Design-A-Bag (DAB) is the only global online bag design event of its kind for freelance designers and design students, which is now opening for entries from 1 Feb to 3 May 2021 (HKT 23:59). The competition is organised by Fashion Access and Arsutoria School who also sponsors the event.

Over the past years since 2007, DAB has brought together a global design community during the Fashion Access in Hong Kong. Innovative creations are showcased to international audience and design concepts exchanged among talents from various cultures and backgrounds.

Great prizes are on offer for the winners again this year. These include:
• A 4-week bag design course at the prestigious Arsutoria School valued at USD4,200 plus a USD 1,000 accommodation allowance at the school’s hotel in Milan for the overall winner
• Opportunities to be featured in Leather Naturally and METCHA
• USD 500 cash prize for each finalist
• Each finalist will also receive a free round-trip air ticket to Hong Kong to visit Fashion Access and attend the awards ceremony

2020 Winners
Congratulations to all the 2020 #DesignABagHK winners! The competition was held online last year but the online final judging ceremony was a remarkably success. Each finalist played a 2-min video to introduce their design, follow by a 5-mins Q&A with the judges.

2020 Competition Theme: Design a Leather Bag, Mirror to the Soul, Mind & Body
Overall Winner:
Mary Chan, United Kingdom

Mary Chan is born in Hong Kong and now studying in London at Central Saint Martins, ‘I am always fascinating by the timeless possibility of leather.’ Said Mary.

Click HERE to watch her presentation video

Finalists:
Catalina Guzman, Argentina
May Jing Lee, Malaysia
Online Favourite Design:
Smriti Saraogi, India

2021 Competition Theme:
Recycling, Upcycling, Retro-Future. Redesign in a Sustainable Way.
With the time of unprecedented crises, the future is around the corner as we look toward a brighter 2021 with renewed hope and concept of sustainability. Here is the competition theme of this year:
1/ Upcycling Vintage
Renew shapes & the leather of an iconic bag (classic, luxe, military, army, etc…)
2/ Rethink oldies but goodies
Customize old bags with new leathers
3/ Upgrade leather bags with recycling leather
A new use of the new performant materials

Competition Format:
• Participants are welcome to submit more than one design in each category separately
• Same design is not allowed to submit to more than one category
• Judges will choose 30 entries with the highest scores among the 3 categories. The entries will be posted on Facebook to vote for online favourite design. 3 finalists will be chosen to enter the final judging procedure.

The bag has always been tradition, craftsmanship and innovation with leather in its essence in combination with trendy materials. With the rising concerns and growing demand for the sustainability in fashion, it is essential to find new and richer ways of giving value to genuine leather. Let’s toast to tomorrow’s bright future and inspire kindness to our earth and creativity with theme of this year: recycling, upcycling and retro-future.

Please visit here for more details of the submission requirements.

It’s all done online
Entries are evaluated for unique, innovative yet trendy forms, creative use of leather plus product functionality and marketability.

The organisers look forward to discovering the submissions of the multi-talented international designers who will participate this year and are excited at the prospect of sharing the results with over 10,000 fashion trade visitors at Fashion Access this July in Hong Kong.

Please go to the DAB web site to learn how to enter the 2021 competition and become part of a global design fraternity seeking inspiration and creativity:
https://www.designaccess-fa.com/

Become our media partner
As a media partner we seek your assistance with outreach and PR activities. By accepting to work with us, you will stay connected with the global fashion community and be able to reach out to over 20,000 trade buyers and 1,500 exhibitors from the fashion, leather cashmere & fine fibres industries.

Getting involved
There are a couple of other ways you can support this competition:
• Becoming a sponsor
• Joining the judging panel
• Partnering with us

If you are interested in getting involved, we are more than happy to hear from you. Get in touch with us at [email protected].

All details for media can be found on https://www.designaccess-fa.com/