External Contests

FIT shares contests and projects that are open to the general public or to the general collegiate population only as a convenience and for informational purposes. FIT does not sponsor, organize, or endorse these contests or projects in any way, and FIT is not responsible for the accuracy, legality, content, or terms of any such contest or project. FIT encourages interested persons to carefully review the terms and conditions of any contest or project before participating and to contact the contest or project sponsor for questions or concerns.   

RenderHub Horrific Render Contest 5

Details: It's that time of the year again, and Halloween is quickly approaching. Get ready to render something truly horrific! To enter, create an original 3D render of something bone-chillingly horrific. These renders should send shivers down the spine. You may use any existing 3D assets, characters, environments, and props from your library to build your scene. 

Submission Deadline: October 31, 2026

Winners Selected: November 14, 2026

Competition Guidelines: Artists will submit all WIP images and their final render as their entry. Artists can enter with more than one submission but can only win once per contest. Submissions will be judged on creativity, originality and technical ability. Judging will also take into consideration the difficulty and complexity of the overall execution of work. Entries must be new original work specifically made for this contest and cannot be significantly based on the art of another artist. No purchase is necessary for contest entry. Contacting judges about a contest for any reason is strictly forbidden and may result in the artist's RenderHub account being terminated. Generative AI of any kind is not allowed.

Enter RenderHub Horrific Render Contest 5

About RenderHub: RenderHub is an online 3D model marketplace and community built for digital artists, designers, and studios. It enables creators to showcase their work, connect with peers, and sell 3D assets to buyers who need high-quality models for professional and creative projects. Founded in 2017, RenderHub is the go-to website for all things 3D. It is designed to be a single platform for visibility, collaboration, and sustainable creative income.

SFWRUNWAY Sustainability Design Competition 

Details: Design a four-look capsule from what already exists. Three wearable looks and one showpiece. At least 60% of each look, by surface area, must come from one or more of the following: Deadstock or end-of-roll fabric — unused yardage that would otherwise be discarded; Post-consumer garments or textiles — reworked, reconstructed or disassembled; Offcuts and factory waste — including your own studio waste; Certified recycled fibre — minimum 50% recycled content; Natural fibres to a recognised standard — organic, regenerative or equivalent, certification named.

Submission Deadline: November 30, 2026

Winners Selected: January 15, 2027

Competition Guidelines: Attached as a five-page PDF, and published in full on the entry page. In short: design a four-look capsule — three wearable, one showpiece — in which at least 60% of each look by surface area comes from deadstock, post-consumer textiles, factory offcuts, certified recycled fibre or certified natural fibre. To apply, entrants submit three sketches, a 500-word statement on their material sourcing, and two images of past work, as a single PDF. Nothing needs to be made in order to enter. Open to anyone 18 or over, currently enrolled or graduated within the last three years, with fewer than four years of professional experience.

Enter Sustainability Design Competition

About SFWRUNWAY: SFWRUNWAY is a fashion entrepreneurship platform helping emerging designers turn creative talent into sustainable businesses. Having supported more than 1,300 designers, SFWRUNWAY combines industry access and Fashion Week opportunities with technology, business resources, product development tools, and professional content. Their runway experiences in Los Angeles and New York serve as a bridge between emerging talent and the broader fashion ecosystem, while initiatives like the Sustainability Design Competition create accessible pathways for students and early-career designers to gain real-world industry experience and visibility.

2027 Design-A-Bag Competition

Details: Design-A-Bag (DAB) Online Competition is the only bag designing event of its kind for designers and design students all over the world. The competition is part of an initiative by Fashion Access and APLF. The annual event brings together a global design community to the Fashion Access trade fair. Designers can showcase their creations to the world and exchange design concepts among talents from various cultures and backgrounds.

