The Next Emerging Designer
By: Emma Siddall
FashioNXT hosted auditions for the UpNXT Emerging Accelerator program on Sunday July 15th at the Hi-Lo Hotel in Downtown Portland. After successfully submitting their online applications, 11 hopeful designers gathered in the hotel’s conference room on Sunday morning, to present their best work to a panel of esteemed judges. This year’s panel was comprised of fashion professionals Chris Bevans, creative director for Dyne; Almarina Bianchi, Product Integrity Manager for Pendleton Woolen Mills; Anne Bocci, owner of Anne Bocci Boutique; and Andrea Beaulieu, creator of Moore Custom Goods and 2016 UpNXT Winner.
The finalists chosen for the UpNXT Accelerator Program from the auditions this weekend will have the opportunity to present a small collection on the runway at FashionNXT Week in October. Leading up to the show, they will receive mentorship from industry experts on everything from design to marketing to sales. The judges will decide the UpNXT 2018 winner based on the finalists’ final collections shown during FashionNXT Week.
UpNXT 2018 finalists will be announced later this week. Stay tuned to find out more.
Click here to purchase tickets to see the UpNXT finalist show in October!