Tiktok Returns for a Second Year to Partner With Graduate Fashion Foundation to Showcase Create Opportunities for Emerging Fashion Design Talent With the Ongoing Merchandise Competition.
Graduate Fashion Foundation and Tiktok are today announcing the continuation for a second year of their innovative partnership that provides a platform to final year fashion students to showcase their talent as they embark on their careers in fashion. The ongoing partnership tasks fashion students fueled with creative energy who are due to graduate this June with designing and reimagining TikTok’s new 2021 range of brand merchandise that is fashionable, ethical and distinctly TikTok. As a platform for users who embrace and celebrate creativity in all forms, a partnership with the Class of 2021 make for the perfect pairing.
This motivating partnership gives the Class of 2021 students from 38 GFF member universities in the UK the opportunity to enter their ideas to design and produce TikTok’s new season of merchandise for Europe. All entries are set to be judged by an expert panel of industry judges on Tuesday 25th May, including TikTok’s Cassandra Russell, Fashion and Retail Brand Partnerships for EU and Charlotte Dodds, Marketing Lead for UKI & Nordics, plus Graduate Fashion Foundation Ambassador Henry Holland.
TikTok and Graduate Fashion Foundation have continued and updated the successful partnership in a bid to help final year fashion students due to graduate this summer with building their experience and skill set within their cv’s and assisting with hiring prospects. This year group has been adversely affected by COVID-19, losing 6 months of their studies onsite at university in 2020 and 3.5 months in 2021. The pandemic has cast a shadow of uncertainty over fashion careers that have been years in the making, particularly those in graduating year groups, with fashion students heavily affected by the lack of access to studio space, high-specification equipment, technical services and fabric retailers.
For 2021, 60 newly graduated designers will be selected from GFF UK member universities to participate in one of two 5-day creative TikTok residencies, held within a professional factory environment in London this July. Accommodation will be provided by TikTok to all participating graduates along with a competition prize of £500 each, allowing them to travel from all over the UK to take part.
The project gives the new graduates the opportunity to access a practical industry experience and learn new skills in a professional workplace. They will learn about design for manufacturing, grading and realising designs into commercial patterns, professional production lines, quality control, CAD lessions and packaging. The Residency will be everything you expect from TikTok – creative and inspiring with visits from TikTok Creators and educators too. Plus the selected emerging designers will be mentored by some of today’s leading designers and GFF ambassadors who will be stopping by the residencies each week to share advice and guidance on producing the best possible merchandise for TikTok.
Additionally, Fashion Marketing, Communications, Promotions and Merchandising final year students will be given the opportunity to enter a parallel competition to design the ethical packaging for the boxing of the designs being produced during the residencies. One lucky student will win the ‘Unboxing Competition’ and have their design professional produced including boxes, bags, tissue, swing tags and note cards, allowing the designers to personalise a message from them on their creation.