THE NEXT DESIGNER

CONTEST DETAILS

YOUR IDEA. YOUR DESIGN. YOUR NAME.

The Next Designer by Vismay is a platform for aspiring designers, creative minds and anyone with a passion for fashion to turn an idea into something real, and see it come alive under their own name. Open to anyone above 18 years, the contest gives you the opportunity to showcase your talent, challenge your creative thinking and take your design from a rough sketch to the Vismay store. 
And the best part? There is no participation fee.

THREE EXPRESSIONS. ONE DESIGN JOURNEY.

Every participant will be challenged to create three distinct designs, each representing a different expression of the Vismay woman:

  • EVERYDAY - Designs made for the moments that become part of everyday life.
  • MOMENTS - Designs made for occasions worth dressing up for.
  • EDITION - Designs that push boundaries and celebrate individuality.

The specifications, design guidelines and submission requirements for each expression will be shared in the respective round descriptions.

THE JOURNEY

ROUND 01 - THE IDEA
Start with what you have,  an idea.
Submit your basic details, your design concepts and rough sketches for your Everyday, Moments and Edition designs.
From all entries, 50 designers will be shortlisted for the next round.

ROUND 02 - THE CRAFT
Now, take your ideas deeper.
Shortlisted designers will develop their concepts further, presenting their fabric selection, pricing strategy and design thought process for the three expressions.
The strongest 10 designers will move to the finale.

ROUND 03 - THE RUNWAY
This is where your designs step into the real world.
The top 10 finalists will present their final, produced designs through a live runway experience organised by Vismay.
You create the outfits. Vismay takes care of the models and the runway experience.

AND THEN, YOUR DESIGN LIVES ON.

The winning design will not just remain on a runway.It will be produced and made available at Vismay stores under the designer's name, giving your idea a place in the real world.

Plus, walk away with cash prizes and, more importantly, the opportunity to have your creativity recognised as a designer.

READY TO SEE WHERE YOUR IDEA CAN TAKE YOU?

No fees. No boundaries. Just your imagination, your design and your name.

The Next Designer by Vismay.

*t&c apply 

What you have to create?

One participant = three designs:

EVERYDAY

  • Requirement: Any One (Kurti, Top & Bottom Set, Kaftan, Shirt Dress, Dress, Contemporary ethnic / Fusion Garment)

  • Core Question: Would she wear this in her everyday life?

  • Think About:Comfort, Function, Ease,
    Movement, Wearability, Contemporary style, Repeat wear

MOMENTS

  • Requirement: Any One (Kurti,Top & Bottom Set, Top, Bottom & Dupatta Set,Kaftan, Dress, Contemporary ethnic / Fusion Garment)

  • Core Question: Would she choose this when the moment matters?

  • Think About: Emotion, Beauty, Occasion, Detail, Personality, Contemporary Celebration

EDITION

  • Requirement: Any One (Kurti, Top & Bottom Set, Kaftan, Shirt Dress, Dress, Contemporary ethnic / Fusion Garment)

  • Core Question: Can you make us see fashion differently?

  • Think About: Shape, Silhouette,
    Proportion, Volume, Fabric, Surface, Construction, Form, Exclusivity in Print
    development, unusual design approaches

Who can Apply?

  • Age: 18+ years.
  • Open to fashion students, college students, working professionals, independent designers, self-taught designers, fashion enthusiasts and anyone interested in fashion design.
  • No formal fashion qualification is required.

Selection Process

  • Eligibility is checked.
  • Entries are assigned anonymous entry numbers and participant names are hidden from the jury.
  • The jury independently scores the entries and scores are consolidated.
  • Potential originality flags are reviewed.
  • Top 50 are identified and eligibility is confirmed.
  • Top 50 are announced on 30th November 2026.

Before you apply

  • A clear concept PDF containing all three designs.
  • For each design: Concept/Theme Board, sketches / design-development material supporting your creative process, front view, back view, colour, fabric and short concept.
  • A Designer Statement of maximum 150 words answering: “What connects your three designs?”
  • AI declaration: YES / NO. If YES, state the tool used, purpose, what was generated and what you personally created.
  • Maximum upload size: 5 MB for the Round 1 concept PDF.

How to apply?

