LAUNCH PAD - The Huntsman Award for European Textile Designers

LAUNCH PAD was first awarded in January 2008 by Huntsman Textile Effects to support the successful implementation of a business project or a commercial design concept proposed by talented textile designers at the start of their professional life. It is inscribed in the general efforts of Huntsman Textile Effects for stimulating innovation and emulating the exchanges between academy and the textile business community in Europe. Huntsman Textile Effects has announced a call for applications towards the 2009 edition of Launch Pad. Applications are open for recent graduates or graduating textile designers from a European academy.

The submission deadline for the application is July 31st, 2008. The prize, which consists of substantial financial support for the project implementation, will be presented to the winner at Messe Heimtextil in January 2009 by the jury president, Olivier Fournier, Director of Holding Textile Hermès, France and Dr. Michael Effing, Vice President Huntsman Textile Effects, EAME. The Germany-based non-profit association rooms for free e.V. will co-ordinate the Launch Pad award. The association maintains an international exchange forum for design universities in the centre of Europe focused on textiles, fashion and living space. Its objectives are to underscore the importance of creativity in Europe and to build interfaces between the textile business world and design academies.