TikTok has announced that it has partnered with Graduate Fashion Foundation to launch a platform for final year fashion students to showcase their talent as they begin their fashion careers. The partnership will task fashion students with designing TikTok's first-ever range of merchandise that is fashionable, ethical and distinctly TikTok. All entries will be judged by a panel of judges including Graduate Fashion Foundation Ambassador Henry Holland, Director of Fashion Enter Caroline Ash and TikTok’s Cassandra Russell, Fashion and Retail Brand Partnerships for EU.

TikTok and Graduate Fashion Foundation have created the partnership in a bid to help fashion students whose prospects have been adversely affected by COVID-19. 2020 fashion students have had a lack of access to studio space, high-specification equipment, technical services, as well as cancellations of year-end press shows and closures of graduate showrooms.

This partnership hopes to give the Class of 2020 students from 38 GFF member universities in the UK the opportunity to enter their ideas to design and produce TikTok’s first-ever range of merchandise in Europe. Two students will be selected from each university to participate in a 5-day creative TikTok residency, held within a professional factory environment in London. 

The residency will run this July and will be in line with government recommendations pertaining to COVID- 19. The submissions for designs and mood boards open from 12 June, with the deadline on 24 June. Winners will be announced on 26 June.