TOMMY HILFIGER FASHION FRONTIER CHALLENGE WINNERS REVEALED

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 (Bernama) -- Tommy Hilfiger, owned by PVH Corp. has announced Lalaland and UZURI K&Y as winners of the third Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge, a dedicated global programme designed to find and support ideas that lead to a more inclusive fashion landscape.

The programme’s final virtual event took place on Jan 12-13, where the six finalists pitched their concepts to a prestigious jury panel, according to a statement.

The winners will share a prize fund of €200,000 and receive a year-long mentorship with internal experts from Tommy Hilfiger and from INSEAD — one of the world’s leading and largest graduate business schools. (€1 = RM4.773)

They also secured a place in an INSEAD programme that brings people, cultures, and ideas together to cultivate innovative leaders.

This year's programme particularly strived to amplify and support Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) entrepreneurs who are working to advance their communities, while fostering a more inclusive future for the fashion industry.

For the first time, fans of the TOMMY HILFIGER brand were able to participate in the initial phases of the challenge, where they cast their digital vote to help narrow down the applications to identify the finalists. 

Alongside Tommy Hilfiger associates at the final event, they were also invited to vote for their favourite pitch to award an additional €15,000 to one of the finalists.

Lalaland, a Netherlands-based platform that uses artificial intelligence to generate customised and inclusive synthetic models of different ethnicities, was awarded €100,000, while UZURI K&Y, a Rwandan-based eco-friendly shoe brand that uses recycled car tyres from sub-Saharan Africa and employs local youth, was also awarded €100,000.

In addition, Clothes to Good, a South African-based social enterprise that creates micro-business opportunities and jobs for people with disabilities through textile recycling, was awarded €15,000. 

Applications for the fourth installment of the Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge will open in March.

Tommy Hilfiger’s mission is to become a leading sustainable designer lifestyle company that Wastes Nothing and Welcomes All, through how it creates its product, manages its operations and connects with its communities and stakeholders.

-- BERNAMA