YoungArts dance winner from 2014
Italian fashion label Max Mara is supporting young creative talent through the launch of a $10,000 prize.
For the second time, the brand presented the National YoungArts Foundation’s fundraising gala Backyard Ball on Jan. 9 in Miami, held during National YoungArts Week. According to WWD, the brand will be handing out a prize to one of the finalists who participated in the event, extending the impact of its partnership with the foundation.
Supporting the arts
The Miami-based National YoungArts Foundation works to nurture talent at key moments in the education and careers of young people through experiences, scholarships and recognition.
Out of 12,000 applicants, 170 finalists were invited to take part in National YoungArts Week in Miami. This event, celebrating its 35th year, gave the 15- to 18-year-olds the opportunity to work with mentors across literature, visual arts, performing arts and design fields.
For the first time, one of these finalists will win a $10,000 prize from Max Mara, with the winner announced in the next few weeks.
The culmination of the week is the gala, which Max Mara has agreed to sponsor for the next three years.
Backyard Ball
Luxury brands often establish artistic competitions to support budding talent.
For instance, Italian fashion label Prada recently hosted its third annual Prada Journal competition that asks consumers to submit short stories that use the brand’s eyewear as the starting point for approaching a topic.
The literary competition is part of the brand’s marketing efforts for its Prada Journal eyewear collaboration with licensee Luxottica. By having a recurring campaign that engages consumers’ creative sides, Prada may seen repeat entries and engagement with the collection and its overall message (see story).