ALLFASHION SOURCING YOUNG DESIGNER COMPETITION 2027
Every garment begins with an idea.
Every future begins with a decision.
A competition brief that begins with purpose, not rules.
The Allfashion sourcing Young Designer Competition 2027 invites the next generation of African designers to think beyond what fashion looks like — and consider what fashion can become.
This is more than a design competition.
It is an invitation to question, imagine, create and take responsibility for the future we are designing.
The 2027 competition places regenerative thinking at the centre of the creative process — encouraging young designers to consider not only how garments are made, but how their choices can contribute positively to people, communities, resources and the systems around them.
The guide is deliberately structured as a conversation with the young designer. Rather than beginning with rules, requirements and technical information, it begins with a question:
Why did you choose to become a designer?
From there, six questions move the student from purpose to context, challenge, design, submission and ultimately the future.
THE SIX SIGNPOSTS
01 Why did you choose to become a designer? — Letter
02 Why does fashion need to change? — Context
03 What kind of future will you design? — Challenge
04 What will make your idea matter? — Design
05 Are you ready? — Submit
06 What happens next? — Future
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO BECOME A DESIGNER?
A LETTER TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF DESIGNERS
Perhaps you chose fashion because you love clothes.
Perhaps you love colour, fabric, culture, craftsmanship or the possibility of turning an idea in your imagination into something another person can wear.
Or perhaps you simply knew that you wanted to create.
Whatever brought you here, your decision to become a designer gives you something powerful:
the ability to imagine what does not yet exist.
But today, being a designer asks more of us.
Fashion is connected to people, communities, culture, natural resources and the environment. Every decision we make — from the materials we choose to the way something is made and what happens to it afterwards — has an impact.
That can feel like a big responsibility.
We believe it is also an extraordinary opportunity.
The next generation of designers has the chance to rethink old systems, challenge accepted ways of working and create new possibilities for fashion.
This competition is an invitation to do exactly that.
We are not asking you to have all the answers.
We are asking you to be curious.
To question.
To experiment.
To look at what already exists and ask:
Could this be done differently?
Your ideas matter.
Your perspective matters.
And the future you imagine matters.
The future is not waiting to be discovered.
It is waiting to be designed.
WHAT KIND OF FUTURE WILL YOU DESIGN?
THE 2027 CHALLENGE
REGENERATIVE FASHION
Regenerative design asks us to move beyond simply reducing harm.
It asks us to consider how design can restore value, extend life, respect resources and contribute positively to the systems of which fashion is a part.
Your challenge is to develop a fashion concept that demonstrates regenerative thinking through your own creative perspective.
There is no single answer.
A material.
A waste stream.
A traditional technique.
A local resource.
A community.
A garment that already exists.
A problem you have noticed.
Or an entirely new idea.
Start by looking around you.
What already exists that we have stopped seeing?
What is being discarded that could become valuable again?
What knowledge from the past could help us design for the future?
What could you create that leaves something better behind?
Your idea should respond to the world around you while expressing who you are as a designer.
We are not looking for perfection. We are looking for possibility.
WHAT WILL MAKE YOUR IDEA MATTER?
DESIGN
A strong design begins with a strong idea.
WHY?
Why does this idea need to exist?
WHAT?
What problem, opportunity or question are you responding to?
WHO?
Who are you designing for?
WHERE?
Where do your materials come from? Where will your garment be made? What local knowledge, skills or resources could become part of your story?
HOW?
How can your design reduce waste, extend value, restore resources or rethink the way fashion is usually made?
WHAT NEXT?
What happens to the garment or its materials after it has been worn?
Regenerative thinking should not be something added to your design at the end. It should help shape the idea from the beginning.
YOUR DESIGN SHOULD CONSIDER
CREATIVITY
Does your idea offer a fresh and original point of view?
PURPOSE
Is there a clear reason behind what you are creating?
MATERIALS
Have you considered where your materials come from and the impact of using them?
MAKING
Can your construction choices reduce waste or extend the life of the garment?
PEOPLE
Who makes your design, and how does your idea value people, skills and knowledge?
LIFE BEYOND THE GARMENT
Can your design be repaired, reused, adapted, transformed, returned to a system or eventually become something new?
STORY
Can you clearly explain your idea and why it matters?
ARE YOU READY?
YOUR SUBMISSION
Your submission should allow the judging panel to understand both your creative idea and the thinking behind it.
1. YOUR CONCEPT
A short explanation of your idea and how it responds to regenerative fashion.
2. YOUR RESEARCH
Show us what inspired your thinking. This may include imagery, materials, cultural references, local resources, processes, people, places or problems you want to address.
3. YOUR DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
Show how your idea evolved. Include sketches, experimentation and the decisions that shaped your final design.
4. YOUR FINAL DESIGN
Present your final design clearly, including front and back views and relevant construction or material details.
5. YOUR MATERIAL STORY
Tell us what materials you intend to use, where they come from and why you chose them.
6. YOUR REGENERATIVE THINKING
Explain what makes your design regenerative. What does it preserve, restore, renew, extend or return?
BEFORE YOU SUBMIT, ASK YOURSELF
• Does my idea have a clear purpose?
• Can I explain why my material choices matter?
• Have I considered the people involved in making it?
• Have I thought about waste?
• Have I considered what happens after the garment is worn?
• Does this design feel like my point of view?
Am I creating another garment — or am I proposing a better possibility?
