RE-IMAGINE FIVE DECADES OF DESIGN

In celebration of BESTSELLER's 50-year journey, SELECTED proudly announces a design competition that honors our creative heritage while embracing the future of fashion.


Since the beginning, our company have been driven by a strong belief in the importance of nearness to our customers, colleagues, partners, and not least, the product, which we want to celebrate with this competition.


The competition also represents a platform for discovering fresh perspectives and innovative approaches to design that align with SELECTED’s core values.


We invite talented designers to reimagine five decades of fashion heritage through the lens of longevity, sustainability and nearness.


The winning project will be rewarded

with an amount of 5,000 euro.

JOIN A JOURNEY OF CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION

Theme

Re-imagine five decades of design

Focus

Nearness, Longevity, Sustainability, Innovation

Audience

SELECTED consumers

Judging criterias

Reativity, relevance to the brief and audience, feasibility and sustainability considerations.

Rewards

1st place takes EUR 5,000

2nd place takes EUR 3,000

3rd place takes EUR 2,000.

Deadline

Please submit your portfolio before 20 March 2025.

THE CREATIVE BRIEF

The focus nearness is about trust, unity and purpose, but it is also a call to re-imagine fashion that feels intimate: pieces that resonate with the heart, endure through time and respect the world we share. From BESTSELLER's founding in 1975 to SELECTED's contemporary vision today, each era has contributed to our understanding of fashion.


Longevity becomes a story of garments that are loved and lived in, while sustainability reflects a nearness to our planet guided by care and creativity. We invite you to re-interpret and honor the distinct characteristics of the past 50 years while re-imagining them through a contemporary, more sustainable lens.


At its core, this brief seeks to answer: How do we design fashion that feels close? Close to the dreams of the wearer, close to the hands that create it, close to the values that inspire, and close to the heritage that shapes us. Your collection should tell a story that bridges past and future, creating intimate connections across time.


We aspire to design with intention and meaning – garments that inspire awe, encourage connection and embody lasting relevance. This is not just about looking forward but about bringing five decades of fashion innovation together, knitting a future where beauty, a sense of responsibility and imagination meet. Through SELECTED's contemporary lens, this competition challenge designers to create collections that honor our legacy while defining tomorrow's fashion.

DATES TO REMEMBER

March 20th

Final chance to submit digital portfolios and CV by March 20th

May 1st

Three finalists
will be announced

Mid June

The finalists will be invited to SELECTED HQ in Denmark to showcase their physical portfolios at a workshop. Among other, you will meet our design team and discover our fabric library and buying, retail and e-commerce department.


All travel costs will be covered.

Mid July

The finalists submit their finished design.

September 4th

The finalists are invited back to Denmark to present their designs in front of the jury and the winner will be announced.


All travel costs will be covered.

READ MORE

Digital portfolio should include



Written concept description: Here you can explain, how you interpret the theme. What is important for you as a designer, what are your focus areas and why. Please keep the text under 200 words.

Research, idea- and design development: Take us on the journey of your creativity. You can include imagery, hand- or digital sketches, scans, fabrics, draping and sewing experiments, material development etc. We would like to see as much of your idea process as possible. Don’t over-edit! Maximum 10 pages.

Colour-card including brief description of choice of colour. Maximum 2 page.

Sketches of your designs: 6-8 outfits: Each garment must be drawn individually with clear indication of fabric proposals and colours for each style. You are welcome to choose to design womenswear, menswear or mixed. Maximum 8 pages.

Collection line-up: All outfits with coloured illustrations should be shown on 1 page.

Applicants CV



You should upload your updated CV’
All files must be submitted in .pdf-format.

Eligibility – who may submit



Recent graduates and final year students (BA or MA)

Independent designers who have had their own business no longer than two years

Persons with a professional or personal relation to BESTSELLER are not eligible to participate


*Please note, that all materials included in your portfolio might be used for communication purposes.

Please read our terms and conditions



Participation in the design competition Five Decades of Design is open to external designers only. Employees, contractors, and affiliates of BESTSELLER as well as their immediate family members (spouse, domestic partner, parents, siblings, and children), are not eligible to participate. This restriction is in place to ensure impartiality and a fair competition for all entrants.

By submitting an entry, participants confirm that they meet these eligibility requirements and agree to abide by the terms and conditions of the competition.

Intellectual Property Rights Disclaimer

By submitting an entry to the design competition Five Decades of Design, participants acknowledge and agree that, in the event their submission is selected as one the winning entries, all intellectual property rights, including but not limited to copyrights, trademarks, and design rights, associated with the winning submission will be irrevocably assigned to BESTSELLER.

The transfer of intellectual property rights is granted without limitation, allowing BESTSELLER full ownership, including the rights to reproduce, modify, distribute, display, and create derivative works from the submission in any medium or form.

Participants further warrant that their submissions are original works created solely by them, do not infringe upon the rights of any third party, and that they have full authority to transfer these rights. BESTSELLER assumes no liability for disputes arising from third-party claims over intellectual property infringement.

Submission of an entry constitutes acceptance of these terms.

ABOUT BESTSELLER

BESTSELLER is a family-owned fashion company founded in 1975 when Merete Bech Povlsen and Troels Holch Povlsen opened their first shop in Ringkøbing, Denmark. Half a century later, a single shop has evolved into 2,800 stores, multiple brands and 24,000 great colleagues across several countries. 

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