Luxury eCommerce retailer Net-A-Porter has opened applications for its Vanguard Education Fund to fashion and design students across the world.
The talent incubator program sees the eTailer engage with worldwide education organisations and universities, including TAFE Australia, to support and mentor final-year students as they embark on their professional careers.
The program is open to students across multidisciplinary courses from fashion and design, to ceramics, fine art, photography and jewellery.
Four winners will be awarded a £12,500 (approx. $24,000 AUD) bursary fund and paired with two leaders within the industry, who will act as mentors for the academic year.
Net-A-Porter senior market editor Libby Page said the organisation is proud to support the next generation of designers.
"At Net-A-Porter we recognise our responsibility in the industry, to nurture young, creative individuals and we are laser-focused on launching the very best emerging designers.
"The Vanguard Education Fund will ensure we discover this talent early on and give more students the opportunity to establish themselves within the fashion industry by providing financial and strategic support at the early stages of their careers," she said.
This year's mentors include designers Cate Holstein, founder of Khaite, Conner Ives and Christopher John Rogers; stylist Julia Sarr-Jamois; editorial and tech expert Eva Chen; business mogul, musician, and actor Jessica Jung; and, Net-A-Porter’s content director Alice Casely-Hayford and senior market editor Libby Page.
"I’ve always believed strongly in mentorship and the concept of paying it forward," Eva Chen commented on the program.
"I hope to help designers connect with one another – and with other experts in the field – to build out their businesses and their platforms.
"Designers need community, whether they’re insiders from the industry who will show up and support, or a digital community who will shop, cheer them on and amplify their talents," she said.
Other schools involved in the program include the British Fashion Council (BFC)'s network of UK universities, Parsons School of Design, Politecnico di Milano and FEDISA Fashion School Cape Town.
Applications for the Vanguard Education Fund program opened on January 31 and will close on March 3.
Winners will be announced in June this year.