IMPORTANT DATES
PHASE ONE
Entries Open: 15 January 2027
Entries Close: 19 March 2027
Submission Requirements
Your submission should allow the judging panel to understand both your creative idea and the thinking behind it by clearly articulating the following 6 points.(All six must be answered)
1. YOUR CONCEPT
A short explanation of your idea and how it responds to regenerative fashion.
2. YOUR RESEARCH
Show us what inspired your thinking. This may include imagery, materials, cultural references, local resources, processes, people, places or problems you want to address.
3. YOUR DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
Show how your idea evolved. Include sketches, experimentation and the decisions that shaped your final design.
4. YOUR FINAL DESIGN
Present your final design clearly, including front and back views and relevant construction or material details.
5. YOUR MATERIAL STORY
Tell us what materials you intend to use, where they come from and why you chose them.
6. YOUR REGENERATIVE THINKING
Explain what makes your design regenerative. What does it preserve, restore, renew, extend or return?
PHASE TWO
The semi-final selection takes place between 19 March and the 26 March 2027
You will be notified by the Young Designers Competition Organisers if you are qualified to move on the next phase on the 26 March 2027.
PHASE THREE
FINAL GARMENT
Deadline: 10 May 2027 – Delivered to the Messe Frankfurt Offices – Office 2 , Harfield Village Centre, 48 Second Avenue, Harfield Village, Claremont, Cape Town
- Entry element three will allow for you to translate your thoughts, imagination, and concept into a final garment.
- Don’t forget to reference your mood board as well as and your initial drawings/illustrations to ensure we see your vision from sketch to final garment.
- Have all design details been maintained as per sketch in terms of trims etc. Judging criteria: How close to the sketch is the final garment? Have all design detail and trims been as close to original sketch and communication (written and illustrated?).
Final Showcase
Date: 19 May 2027
Venue: Cape Town International Convention Centre 2
FINAL DESIGN WITH STYLING
- You are required to create the runway look by providing your final design.
- Please include notes on hair and makeup, shoes, accessories, and overall look and feel to walk the runway.
- The finals will be hosted live at the Allfashion sourcing event taking place at the CTICC on the 19 May 2027.
- The finals will be filmed and reshared on Allfashion sourcing social media platform as well as media platforms.
- The Young Designer Finals will consist of ten finalists who will showcase their designs on the runway at the AllFashion Sourcing Event.
Judging Criteria
Submissions will be evaluated based on:
- Creative Excellence: Uniqueness and artistic impact.
- Regenerative Thinking applied: What does it preserve, restore, renew, extend or return?
- Technical Skill: Precision in construction and attention to detail.
Let South Africa’s spirit of innovation, creativity, and resilience shine through your designs. Together, let’s craft a sustainable future for fashion with a uniquely South African voice.
Terms & Conditions
The competition is open to designers graduating this year, recently graduated (in the past 5 years), or currently in a design internship program.
PARTICIPATION AND PRIZE ACCEPTANCE TERMS AND CONDITIONS
These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") manage the relationship among all participants of the Young Designers Competition, Messe Frankfurt SA (Pty) Ltd ("Organiser").
I. PARTICIPANT COMMITMENTS:
1. Participant Consent: By participating, entrants agree to allow the Organizer’s usage of their designs and additional submission materials for promotional and related purposes.
2. Participant Liability: All participants accept all risk and responsibility linked with their participation in this competition and the usage of their submitted designs.
3. Design Alteration: Once the design is submitted, no alterations or changes are allowed.
4. Professionalism: Expected from all participants throughout the competition process. Failure to maintain professionalism may result in disqualification.
5. Regulation Compliance: Compliance with all rules and regulations for the competition is mandatory. Non-compliance may lead to disqualification.
6. Personal Expenses: All participants must bear any expenses related to the competition, including the costs of creation, development, submission of their designs, and travel and accommodation unless specified otherwise.
II. PRIZE ACCEPTANCE TERMS:
III. LIABILITY LIMITATION:
1. Liability Limitation: The Organiser is not liable for any costs related to the creation or delivery of the Recipient's showcase. The fashion shows are shared, meaning the Recipient will present alongside other designers.
IV. GENERAL TERMS:
1. Decisions: The judges' decision is final and binding. No discussions regarding this decision will be entertained after the winners' announcement.
2. Loss or Damage: The Organiser will not be held responsible for any loss or damage to entry garments during the competition, though due care will be exercised.
3. Prizes: The competition prizes are fixed and cannot be negotiated.
4. Rights: The competition organizers reserve the right to disqualify any participant found violating the rules or engaged in any misconduct.
5. Terms & Conditions Changes: The organizers hold the right to alter these Terms and Conditions at any given time without any prior notification.
6. Travel and Accommodation: Participants must manage and finance their travel and accommodation for the Cape Town event unless otherwise stated.
V. LIABILITY LIMITATION AND INDEMNITY:
1. Liability Limitation: The Organizer and any of their associated companies, directors, officers, professional advisors, employees, and agencies will not be held responsible for: (a) any late, lost, misrouted, garbled or distorted or damaged transmissions or entries; (b) any event disruptions, losses or damages caused by events beyond the control of the Promoter; or (c) any printing or typographical errors in any materials associated with the competition.
2. Indemnity: By participating in the competition, each participant agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Organizer against any and all claims, losses, damages, or liabilities, including attorneys' fees, stemming from or relating to their participation in the competition or acceptance or usage of the Prize.
By entering this competition, participants confirm they have read, understood, and agree to these Terms and Conditions.