In accordance with our corporate philosophy of the “Cycle of Goodness: No one prospers without rendering benefit to others,” YKK Corporation announces a three-year partnership with the Arts of Fashion Foundation in support of the International Arts of Fashion Competition. This partnership reflects YKK’s support of the young generation of designers worldwide and its long-term commitment to the mission of the Arts of Fashion Foundation.
The Arts of Fashion Foundation is a San Francisco-based non-profit organization dedicated to fostering international cultural exchange through the creation of a variety of educational programs meant to facilitate critical thinking and advance the field of fashion among artists, designers, scholars and students.
Each year, the Arts of Fashion Foundation organizes the International Arts of Fashion Competition. A different theme is chosen every year, and from October of the previous year to April, fashion students register online to participate. They send sketches and technical sheets of a ‘mini collection’ made up of three silhouettes or three accessories designed around the theme. In 2018, 340 fashion students from 32 countries registered, representing 104 schools, colleges, and universities.
At the end of April, a jury panel, composed of U.S. and international fashion professors, selects 50 project illustrations that best represent the set theme and reflect creativity and innovative potential. The 50 selected candidates are required to make two out of the three silhouettes they submitted. In October, these 50 projects (100 designs) are judged by a panel of professional fashion designers and are shown on the runway during the Finale Fashion Show at the AoF Annual Symposium, to be held December 17, 2018 at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Eight designers receive awards and scholarships, as well as apprenticeship opportunities in creative programs and fashion houses.
YKK is proud of its long-term relationship with The Arts of Fashion Foundation, which began in 2007, and looks forward to supporting the valuable work it does inspiring the next generation of designers and artists.