The digital START mentoring programme has launched digitally for talented designers

The Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency’s second design START mentoring programme has launched online with a series of presentations on April 23, with the main goal of providing professional guidance and support for talented Hungarian designers. In the first phase of the mentoring programme, five brands selected by a professional jury - taking into account the virus situation - will take part in an online series of lectures and presentations.

The Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency launched the design START (three-stage) mentoring programme in 2019, which this year has now been launched for the second time. In the customized training plan, the HFDA has considered it particularly important to involve both domestic and professional industry players in order to provide long-term development opportunities for young designers and designers who have been working in the field of fashion for numerous years.

The opportunity to take part in the mentor programme was open to designers with unique concepts, out of which a professional jury consisting of seven members selected the five best designers. During the selection process, preference was given to brands that have a high potential for further development, ie they submitted application material that included original ideas as well as a feasible business plan.

The five selected designers - Edina Andrási, Sára Kele, Kerekes Furniture, Apol Temesi, and László Tompa - are talents who, in the eyes of the jury, will be able to become brands both nationally and internationally recognized after the completion of the mentoring programme.

As a responsible organisation, the HFDA has set the goal of continuing its programmes, keeping in mind the health and safety precautions needed to keep people safe, therefore, unlike previously, it launched the design START lectures and presentations in digital mode. The first workshop covered the topics of business planning, during which the mentees learned about the most important concepts of business life – such as SWOT analysis and market research. Throughout the programme, Attila Gaszt, Managing Director of Giaform Kft. supported the brands, who also provided excellent support for the up-and-coming entrepreneurs with his theoretical and practical advice. During the individual consultations, the mentees were able to deepen the knowledge they received in practice, and then with the help of their mentor, developed their own business plan. The training continued with a workshop led by Hiventures Capital Fund Management staff - Nikolett Kázsmér, Ádám Halász, and Sára Szendrői, which focused on financing opportunities, covering community financing, investor fundraising and venture capital. Following the presentations, within the framework of a one-pager, the mentees presented to their mentors how they would make their business attractive to investors, who in turn, valued the materials with the eyes of investors. This was followed by an experiential session led by Attila Nemes, Mentorforce’s cultural mediator, organized around the topic of communication. During this process, the mentees had to review their previous communication tactics and then work together with their mentor to plan the guidelines on how to reach their target markets. The fourth workshop addressed the topic of marketing and digital technology, and with the help and advice of former Google employee Marcell Tóth, the brands learned how to fit their communications into a well-thought-out, structured marketing plan that also quantifies the success of reaching the target audience.

In the next part of the mentoring programme, the mentees can build their knowledge on branding and topics surrounding law to a higher level. Gergely Hosszú, one of the owners of Co & Co DesignCommunication, will be providing assistance, who as a five-time Red Dot Award-winning designer, will provide useful advice to the participants. The online training will end with a workshop led by Dr. Ádám György, a lawyer who provides guidance to brands on legal issues. If the epidemiological situation will allow it, study trips as well as internships will also be able to take place within a few months, during which the mentees can learn about the best practices of renowned representatives of the industry.

Brands taking part in the programme: