IFM-Birimian Accelerator x Africa for emerging African designers

Application Deadline: 31 August 2021

Birimian and the Institut Français de la Mode are supporting African emerging designers through a unique accelerator program for young creative brands based on the African continent or in the diaspora. For the first edition, IFM-Birimian Accelerator x Africa will support 10 emerging designers selected for their talent, creativity, connection to the african heritage and capacity to upscale, with the expertise of a creative board composed of industry experts.

The selected designers and brands are offered personalized assistance, coaching advisory services for the development of their company by a dedicated team of professionals and industry experts, in the main areas of expertise required for a young creative company: brand identity, offer, distribution, production, image and communication, budget and financing. The objective: nurture talent and accelerate the growth of African designers through capacity-building.

ADMISSION CONDITIONSMORELESS

• A label with African roots and heritage that has existed for at least 3 seasons
• An annual sales figure of over USD 50,000 excluding tax and a positive result
• An early reputation established with influencers and tangible activity on social media
• If possible, having already established a team, tandem with a designer and another person in charge of sales, management…
• Creative talent and drive to move forward

AUDIENCE

Young designers and creative entrepreneurs established in Africa or coming from the diaspora, in the sectors of women’s and men’s fashion, accessories, shoes/sneakers, leather goods, jewelry, etc. requiring training and coaching to professionalize their brand, with the vision of a future international expansion.

Benefits

Formalization of the project’s fundamentals (which are often intuitive), an in-depth study of these fundamentals to put them into perspective and better anticipate future stages of development. Benefits that are tailored to the profiles and skills associated with the labels:

The definition of the project and of its positioning, the structuring of collections, retail strategy, communication policy, financial monitoring.
Collection building, distribution, communication, financial resources and teams.
To set up operational working tools such as collection planning, general sales conditions, treasury framework, communication framework.
To step back in order to gain perspective in relation to day-to-day pace and exchange with other designers/labels going through similar situations.
Elevation of international standards and strengthening of technical and operational competences through luxury and fashion experts mentoring.
Exposure to the international creative scene (supporting applications to prestigious and strategic prizes and collaboration opportunities).
A potential lead-in to preparing business plans/financing arrangements.
Potential investment from Birimian.

Program

This accelerator program is a hybrid format blending both an online & physical presence. It is built on a synergy between training/exchange based group sessions and individual tailored coaching sessions.
The program lasts 10 months starting from the end of September 2021 to June 2022.

To kick-off the program:
a Parisian physical immersive experience (± 10 days).
Brand Diagnosis
A 360-degree brand assessment by a pool of experts, to identify the participants’ strengths, weaknesses and needs which will serve as an action plan for the rest of the program. This diagnosis will lead to a tailor-made coaching and mentorship program performed by a college of industry experts with a proven international track record.
Classes and group workshops focusing on branding, communication, digital strategy, production, distribution…During each of these topical sessions we invite a professional expert who comes to share his/her experience in developing young creative labels:
managing directors of young creative brands, press offices, members of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, ready-to-wear couture and fashion designers, digital agencies, representatives of financing organizations…Key exclusive visits

The objective is to immerse designers in the culture of the international fashion and creative scene through the prism of the world’s premier fashion capital.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the IFM-Birimian Accelerator x Africa