University of the Arts London names winner of LCF Enterprise Challenge 2024

Paulina Swigart, a current master student in fashion entrepreneurship and innovation at London College of Fashion (LCF), University of the Arts London (UAL) has won the first prize in the LCF Enterprise Challenge 2024.

Swigart presented Shifted, a size-adjustable clothing brand with the aim of ‘empowering women to feel confident in their bodies as they change over the course of their lifetime,’ as per the press release sent out by the school. She won a share of a cash prize worth 10,000 euros to support her business concept.

A second and third prize was also awarded as well as highly commended prizes. Dendi Alrashid, another master student of the same programme, took home the second-place prize for his pitch on Teman Merakit.

Teman Merakit is a resource-sharing platform that aims to highlight the work of Indonesian creatives and to provide global market recognition for Indonesia’s local fashion heritage.

There was also one bachelor student among this year’s winners. Daisy Royle of the fashion design and development programme was awarded the third prize for her pitch around Yanet, a fashion brand aiming to solve the lack of curvy models on the runway, disrupt the current sizing system and redefine the shopping experience for plus-sized people.

LCF Enterprise Challenge announces 2024 winners

Finally, entrepreneurship and innovation master student Mariana Muhle who pitched Millbot AI, and creative agency Ampico, made up of five master students, both won a highly commended prize.

The jury for this year’s LCF Enterprise Challenge consisted of industry representatives such as head judge Gavin Clark, director of enterprise and commercialisation at UAL, as well as Andrew Bravin, partner at Sheridans, Kat Deem, senior portfolio editor at WME Fashion, Joe Kearins, principal at Gate One (Havas Group), and Gianluca Priori, general manager at Jumeirah Carlton Tower, a sponsor of the Enterprise Challenge 2024.

The LCF Enterprise Challenge launches a call for submissions among LCF students across all year groups annually. Students can take part and must develop ‘an innovative product or service that they feel could make a real difference to a community, client or consumer group,’ as per the release. The Challenge culminates with an award ceremony in June.

Editor’s Note: this article was updated after publication at 10.55 am CEST following a request from London College of Fashion. The original text read that first prize winner Paulina Swigart received 10,000 euros in prize money, while she in fact won a share of this amount. Additionally, the text has been amended to clarify that there were two winners who both won a highly commended prize instead of just one highly commended winner.