PICKING A WINNER: Italian designer Eleonora Falcone has won the Shein X Global Challenge 2024, beating 1,000 competitors from more than 70 countries and taking home 10,000 euros in prize money.
The challenge is part of Shein’s incubator program, and this was the first year that the global e-commerce giant made a callout for global submissions.
Applicants’ collections were initially voted on by members of the public, while a panel of judges shortlisted 10 designers and then made the final pick.
The theme this year was “Radiance,” and Falcone won for her womenswear collection, which she called “Glowmantic.”
“All of us on the judging panel were heartened to see so many submissions by female designers this year, and that [women] topped the list with nine finalists,” said Julien Fournié, one of the judges.
He added that Falcone’s drive to succeed “was clearly evident, as was her ability to decipher the theme, and translate it into what will clearly be a popular collection.”
The 10 finalists were judged based on their ability “to translate a strong, original concept into design, while balancing customer demands, seasonal trends and commercial viability,” according to Shein.
They also had a chance to take part in a masterclass hosted by the judges and workshops on sustainable fashion before they presented their submissions in the final round.
The winner, and the other nine finalists, will become part of the Shein X Designer Incubator Program, which launched in 2021, and offers up-and-coming talents the chance to design, manufacture and sell their collections under the Shein umbrella.
Participating designers are given a percentage of the profits from each piece sold and are featured as a Shein X designer on the site to further promote their collection alongside inspirations and backgrounds.
The program launched with seven designers and, to date, Shein has worked with 4,600 talents who’ve made 41,000 original designs.
Molly Miao, Shein’s chief marketing officer, said Falcone’s “flair for design, technical skills and understanding of commercial viability already positions her as an excellent fashion designer. We expect great demand for the ‘Glowmantic’ collection when it goes live on Shein sites around the world.”
Other winners included Juliana Cavalcanti di Siqueira from Brazil, who took home the Creativity Award, and Japan’s Yuto Nomura, who nabbed the Next Gen Award. Fungai Sarah Muzoroza of the U.K. won the Style Award.
They each banked 5,000 euros, while the remaining six finalists took home with 3,000 euros each.
Last September, Shein revealed that an additional $50 million will be committed toward the Shein X Designer Incubator Program. This additional funding will bring the company’s total investment into the Shein X Designer Incubator Program to $105 million until 2028.
The Shein X Global Challenge 2024 judges included Adrien Roberts, International Fashion Education consultant, Italy; Fournié, founder of Julien Fournié Haute Couture, Paris; Jill Wanless, a U.K.-based editor, and Colin Horgan, an independent designer based in Ireland.