Submission Deadline: January 8, 2027

Winners Selected: 2027

Competition Guidelines: Designs must be an A3 sized document, and include the following: Bag must be designed with genuine leather as the main material; Front view in colour sketch; One other view in colour sketch; A technical drawing with scaled measurement; Present the material swatch(es) and colour story. To ensure fairness, NO participant/company/institute name should appear on the drawing or else the submission will be disqualified. The design must align with this year’s theme: Crafting Wonder. Submissions that do not reflect the theme will be disqualified. The submission process must be repeated for each separate entry. Submitting the same design more than once will result in disqualification.

Enter the Design-A-Bag Competition

About APLF Limited: APLF was established in 1984. It has been the most international leather and fashion manufacturing exhibition, and recognised as the most important trading platform in the tanning industry. Every year, the exhibitions attract 10,000+ visitors, including fashion designer brands, manufacturers of bag, footwear, furniture and car, and tanneries from 100 countries. 

2026 Porada International Design Award

Details: Organized in collaboration with POLI.design and supported by the ADI (Italian Industrial Design Association), this annual design competition is a great pathway to professional opportunities for design students. This year's competition is officially open and focuses on the theme of TABLES. The challenge asks students and professionals to develop innovative table concepts where solid wood is the dominant material, balancing ergonomic and sustainable design requirements. 

Submission Deadline: January 31, 2027

Winners Selected: 2027

Competition Guidelines: The competition is open to Italian and/or foreign designers working independently or employed by companies and Italian and/or foreign students enrolled in Bachelor's or Master's programs, recent graduates, and students of secondary schools. Participation is prohibited for Jury members, their relatives, employees of Porada and POLI.design, and freelance designers currently designing or who have designed products for Porada in the past. The wood may be combined with other materials (preferably chosen from those in the collection). Submitted designs must be original and unpublished. The Jury will decide three winners for each category, Students and Professionals, and a winner of the Giacomo Allievi Special Mention, for a total prize of 11,000 euros. Winners will be celebrated at a dedicated award ceremony organized by Porada, offering direct exposure to leading Italian manufacturers and design networks.

Enter the 2026 Porada International Design Award Competition

About Porada: Porada was established in 1968 by Luigi Allievi with the aim of expanding the production of chairs, started in 1948. The excellent quality and considerable experience in the wood manufacturing shortly gave the Company a solid and well-defined identity, which nowadays express itself in refined products that contribute to design a domestic environment, where the everyday living needs are met.

Louis Vuitton Accessories Design Graduates Initiative

Details: Since 2023, the Louis Vuitton Accessories Design Graduates Initiative rewards the innovation, creativity, and talent of design students. Dedicated to the next generation of creators, the Initiative focuses on leather goods and accessories, offering the winners an opportunity to work at one of Louis Vuitton's design Métiers. Exclusively open to final-year BA and Ma students, the Initiative has partnered with a diverse selection of renowned international schools and universities of fashion, design, and art.

Submission Deadline: January 31, 2027

Winners Selected: May 2027

Competition Guidelines: The Initiative is open to students from a selection of partnering international schools and universities of fashion, design, and art and will evaluate their leather goods and accessories design submissions. Applications are open to Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts students in their final year. Candidates must be at least 18 years old and must not be prohibited from working in France to apply. Only individual candidates can apply to the Initiative, groups will not be considered. Candidates must work independently on their applications, collaborative projects will not be considered. Artiticial intelligence cannot be used to generate deliverables, text presentations, or graphic and visual renderings. All drawings must be done by hand and/or using 3D computer-assisted graphic programs.  The Candidate must create a profile and fill out the application form available on the website by submitting all necessary information. The Candidate may only submit one application per edition, which must include their submission for the mandatory brief and may also include their submission for the optional brief.

Enter Louis Vuitton Accessories Design Graduates Initiative

About Louis Vuitton: Louis Vuitton is on a perpetual mission to explore new horizons, propelled by an innovative spirit, boundless creativity, and unparalleled savoir-faire. The House is seeking the next generation of Accessory Designers. Pioneers with innovative ideas about design, craftmanship, and sustainability - merging traditional savoir-faire with a trailblazing vision. Creators with a passion for making pieces that stand the test of time, committed to crafting Louis Vuitton's future legacy.