Taito City is calling for applications to the 34th Fashion ZAKKA Design Competition and looking for your leather and fabric fashion item designs.

Anyone who is interested in ZAKKA (fashion items) design, either professional or amateur, is eligible to participate.

The competition will result in awarding 25 different prizes and more than ¥750,000 (Japanese Yen) in prize money. The Grand Prize is ¥200,000. The winning designs will be produced by craftspeople in Taito.

The city of Taito, Japan includes well known touristic area such as Ueno and Asakusa, however it is also a renowned production area of fashion items. In fact, many of the fashion items for famous brands such as shoes, bags, wallets, belts or hats are produced in manufacturers in Taito.

The 34th Fashion ZAKKA Design Competition includes the following categories:

• Genuine Leather Division
  • Shoes
  • Bags
  • Belts & Suspenders
  • Wallets & Accessory Cases
  • Leather Innovation
• Fabric Division
  • Hats

Designs should be new and previously unpublished — has not been made into product or received any awards — and should be able to be made into product. Both men’s and women’s designs are acceptable.

Every year, the prominent guest judges who are on the front line of the industry and fashion goods manufacturers review over 3,000 entries and select outstanding design illustrations.

The copyrights of the awarded designs in the competition is transferred to Taito Fashion Fair Committee, which may put them in production.

It's free to enter.