  1. Open the official THE NEXT DESIGNER application page on the Vismay website.
  2. Enter your name, age, phone number, email ID and other required applicant details.
  3. Prepare the Round 1 concept PDF containing all three designs and the required information.
  4. Upload the concept PDF. Maximum file size: 5 MB.
  5. Complete the originality declaration and AI declaration.
  6. Read the Round 1 Terms & Conditions.
  7. Select “I AGREE”.
  8. Submit the application before 25th November 2026.

Application Form

FAQ

Anyone aged 18+ can apply, including students, working professionals, independent designers, self-taught designers, fashion enthusiasts and others interested in fashion design.

No. The competition does not require a formal fashion qualification.

Yes. Every Round 1 participant must submit one Everyday design, one Moments design and one Edition design.

Your design may be developed as a garment that aligns with the brand's product universe, such as (Kurti, Top & Bottom Set,Top & Bottom , Dupatta Set, Kaftan, Kaftan Dress, Shirt Dress, Dress, Contemporary ethnic / fusion garment)

For each design: Concept / Theme Board, the design, front view, back view, colour, fabric and short concept. It must also include your Designer Statement of maximum 150 words.

It should answer: “What connects your three
designs?”

Yes. Sketches and development material should support your creative process and may be requested for originality
verification.

The Round 1 concept PDF must not exceed 5 MB.

AI use must be disclosed. If you answer YES, you must state the tool used, its purpose, what was generated and what you personally created.

The submitted designs must be your original creative work and created specifically for THE NEXT DESIGNER.

Each of Everyday, Moments and Edition is scored separately, with an additional Designer DNA assessment of 20 marks.

The published process states that entries are assigned anonymous entry numbers and participant names are hidden from the
jury.

The jury identifies the Top 50, subject to
eligibility confirmation. The Top 50 are announced on 30th November 2026.

The organiser may request evidence of your creative process or ask you to explain your work.

No. Selection is subject to eligibility,
judging, verification and the published criteria.

Terms & Conditions

By submitting this application, the applicant confirms that they have read, understood and agreed to the following terms:

  • The competition is open to applicants aged 18+ years. The applicant confirms that all information provided is true, complete and accurate.
  • The applicant confirms that all submitted work is their original creative work and, where applicable, has been created specifically for THE NEXT DESIGNER.
  • The organiser may request sketches, design-development material, references, source files or an explanation/design defence to verify originality and the applicant’s creative process.
  • Any use of generative AI must be transparently disclosed in the manner specified for the relevant round. Non-disclosure may lead to disqualification.
  • Only files within the prescribed upload limit of 5 MB may be submitted. The applicant is responsible for ensuring that files are readable, complete and successfully uploaded before the deadline.
  • The organiser may reject incomplete, late, corrupted, misleading or ineligible submissions.
  • Submission does not guarantee selection for the next round. Selection is subject to eligibility verification, judging and the published criteria.
  • The jury will independently evaluate eligible entries. The decision of the jury regarding selection, elimination, finalist status and the winner shall be final and binding.
  • The applicant agrees that they will have no objection to the jury’s decision or to the application of the published judging process and criteria.
  • The organiser may request additional information or documents where required for eligibility, originality or verification.
  • For Round 2 and Round 3, participation is invitation/selection based and only applicants who qualify from the preceding stage may participate.
  • Where a finalist’s design requires technical changes for feasibility, fit, safety, production or runway presentation, such changes may be made in consultation with the organiser/production team while seeking to protect the original creative intent.
  • Runway garments produced for the finale are for the competition/fashion show and do not automatically become commercial production garments.
  • Following the winner announcement, any commercialisation of winning design/designs will be subject to the organiser’s applicable commercialisation process and terms.
  • The applicant grants the organiser permission to use their submitted designs, name, photograph, interview, design-development material and competition journey content for competition-related communication, documentation, publicity and promotional purposes, subject to applicable law.
  • The applicant is responsible for obtaining any permissions for third-party material included in their submission and must not submit material that infringes another person’s intellectual property or rights.
  • The organiser may amend operational details, schedules or processes where reasonably necessary. Any material change will be communicated to eligible participants.
  • All disputes arising out of or relating to the competition shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts at Kochi (Cochin), Kerala.
  • By selecting “I AGREE” and submitting the Round 1 application, the applicant confirms acceptance of these Terms & Conditions.
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