Vilcek Foundation Awards for Young, Foreign-Born Fashion Professionals

New York, NY, April 8, 2014 — The Vilcek Foundation has chosen the field of fashion as the award category for the 2015 Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in the Arts and is now accepting applications through June 10, 2014.  Three winners will each be awarded a $50,000 unrestricted cash prize.

The Creative Promise Prizes aim to encourage and support young immigrants who have already demonstrated exceptional achievements early in their careers.  Eligible candidates include individuals who were born outside the United States, are currently permanent residents or naturalized residents, and are 38 years old or under.

“The United States has some of the world’s capitals of fashion, where talents from around the globe come to study the craft and make a name for themselves,” said Marica Vilcek, vice president of the Vilcek Foundation.  “The significant contributions of immigrant fashion professionals behind the runways reflect the multicultural identity of this country.  And we are excited to recognize, with the Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise, those foreign-born individuals who have helped shape American fashion.”

Fashion professionals from a broad spectrum of categories are invited to apply.  Categories include:

• Designer — including but not exclusive to womenswear, menswear, textile design, accessories, and other artifacts
• Stylist — including editorials, advertising campaigns, and fashion presentations
• Makeup/hair artist — truly experimental pushing the breadth of materials used to communicate their narrative of makeup or hair
• Image Maker — including fashion photography, film, animation, and illustration
• Curator — including exhibitions, presentations, and display through real and/or virtual environment
• Writer — fashion writing, including curatorial, journalistic, critical, editorial, and historical

Applicants will need to submit a résumé, reviews, personal essays, and work samples.  A panel of distinguished experts will evaluate applicants based on the clarity, ambitiousness, and feasibility of their vision; the degree of innovation and uniqueness apparent in the work samples; and the impact applicants have had in the field of fashion.  Complete eligibility requirements and a link to the online application form can be found at Vilcek.org.

The winners will be notified in September 2014 and honored at the Foundation’s annual awards ceremony in the spring of 2015.

The Vilcek Foundation was established in 2000 by Jan and Marica Vilcek, immigrants from the former Czechoslovakia. The mission of the Foundation, to honor the contributions of foreign-born scholars and artists living in the United States, was inspired by the couple’s careers in biomedical science and art history, respectively, as well as their personal experiences and appreciation for the opportunities they received as newcomers to this country. The Foundation hosts events to promote the work of immigrants, awards annual prizes to prominent immigrant biomedical scientists and artists, and sponsors cultural programs such as the Hawaii International Film Festival.

To learn more about The Vilcek Foundation, please visit Vilcek.org.