design42day

MANGO AND NJAL LAUNCH ‘EL BOTÓN’ 2011 NOT JUST A LABEL AND MANGO JOIN FORCES FOR THE 4TH ‘EL BOTÓN’-MANGO FASHION AWARDS SHARINGA WORLDWIDE OPPURTUNITY TO RECEIVE THE LARGEST AWARD OF ITS KIND – €300,000 WITH EMERGING DESIGNERSNOT

JUST A LABEL is delighted to introduce a new collaboration with iconic Spanish brand, MANGO. For this year’s ‘El Botón’ – MANGO Fashion Awards (MFA), the two fashion staples have teamed up to help young designers build their collections and gain recognition for their hard work. NOT JUST A LABEL (NJAL), the leading global directory for emerging fashion designers, will direct the participants and offer its support by being the liaison between MFA and the designers. By helping them gain exposure, NJAL will supervise the competitors, as one designer is chosen to receive the internationally renowned and ample prize by a prestigious panel.

With the needed expertise in discovering young talent, NJAL will collaborate with MFA to promote and support the contestants and finalists, giving them direction. The highly reputable award, recognised for being one of the most important and generous in the world, gives one deserving designer the financial support needed to further their collections. With MFA’s prize of €300,000, this Award is the largest sum
offered to date in a competition of this type.
As well as being an excellent resource for industry and aficionados, NJAL offers young, avant-garde designers the support and attention they need to grow and flourish. The acclaimed site for young designers offers ‘El Botón’ something new: experience in a goldmine of undiscovered and unrecognised innovation.
NJAL insists that each of the ten finalists will receive €18,000 from MANGO, which covers all production costs for the collections being judged. Because the interests of the designers are always put first, MFA and NJAL are happy to announce that throughout this competition, there will be no transfer of intellectual property rights and designers will retain ownership of all designs produced. Sharing such high standards means guaranteed excellence.

NJAL is pleased to be the official partner and backbone for the launch as well as the application process for next year’s ‘El Botón’, giving MANGO the opportunity to communicate, interact and collaborate with over 5,000 fashion designers from around the world.

Supported by Central Saint Martins, Institut Français de la Mode, Istituto Marangoni, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp and l’Escole Superior de Disseny, and following an impressive judging panel including Valentino, Oscar de la Renta and Jean Paul Gaultier, the MFA will launch its 4th edition, announcing a new panel in the spring, 2011. The new registration period will commence on 15 February and designers will have until the end of July to present their applications. The finalists will be announced in mid-November 2011.
NOT JUST A LABEL aims to be the source and the epicentre for the creative part of the fashion industry. Since its launch in 2008, NJAL has grown to become a globally reaching designer directory and independent online retailer.
NJAL helps designers gain exposure and finance their progression independently as well as providing an easily accessible retailing forum via our online shop. With over 16 million hits per month, representing over 5,000 designers from 88 countries worldwide and a red carpet celebrity following (think Lady GaGa, Rihanna and Fergie), NJAL looks to create trends, combat imitation, perpetuate innovation and infuse enthusiasm back into the industry of fashion.
MANGO is an internationally famous multinational, which designs, manufactures and markets women’s and men’s clothing and accessories. The MANGO concept is based on an alliance between a quality product, with an original design and a coherent and unified brand image. MANGO currently has a total of 1,700 stores in 100 countries worldwide and has over 8,600 employees, 1,850 of whom work at the Hangar Design Centre and at its Headquarters in Palau Solità i Plegamans (Barcelona).

# # #All press enquiries: [email protected]