combined assessment of written answers and submitted design briefs.
Applicant ratings will be aggregated in June, and the top selection will be asked to interview with the Mentor Selection Committee in July. Following the final interviews, three designers or design duos will be selected and prepared for the programme’s start and announcement in September 2021.
According to Fiona Firth, Managing Director, Mr Porter, the search will become an annual, ongoing programme for the platform. “Mr Porter Futures is where new talent will be nurtured and developed for introduction across our global platform.”
The search itself sounds enticing for menswear design prospects, even more so as it presents a stage for them to present their creations to the world. Mr Porter serves more than 180 countries, and delivers more than 550 brands across luxury, ready-to-wear, luxury watches, sport, grooming and lifestyle.
“We are thrilled to embark on our inaugural journey of Mr Porter Futures as we have always been committed to championing a diverse mix of new and emerging designers,” adds Mr Porter Buying Director, Sam Kershaw. “With the help of our multifaceted community, we hope this programme helps create new opportunities within our industry.”
For more details in Mr Porter Futures click here.
