Teen Vogue's 2024 Generation Next: Enter Now and Meet The Judges
It's our favorite time of year! The 2024 Teen Vogue Generation Next young fashion designer competition has officially begun. Submissions for designers looking to get their start in the fashion industry are now open. Our goal is to help new talent find their start in the fashion industry through expert advisory, and industry visibility. This year our esteemed panel of judges represents the true future of fashion from creators, to stylists, to buyers and sustainability experts.
We are looking for designers who are thinking about fashion in creative ways that will lead the industry into the future. Sound like you?
See below to learn more about this year's judging panel, how to enter, and rules and guidelines.
Your Judges
Emma Chamberlain is an internet phenomenon, entrepreneur, and beloved Gen Z it-girl whose authenticity and candor have landed her the covers of Rolling Stone, GQ, and The New York Times, among others. In 2019, Time magazine included her on its Time 100 Next and its 25 Most Influential People On The Internet lists, crediting Chamberlain’s distinct video style for transforming the realm of vlogging. She collaborates with Cartier and Lancôme as a global ambassador and has been Vogue’s thrice-red-carpet correspondent for the Met Gala, having garnered over 12.6 million views on her interviews in 2024 alone. Her Spotify podcast, Anything Goes, has won People’s Choice Award for Favorite Pop Podcast two years in a row, while her brand Chamberlain Coffee is a cult favorite for cold brews and teas. Chamberlain’s been everything from YouTube auteur, to podcaster, to caffeine connoisseur (and so much more).
Bach Mai is a New York-based designer behind the eponymous womenswear label, which he founded in 2019. The couturier-in-the-making has long aspired to work in fashion, from first creating pieces for classmates while daydreaming of haute couture as a teen in Houston, to assisting John Galliano at Maison Margiela and interning at Oscar de la Renta years later. He studied fashion design, dance, and physics at The New School – a fitting combination for a designer whose work often features slinky metallics, gravity-defying silhouettes, and transgressive undertones – and holds a Master of Fine Arts from Institut Français de la Mode in Paris. Central to his design ethos is the relationship between designer and client, and his label offers both ready-to-wear collections and bespoke garments. Further, Mai was one of last year’s contenders for the CFDA American Emerging Designer of the Year award.
Jared Ellner is a Los Angeles-based celebrity stylist and founder of Ellner Styling Studios. Unafraid to pair vintage finds with luxury pieces from household name brands, he has quickly proven to be one of the youngest, up-and-coming faces in Hollywood. After studying fashion design at Parsons and interning at Vogue, Ellner worked under various brands and designers, then wound up at Garage Magazine as assistant to the editor-in-chief. He attributes much of his sartorial education to his three and a half years with the publication, and he had served as its fashion editor by the time he left. Since then, Ellner has styled stars such as Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, and SZA, to name a few, while his work has graced the pages of Vanity Fair, W Magazine, and more. He’s also a long-time collaborator with fellow judge Emma Chamberlain and is the brains behind some of her most unforgettable Met Gala looks.
Divya Mathur is the fashion director and newly-named chief merchandising officer at Revolve. She previously served as the chief merchandising officer at Intermix, where she reimagined the brand as a destination for all things luxury and e-commerce, and has held senior positions at Shopbop, Michael Kors, and Saks Fifth Avenue. A California native and UC Berkeley grad, she now resides in New York and serves on the board of the nonprofit organizations Arthur Miller Foundation and RAISEfashion, which aims to advance racial equity across the industry. With a penchant for digital strategy and a sharp eye on ever-evolving market trends, Mathur thrives at the intersections of fashion, tech, and retail – one glance at her socials and it’s evident she has mastered the art of sharply elevated street style.
Frances Fafa Mensah is a designer, creative director, and stylist who weaves environmentalism into all aspects of her work. As community engagement facilitator at The Or Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to fashion production reform, she focuses on alternative solutions that the industry can adopt to support ecological prosperity. Since 2022, Mensah has contributed to its Stop Waste Colonialism initiative to hold textile producers accountable and keep the European Union from writing waste colonialism into law. Having grown up in Accra, Ghana, Mensah was quick to observe how those around her subscribed to western fast fashion trends and began designing her own garments in response. She combined her knack for styling secondhand finds with her distinct taste and activist mindset to found Upcycled Thrift Ghana several years ago. She’s a multi-hyphenate and an avid proponent of sustainable fashion.
Brandon Blackwood is a fashion designer whose namesake brand specializes in handbags and accessories. He works with a distinctive palette of subtle colors, designs, and textures, designing each piece with the contemporary consumer in mind while also focusing on high-quality detailing. Blackwood grew up between New York City and Tokyo, his childhood spent creating dresses out of his mother’s old tees and transforming his living rooms into catwalks. He attended Bard College for biology, then neuroscience (but pursued a fashion career in secret), while interning at Elle and Nylon in between semesters. Soon after, he began experimenting with early iterations of his brand, which officially launched in 2015. Blackwood was nominated for CFDA’s American Accessory Designer of the Year in 2022 and was recently added as a member of the association. A firm believer in the beauty of timeless luxury, Blackwood continues to create apparel and footwear echoing the same minimalist, statement design aesthetic that started it all.
Versha Sharma is the editor-in-chief of – yours truly – Teen Vogue. While previously working as the managing editor and senior correspondent at NowThis, she interviewed high-profile figures such as Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden and covered global issues with a digital-first mindset. She and her team received an Edward R. Murrow Award for their documentary work on Hurricane Maria’s effects on Puerto Rico, with Sharma leading audience growth across the outlet’s social platforms. Currently, she serves on the boards of the Online News Association and International Women’s Media Foundation, which supports women and nonbinary journalists with grants, safety training, and emergency aid. With bylines in The New York Times, the Columbia Journalism Review, and much more, Sharma has continually rallied for diversified voices across the media landscape and pushed the conversation forward on any and every issue affecting young people today.
Apply to Generation Next 2024
Our mission is to give young designers resources to set them up for success, by bringing them together with fashion industry insiders for critical networking opportunities and fostering new relationships.
*Must be 18 years or older to apply.
Submissions Close July 30
FAQs
How many finalists will be selected?
Six winners will be selected and announced in September 2024.
How long is the judging process?
The deadline to apply is August 2, 2024 at midnight EST. Applicants will be asked to submit a visual example of their work and eventually a video interview before being chosen.
What's required to apply?
Applicants should be enrolled in or up to two years post graduate of an accredited university or college and have a strong interest in fashion design. Entry requires a lookbook or visual sample of work to be critiqued by the panels of six judges.
Do I need to be in the U.S. to apply?
Yes, the application process is only open to students in the United States.
Do I need to be an enrolled student to apply?
Any recent graduates from 2022 to 2024 are also eligible to apply.
How old do I have to be to apply?
Applicants need to be at least 18 years old.
How much is the prize money for each winner?
Each of the final winners will be awarded a sum of $1,000 and professional consultation with one of the seven judges.
Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue
