Entries open for DHL Express Fashion Export Scholarship — Exporter Magazine

DHL is calling for emerging fashion exporters to enter the sixth annual DHL Express Fashion Export Scholarship.

Designed to identify the country’s hottest up-and-coming fashion exporter and assist them in achieving international growth, the scholarship is open to New Zealand designers who have been exporting for less than five years.

Fashion industry expert Margarita Robertson, founder of NOM*D and Plume, will be joining judges Paul Blomfield, chairman at FINZ and Megan Wildermouth, national strategic account manager (fashion and textiles) at DHL.

Megan Wildermoth says: “Online retailing has revolutionised the fashion industry in New Zealand and abroad. Last year’s winner, I Love Ugly, set themselves apart by demonstrating a strong, strategic online presence.”

The winner of the scholarship will receive international freight to the value of NZ$10,000, as well as coaching in freight and logistics from DHL Express.

All three finalists will receive individual export mentoring and an annual membership subscription from Fashion Industry New Zealand (FINZ).

FINZ chairman, Paul Blomfield, says: “In the new global online environment, designers need to be competitive not only with the quality of their product, but also with their sales and marketing strategies.

“It is more important than ever for companies to make that big step into export and to be successful at it. This scholarship provides much needed assistance for talented New Zealand fashion exporters, but also lends a tremendous amount of credibility to help them win business offshore,” he says.

Entrants are required to complete an official application form and submit look-books from previous collections. Applications will be judged across several categories, including ‘brand and design,’ ‘sales and marketing’ and ‘export strategy.’

The DHL Express Fashion Export Scholarship closes for entries on Monday, 14 October 2013. Application forms are

available from the FINZ website: www.finz.co.nz/DHLExportScholarship