SHEIN announces exclusive design competition for students in Australia

Global online fashion and lifestyle retailer, SHEIN, announces its first Australia-only fashion design competition, SHEIN R.I.S.E. Student Designer Challenge, highlighting characteristics of Resilience, Inspiration, Support and Empowerment. The inaugural initiative follows the success of the global SHEIN X Challenge design competition which concluded in March 2024, and offers Australian participants a range of cash prizes as well as the opportunity to join the global SHEIN X Designer Incubator program.

The top three designs will receive AUD $10,000, AUD $5,000, and AUD $3,000 cash for first, second and third place respectively. Additionally, the winner will become a SHEIN X Designer and stand to receive mentorship and professional feedback from industry leaders, all while retaining ownership of their work and earning from the sales of their designs under a commission-based model. 

The SHEIN R.I.S.E. Student Designer Challenge invites Australian students to sketch their original designs based on the theme "Retro-Futurism" and upload them to shein.top/risewithshein.  Judges are looking for unique interpretations of the theme which can draw inspiration from retro styles with influences from modern technology or film and art. Each entry can include one or more items that form a complete look and can be submitted between July 4 and July 25.  Participants will retain ownership of their submitted designs.

The Challenge is free to enter and is open to any student over 18 years old who is currently enrolled in any course in an institution, college, or university in Australia - participants do not need to be enrolled in fashion-related courses.

"SHEIN is committed to making the business of fashion accessible by way of our flagship incubator programme. The R.I.S.E Student Designer Challenge aims to serve as a platform for aspiring designers to showcase their looks in front of a global audience," said a SHEIN spokesperson. 

In celebration of Australia's unique flair for fashion, the Australian public will select the finalists through an online voting system. Those votes will determine the finalists and are responsible for 30% of the final judging marks. 

All submissions that meet the entry requirements and criteria will be published on the SHEIN R.I.S.E Student Designer Challenge website from July 26 onwards, and members of the public can vote for their favourite submissions online until August 5. 

The top 20 submissions, as voted for by the Australian public, will proceed to the finals of the inaugural Australian SHEIN R.I.S.E. Student Designer Challenge. Finalists will participate in workshops to help bring their entries to life and have them shown before a panel of industry experts in a runway show, on September 13. 

"We look forward to seeing how Australian fashion is redefined by the next generation of creative minds through the theme 'Retro-Futurism'," concluded a SHEIN spokesperson. 

Competition Details: 

1. Submit Drawings 

• SUBMISSION DATES: 4 July - 25 July 2024 
• Students are invited to submit their most innovative sketches based on the theme Retro-Futurism. The competition is free to enter and open to all students over 18 years old and currently enrolled in an institution, college, or university in Australia, regardless of their field of study. One complete look submission per entrant can be uploaded to shein.top/risewithshein from July 4. Images and an explanation of the look and the story behind it must also be submitted along with the submission.  

2. Public Voting 

• After entries close on July 25, all eligible entries will be showcased on the SHEIN R.I.S.E Student Designer Challenge website where the public can vote for their favourite design. 

3. Finalist Workshop and Runway Show 

• The 20 submissions that receive the most votes from the public will advance to the finalist round, participating in an exclusive workshop with professional designers. Finalists will refine their designs and create them to be paraded at the grand finale.  
• The competition culminates in a dazzling runway show where the 20 finalists will present their creations before a panel of professional judges. The judges will select the top three designs, with winners receiving AUD $10,000, AUD $5,000 and AUD $3,000 cash for the first, second and third place respectively. The first-place winner will also receive professional mentorship from industry experts and have their work produced and sold online globally, while retaining the rights to their work and earning from their creations under a commission-based model.
• For full eligibility details view the terms and conditions at shein-rise-student-designer-challenge-terms-conditions 

END

For media inquiries, please contact: Andi Fisher on 0420 222 077, andrea@elevatecom.com.au

About SHEIN: 

SHEIN is a global online fashion and lifestyle retailer, offering SHEIN branded apparel and products from a global network of vendors, all at affordable prices. Headquartered in Singapore, SHEIN remains committed to making the beauty of fashion accessible to all, promoting its industry-leading, on-demand production methodology, for a smarter, future-ready industry. To learn more about SHEIN, visit www.sheingroup.com.

In September 2023, SHEIN announced an injection of an additional US$50 Million into the SHEIN X Designer Incubator Program. Since launching in January 2021, the SHEIN X program has grown from only seven to more than 4,600 artists and designers across over 20 countries, launching more than 41,000 original creations to a global audience.