This year, the Fashion Council Germany, in collaboration with the Swarovski Foundation and The King's Foundation, launched the third round of the FASHION x CRAFT funding program. In February 2024, the six winners of the third year were announced at the Berlin Fashion Week in the Berliner Salon and their designs were exhibited. The aim of the initiative is to support young fashion and textile designers by providing them with tailor-made workshops in the areas of sustainability, craftsmanship and innovation. The six design talents have now traveled to Highgrove in England, an educational institution of The King's Foundation, as part of the project.

The project's focus on traditional craftsmanship was also reflected in the workshops on topics such as braiding, woodwork, weaving, natural dyeing, decorative paving and casting. During their time in Highgrove, the participants learned in particular how to work with nature-related materials and how to be inspired by the environment. The diverse program was complemented by lectures from experts who shared their knowledge and experience in the areas of sustainability and innovation. The participants gained valuable insights into the connection between traditional craftsmanship and modern sustainable practices. It was also evaluated how materials can influence the creative process and how the personal "design DNA" is shaped by the environment. The key learning was a reflective approach in order to incorporate external impressions and what had been learned in the best possible way.

The highlight of the stay was the development and implementation of their own designs and sketches, with the participants incorporating the techniques and materials they had learned. The results were presented in a final presentation. The methods learned and the knowledge acquired now serve as inspiration for the final designs, which will be presented at the next Berlin Fashion Week in February 2025.

Participants in the third year include Chantal Wehran (Amsterdam Fashion Institute), Jasmin Wottke (HAW Hamburg), Maira Gath (Hannover University of Applied Sciences), Michelle Bohnes (HTW Berlin), Niclas Hasemann (Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences) and Paula Dischinger (Institut Francais de la Mode).

Further information about the project can be found at the following link.