The Cabildo of Tenerife, through the Insular Crafts Company, has announced the XIV Edition of the Tenerife Fashion 2025 International Young Designers Contest. This competition will offer three cash prizes and aims to promote emerging talents in textile design.
The presentation ceremony held today, Monday, featured the attendance of the Minister of Employment and Education, Efraín Medina; the Minister of Commerce and Business Support, Kristen Martín; the Minister of Youth and Training, Serafín Mesa; and the director of Tenerife Moda, Natanael Padrón.
Efraín Medina explained that the purpose of this contest, which retains its international aspect, is to assist new designers in launching their professional careers in fashion creation, thereby promoting the textile industry as a means of generating employment and entrepreneurship among young individuals.
Keen to support this initiative, Kristen Martín stated that the project is “the outcome of collaboration and involvement from all within a sector as vital as fashion.” Serafín Mesa also emphasised that this edition of the competition is “worthy of what Tenerife and the young designers deserve,” expressing gratitude to the emerging talents for their contributions to the Island. He also highlighted the role of Fashion within the training and employment incentive scheme known as ‘Ponos’.
The director of Tenerife Moda, Natanael Padrón, shared the details of the competition, stating that participants can enter either as individuals or as a group under a common brand, regardless of their nationality or residence, provided they are over 18 and not exceeding 40 years of age by December 31, 2025, as specified in the contest guidelines that have already been published.
Those interested in entering this edition have until March 14, 2025, to submit their applications and works, which should be delivered either in person or via certified mail to the Insular Crafts Company, located at 27 Tomas Zerolo Street, La Orotava, 38300 (Tenerife, Spain).
After determining the list of finalist collections, the envelopes will be opened to unveil the identities of the participants and ensure they meet the requirements. Subsequently, the appointed jury will select a total of seven finalists, of which two must be residents of Tenerife.
The selected new designers will showcase their collections in a fashion show at the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Fairgrounds during June 2024, where the award winners will be revealed.
To realise their collections, the seven finalists will receive up to 1,500 euros to cover the costs of creating the ten models included in their proposals (this covers garments, fabrics, and accessories). Additionally, designers based outside of Tenerife will receive support for travel expenses (including the transportation of their collection) and accommodation on the Island, facilitating their attendance at the finalist collections’ parade and the awards ceremony.
During the final gala, the jury will select two winners who will receive cash awards of 5,000 and 3,000 euros, contingent on their ranking, along with a separate prize of 2,000 euros awarded to the most marketable collection, which may align with either the first or second prize.
In the previous edition of Young Designers of Tenerife, the first prize was awarded to David Pérez from Guadalajara (known as David Moos). Second prize went to Diego Barroso (Filst) from La Gomera, while Alejandro Niño from Colombia received the prize for the most commercial collection.