The TITIKA Challenge

The TITIKA Challenge

Activewear Design Contest
for aspiring fashion students
in Canada and China

FALL 2021

presented by


Be one of twelve finalists to showcase your design in
Toronto, Fall 2021.

Travel and accommodation provided by TITIKA

Prizes totaling over $10,000


The Essence

the company

TITIKA Active Couture is a women’s fashion driven active wear brand, founded in Toronto, Canada, in 2009. In 2018, TITIKA officially launched in China where it experienced unprecedented success.

As the BBC reported, TITIKA aims for "something different" that merges sports and fashion. It emphasizes the interplay of fabric, cut and performance, while at the same time conveying aesthetically visual appeal.

aspiring designers

Eileen Zhang, the company’s founder, is the Chief Creative Officer of TITIKA. She has always been committed and supportive of the development of up-and-coming design talent in Canada. She is now interested in extending this support to China, where she is originally from.

TITIKA is proud to announce the launch of a design competition involving fashion schools in both Canada and China. The focus is to prepare aspiring designers for the realities of the fashion industry and provide them with an opportunity to be recognized.

the event at a glance

All participating schools will receive a package containing
the following:

  • A theme
  • An inspiration board
  • Samples of pre-selected fabrics
  • A manual (rules & regulations, evaluation criteria, key dates, etc.)

Each participating school will be responsible for selecting a maximum of 5 collection sketches to be sent to TITIKA.

A panel of experts will then select the 12 finalists, who will proceed to sew their designs with the chosen fabrics that will be provided by TITIKA.

The 12 finalists will present their collections on the runway at an event sponsored by TITIKA in Toronto, in the fall of 2021.

The five collections that demonstrate respect for the theme, technical skills and creativity will be awarded a cash prize totaling C$10,000.

key dates

Dec 2020 – Jan 2021

Selection of fabrics and jury members

Feb 28, 2021

Official Launch of the TITIKA Challenge to schools in both Canada and China

April 30, 2021

Deadline to receive sketches from students to TITIKA headquarters in Canada

May 22, 2021

Selection of finalists by jury members

May 30, 2021

Submission of key information requirements, e.g. fabric
selection, participant information, etc. to TITIKA

Jun 15, 2021

Shipment of fabric and trim by TITIKA to finalists’ schools

Jun – Sep 2021

Sewing and finishing of garments

Sep 30, 2021

Deadline to receive completed garments at TITIKA headquarters in Canada

End July 2021

Submission of travel information

Oct - Nov 2021

Competition finals


The Theme

Hope

….. an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large.

There are two themes of hope that we would like our participants
to build on:

  1. A desire for renewal
    or
  2. A feeling of elation

After a year when the world has been traumatized by a pandemic, economic collapse and polarized political opinions, 2021 is a year that is full of promise, understanding and new opportunities.

Essentially, 2021 is a year full of hope, which boosts confidence and points to a willingness to succeed. Very often, opportunity is borne out of crisis, but to take advantage of it one needs to be agile, flexible, step out of one’s comfort zone, and above all …

HOPE

The TITIKA Challenge is to design with optimism.


Inspiration Boards

TITIKA Challenge Moodboard 1
RENEWAL

TITIKA Challenge Moodboard 2
ELATION


Fabric Selection

TITIKA Challenge Fabrics

 


The Rules

The rules cover five main areas of the competition:

  1. Eligibility
  2. The Sketches
  3. The Outfit
  4. Evaluation Criteria
  5. The Prizes

For questions please contact


Media

Most young designers have limited exposure to media. As such, this competition is an incredible opportunity to design students in terms of visibility and coverage.

Media can help their careers as up-and-coming fashion designers, but can also expose them to investors, customers, buyers and partners.

However, being approached by media can be a daunting experience for most young designers. We have, therefore, prepared the following table of Do’s and Don’ts when asked by media for an interview.

Do’s

  • Be on time
  • Answer questions in clear
  • and concise manner
  • Try to provide exclusive information about yourself
  • and your collection
  • Smile, be enthusiastic
  • Be true to yourself

Don’t

  • Delay media requests
  • Assume that the journalist understands all the technical terms related to the fashion industry
  • Be a diva
  • Be impolite

media information sheet

A media information sheet has been prepared and can be found as Appendix C in the competition Rules & Regulations.

Finalists are requested to complete this form with as much detail as possible and email it to TITIKA’s contact person no later than July 30, 2021.