Independent Handbag Designer AwardsLaunch Bags presents THE INDEPENDENT HANDBAG DESIGNER AWARDS™
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Handbag Designer 101 invites you to compete in the Second Annual Independent Handbag Designer Awards™, the only handbag competition of its kind in the world. Win a chance to present your handbag at a high profile New York event and compete for one of six Awards for Handbag Design Excellence, international recognition, a variety of coveted prizes and a chance to have your handbag go on a marketing press tour.
To participate in the open call, you are required to upload one digital jpeg image (please read attached tip sheet carefully) in any one or more of the following categories:
-Best Student Made Handbag
-Best Handmade Handbag
-Most Socially Responsible Handbag
-Best Green Handbag
-Audience-Selected Handbag*
-Best Handbag in Overall Style & DesignSubmissions will be accepted from February 29, 2008 until April 18, 2008.
The staff of Handbag Designer 101 will review all submissions at a Prescreening Event in late April. At this Prescreening, HB101 will choose five finalists in each category who will be judged on the merits of their submitted designs. All finalists will be invited to participate in the Second Annual Independent Handbag Designer Awards™ that will take place on June 18, 2008, at the New York Historical Society in New York City. (Note: Finalists or their representatives are responsible for their own transportation to the event.)
Finalists must provide the handbag shown in the photo submitted to compete at the IHDA. The finalist's handbags will be on display on the evening of the event. Over 500 members of the fashion industry, including press and retailers, will attend the Independent Handbag Designer Awards™.
A Fashion Panel of esteemed and influential handbag design experts, editors, stylists, buyers and professors will judge the designs presented and select a winner from each category who will receive the Best Handbag in each respective category and determine who truly stands out as an Independent Handbag Designer.
These finalists will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have their bags featured in a window display at Henri Bendel, and to participate in a trunk show to promote and sell their lines at the store. In addition, the winner of the Best Student-Made Handbag will receive an apprenticeship with the Henri Bendel accessory design team.
Finalists will also be able to offer their bags through Bag, Borrow Or Steal, the leading online retailer that allows women to borrow designer handbags and jewelry. Bag, Borrow Or Steal will give more women the opportunity to experience these wonderful bags and learn about the talented designers who created them.
The Winner of the Best Overall Handbag in Style and Design will have the chance to showcase their award-winning handbag collection with a free 10x10 booth (a $6,000 value) to 120,000 fashion industry influentials at the WWDMAGIC Accessories Show in Las Vegas, August 25-27, 2008.
Legendary handbag brand LEIBER will receive the IHDA ICONOCLAST Award. LEIBER has revolutionized the landscape of accessory design. Celebrating their 45th anniversary and now under the creative direction of Frank Zambrelli, LEIBER has stood the test of time and continues to earn international acclaim with their innovative handbags and accessories, and most recently "Most Prestigious Handbag" by the Luxury Institute.
Qualifications per Category:
Best Student-Made Handbag: Students who have successfully started their lines while still in school
-Currently attending high school or university
-Bags must be under student designer's own label
-Major in Design is optional
Best Handmade Handbag: Sewn, crocheted, knitted or any other material where the designer themselves is making their bag by hand or machine
-Bags must be made by you, by machine or hand
-Bags must be under designer's own label
-Mass manufacturing on any level is not acceptable
Most Socially Responsible Handbag: Bags that meet certain ethical and moral standards in regards to production, employment and philanthropy and have impacted the local culture of the country of manufacturing
-Bags must be under designer's own label
-Bags that are made where a portion of the proceeds are given back to that country of manufacturing
-Bags must be made by local communities to create jobs
-Bags that have helped improve the quality of life in the local culture in the country of manufacturing
Best Green Handbag: Bags that are made out of sustainable, recycled or organic materials
-Bags should be made from 100% organic cotton, hemp, bamboo or other raw materials, OR 100% recycled materials (could be recycled cloth, recycled soda bottles, recycled vinyl, etc.), OR one of the new corn-based fibers, or in some combination
-All components - metal zippers, buttons, clasps, snaps should be made from recycled metal or reused pieces
-The bags should be recyclable at the end of its life
-Any dyed fabric should be done with a nontoxic dye that doesn't use toxic fixing agents
Audience-Selected Handbag: *Handbag designer selected by Handbag Designer 101 and Bag, Borrow or Steal voters, based on finalists of the preliminary judging panel
Best Handbag in Overall Style & Design: Best executed handbag overall in style and design
-Bags must be under designer's own label
-Bags must be unique in their overall style and design
Deadline: All entries must be received by 11:59pm on April 18, 2008.
Entries submitted without full information filled out will be disqualified.
To register
proceed to the application form >>To purchase tickets for the event
click hereWE CANNOT CONFIRM RECEIPT OF ENTRIES UNTIL ALL ENTRIES HAVE BEEN PROCESSED.
Click here to view the
2007 IHDA Finalists and images from the
2007 Independent Handbag Designer Awards™
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