Target award to give emerging designer a chance to create line for Quebec stores

MONTREAL – An emerging designer has a shot at creating an exclusive collection to be sold at Target stores in Quebec with the establishment of a new fashion award.

The Target Emerging Designer Award will also give the selected up-and-comer a chance to receive a $25,000 grant. The cash prize will be used by the recipient to produce a full-scale fashion show at Montreal Fashion Week.

The award is also linked to the Designers Fund, a joint initiative of the Montreal Fashion Foundation and Sensation Mode, the firm which organizes Montreal Fashion Week.

The Montreal Fashion Foundation will work with a panel of experts, including a Target representative, to select the winning candidate. Details of how designers can apply for the program will come later.

The new award was announced at a Target event held during Fashion Week on Wednesday. The Minneapolis-based retailer named Mitsou Gelinas as the brand’s fashion ambassador during the week. She is creating content for Target’s social channels and digital platforms.

“Target is proud to invest in the future of local designers and looks forward to a long-term relationship with Montreal’s fashion community,” John Morioka, Target’s senior vice-president of merchandising, said in a statement. “This initiative reflects Target’s commitment to great design and to making a difference in the communities in which we do business.”

Pierre Bovet, chairman of the board at the Montreal Fashion Foundation, said the new program “fits perfectly” with their objective of partnering with key players in the industry.

Starting next year, Target plans to open 125 to 135 stores in Canada, with the first stores in Quebec set to open in the fall.