Hollywoodbets Durban July Young Designer Award

BACKGROUND

The Hollywoodbets Durban July Young Designer Award is a Race Coast initiative that started over two decades ago. It is a pre-race day fashion competition open to fashion students studying with accredited colleges, technikons or universities in KwaZulu-Natal. They may only enter through their college or university and will be required to design and make a themed race day ensemble for judging purposes.

The idea was, and still is, to give talented design students an opportunity to start a journey towards a career in fashion. This has been hugely successful for a number of reasons; the enthusiasm of the talented students that submit entries, the colleges that continually support the initiative and the sponsors who believe in it.

Many winners from the Hollywoodbets Durban July Young Designer Award have gone on to show on national platforms such as Durban Fashion Fair, South African Fashion Week, Africa International and Menswear Fashion Week. Many have started their own fashion businesses and studios and are very successful in a highly competitive industry. Some of our most recent winners have become so successful, they have been invited to show as a Hollywoodbets Durban July Invited Designer. We can proudly say that the Hollywoodbets Durban July was their first truly large platform.

GOING FORWARD

We ask that students submit one finished race day ensemble for judging, taking into account the current year’s theme, ensuring that fit, finish quality and attention to detail are highly considered. Students must be creative, but fashion forward and on trend. We select only the ten best, talented students each year.

Whilst prizes are fantastic, it truly is the TV, media and social media attention that makes it most worthwhile, as this lasts long after race day and places the Hollywoodbets Durban July Young Designer Award finalists and the winner firmly in the public eye.

PRIZES

THE HOLLYWOODBETS DURBAN JULY YOUNG DESIGNER AWARD

FIRST PRIZE

• The winner will receive a fashion travel package to Johannesburg to experience SA Fashion Week 2026, courtesy of Race Coast and SA Fashion Week;

• From the Hollywood Foundation, the winning student will receive R70 000 worth of bursary funding towards paying his/her student loan or for future study funding;

• R10 000 in cash, compliments of Race Coast and Schweppes; and

• A Kryolan Professional Make-Up voucher valued at R2 500.

THE HOLLYWOODBETS DURBAN JULY YOUNG DESIGNER AWARD

SECOND PRIZE

• From the Hollywood Foundation, the student in second place will receive R50 000 worth of bursary funding towards paying his/her student loan or for future study funding;

• R3 000 in cash, compliments of Race Coast and Schweppes; and

• A Kryolan Professional Make-Up voucher valued at R2 000.

THE HOLLYWOODBETS DURBAN JULY YOUNG DESIGNER AWARD

THIRD PRIZE

• From the Hollywood Foundation, the student in third place will receive R30 000 worth of bursary funding towards paying his/her student loan or for future study funding;

• R2 000 in cash, compliments of Race Coast and Schweppes; and

• A Kryolan Professional Make-Up voucher valued at R1 500.

Each of the 10 finalists will receive R2 000.00 in cash, compliments of Race Coast and Schweppes.

THE WINNING COLLEGE

The College attended by the Winning Student will receive a R30 000 grant from Race Coast to be used to support the programmes and structures in place to develop the design students.

The Hollywood Foundation has advised that the following requirements for these bursaries to be granted:

• Institutions where these students are applying from must be accredited.
• The bursary is paid to the institution and not the winners. Therefore, invoices will be required from the institutions and proof of accreditation.
• If the winner is from an unaccredited institution, then the source of funding can’t come from the Bursary programme.

Hollywood Foundation Bursary team will be involved in checking the institutions beforehand.