Young designers to increase the value of Turkish textile. Enthusiasm increases towards the final of the Turkey Home Textiles Design Contest held with sustainability theme. The last 10 remaining contestants will be determined on March 27 and the winners will receive their awards at Turkey Design Week.
Countdown has begun on 9th Turkey Home Textiles Design Contest, organized by Uludağ Textile Exporters Association (UTİB) in order to increase the competitiveness of Turkey and to contribute to the development of the industry by bringing in young talents in the home and contract textile sectors. Pre-qualification period completed on 22 February. The winners of the online qualification will be announced on the Contest’s website on 4 March.
Third and fourth year students as well as graduate students from Textile, Fashion, Fashion and Textile Design, Textile Engineering, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Visual Communication Design, Interior Architecture and Architecture Departments of Fine Arts, Art and Design, Faculty of Architecture and Engineering faculties showed great interest in the Contest. Online jury evaluation will be held from 11 to 22 March. The jury members constituting of academicians, industrialists and designers will identify 10 contestants who will be eligible to participate in the workshop. These names will be announced on the Contest website on 27 March.
Rewards will be given in Turkey Design Week
The finalists will attend the design workshop at UTİB on 29 April – 3 May in Bursa; under the mentorship of Creative Director Maarit Salolainen; Professor of Textile and Design at Aalto University in Finland. They will also visit factories. The final elimination will be held on May 6 by the final elimination jury under the coordination of Moderator Elif Sezgin. Prizes for the winners of the Turkey Home Textiles Design Contest will be given at the award ceremony during the Turkey Design Week events, which is organized by Turkey Exporters Assembly (TIM). The winner will be awarded 10 thousand TL in the contest, the second 7 thousand 500 TL, and the third will receive 5 thousand TL. In addition, if the Ministry of Commerce considers it appropriate, abroad training will be provided to 3 qualified people. The winners will also receive online English training, internship and design registration awards.
Young designers to increase the value of Turkish textile: this year’s theme is sustainability
This year, the participants applied to the Contest as a capsule collection rather than a single product. Accordingly, the participants will prepare a capsule collection consisting of home textiles products with a minimum of 3, maximum 6 products; and will present them with the specified layout format in a living space. ‘Product Design Category’ of Turkey Home Textile Design Contest will held products with superior aesthetic and functional qualities; that respond to different needs based on home textile products such as; curtain fabric, curtain systems, sofas, upholstery fabric, bathroom textiles, bedroom textiles, and wall textiles.
UTİB President Pınar Taşdelen Engin said they organized the Turkey Turkish Home Textile Design Contest; to help the designer identity of the industry emerge in order to create Turkish home textile products; that can influence fashion and trends in the international market. Engin; “In the scope of Turkey’s 2023 Export Strategy, our Contest which aims at the integration of R & D and design culture with technology in our country, carries great importance for the development of new designers who will increase the value added of exports. At first glance, our Contest can be seen as a pattern contest, but the reality is very different. The Contest includes home and outdoor textile products that will serve different needs; such as drapery, curtain system, sofa, upholstery fabric, bathroom textiles, bedroom textiles and wall textiles”.
Engin stated that they provided a great support to the students that reach the finals with their workshops; and noted that they aim to increase the knowledge and experience of young designers; with the workshops that started last year. Engin added that 10 finalists will have the right to produce the prototypes of their works in the factories.