Online retailer Asos has collaborated with the Fashion Minority Report (FMR) to launch an innovative incubator program called ‘ScaleUp,’ which aims at supporting ethnic minority-owned brands in the fashion industry. The program seeks to address the unique challenges faced by these businesses in accessing the fashion market and expanding their operation.
As part of the ScaleUp program, two selected candidates will receive valuable insight and advice from industry experts. They will also have the opportunity to showcase and sell their collections at Asos, one of the largest online fashion retailers. In addition, the selected brands will be mentored by prominent business leaders for a year. To further support their growth, the companies can apply for funding of up to £ 20,000 each.
Apart from two selected students, five emerging brands will also be included in the program.
Interested brands can submit their applications until 9th July, after which a panel of judges, including FMR founder Daniel Peters, Asos senior creative director Vanessa Spence, and Hypebae editor Navi Ahluwalia, will review the submissions.
In a release, Peters said on the programme, “As any brand founder knows, the path to success in the fashion industry can often feel challenging, but as someone who is an ethnic minority, the barriers are often greater to break through.
“Through our partnership with Asos, we can’t wait to deliver a programme that provides opportunities, and the relevant building blocks for scalability to ethnic minority business owners.”
