Visa has partnered with the London School of Vogue (LCF) and artist and social media star, Sophie Tea, on a brand new initiative to assist speed up the enterprise progress of budding round vogue entrepreneurs within the UK.
As a part of its Visa Younger Creators sequence, the ‘Recycle the Runway’ initiative will see six profitable finalists, together with one grand prize winner, obtain particular person grants from a complete prize pool of £20,000.
They may also obtain entry to mentoring from trade specialists through the competitors, in addition to the chance to be recognised by vogue trade physique, London School of Vogue, UAL.
Finalists will current their collections at a catwalk present in Central London on 22 Might 2025, judged by Sophie Tea alongside specialists from Visa and the British vogue trade.
Visa’s goal is to encourage creators to reimagine how they design, produce and promote vogue, making recommerce – the regenerative means to purchase, re-use and share items and providers – “fascinating and ordinary to speed up financial progress”.
Katherine Brown, VP, Head of Social Impression & Sustainability at Visa Europe, mentioned: “Recommerce is greater than a buzzword, it’s a strong shift in how we purchase and promote items, which is driving progress within the UK financial system.
“By way of our Recycle the Runway initiative, we’re excited to have fun vogue creators who’re embracing this variation and to assist present the instruments they should develop via round enterprise fashions. By making round vogue extra accessible, and rewarding, we may also help these small companies thrive.”
Sophie Tea, who is understood for her distinctive and inclusive work, added: “Creativity has all the time been my factor – taking concepts and turning them into one thing actual and significant. I really like a narrative, and that’s why I’m so excited to be a part of the Visa Creators Recycle the Runway initiative.
“It’s an incredible probability for creators to convey their expertise to life whereas celebrating those that make reusing and repurposing a precedence.
“This initiative is all about reimagining how we create, put on, and provides a second life to vogue. For those who’re a designer who’s dedicated to acutely aware design, that is your second to get seen, study from the very best, and degree up your online business. I’m so trying ahead to seeing all of the sensible concepts that come via.”
The cut-off date for entrants is 8 Might 2025 and candidates have to be at the very least 18 years of age and based mostly within the UK to enter.
They need to even have an early stage start-up enterprise with a minimal of 1 yr in operation, and so they should additionally have the ability to display how their design-led enterprise embraces round enterprise fashions to align with at the very least one of many ‘R’s of round vogue; restore, resale, return, redistribution, rental or refill.
