Applications remain open for Shein X Challenge 2024

Looking back on the first month of 2024, fast fashion brand Shein opened applications for the fourth edition of its Shein X Challenge, which will now be open to designers from all over the world. Candidates can apply until February 15, 2024. Ultra-fast fashion, ultra-fast money?

This year, the Shein X Challenge competition, initially exclusive to European and British designers, is going global. It notably includes Japan and Brazil, which have recently joined the Shein X Designer Incubator.

The challenge invites participants to conceive three women's looks for the SS24 season in accordance with the theme ‘Radiance’. The creations are subject to an online vote. The ten finalists then get the chance to participate in a masterclass led by industry experts. For reference, there were 2,446 applicants in 2023. The jury will assess the projects based on originality, commercial appeal, and alignment with seasonal trends.

It's worth noting, as FashionUnited highlighted in its coverage of the 2023 edition of the competition, that the finalists don’t have to worry about expenses, as Shein takes care of the manufacturing of the garments and tests them online.

This mean that designers have the opportunity to gauge whether their models are well-received or not. In 2023, the prizes awarded to the top three winners were 10,000, 8,000, and 5,000 euros in prize money, respectively. Additionally, they earn a commission on sales.

This initiative is part of the Shein X Designer Incubator, which, since its inception in 2021, has supported over 4,600 designers and artists, resulting in more than 41,000 original creations.

The Chinese ultra-fast fashion specialist brand recently announced an additional financial commitment of 50 million dollars over five years to this program, bringing the total investment to 105 million dollars by 2028.

This article was originally published on FashionUnited.FR. Translation and edit from French into English by Veerle Versteeg.