The Amiri Prize, a fashion award and incubator initiated by designer Mike Amiri in , is back this year. “I was always getting direct messages from young creatives looking for advice, and I remember how it was for me, finding my way in the industry,” the designer shared via email. “I feel like I’m in a unique position to help because my path has been unconventional, so I wanted to create a platform to really invest in a new generation that might be doing things differently.” The Spirit of the Dream” and “Explore the Possibilities and above all Equal Opportunities” are open to international creatives.
“The first edition was a huge success and supporting home-grown talent is important to us,” added Amiri. “Amiri is an international brand with a broad audience, so we wanted to extend this opportunity to international applicants and creatives. Previous awards also had a limit on the number of years someone could run a business; this year we are focusing more on creative perspective and ingenuity. ”
Designers are welcome to submit applications on the Amiri Awards website. They will be judged by Amiri and a panel of distinguished industry professionals including KidSuper’s Colm Dillane, A-Cold-Wall’s Samuel Ross, designer Salehe Bembury, Vogue Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, Global Contributing Fashion Editor, Will Welch, Global Editorial Director of GQ, GQ ) China editorial director Rocco Liu, Puma creative director and designer June Ambrose, stylist Law Roach, and theBallroom stylist and founder Lucia Liu.
For the judges, this is a direct positive impact on the industry. “I wanted to help build a new system designed to support and benefit those who have historically been out of reach on the highest ladders of fashion,” Karefa-Johnson said. “It’s time to rethink the face of fashion by expanding our platform’s talent pool— And the Amiri Awards are part of that.” Ambrose agrees: “Fashion can be an exclusive industry. It’s expensive, it’s relentless, and many of the bigger industry opportunities are concentrated in a few regional centers. These awards and initiatives are very Important because they democratize access and allow people to speak for themselves.”
This experience was equally important and rewarding for Amiri. “Advising young designers on the starting point and foundation of building my own brand helped me understand what was the foundation of my business and how I got started.” He added: “Working with the next generation of talent who will go on to become leaders in the industry Together, it was unbelievably inspiring.”
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