Another year, another grant opportunity for designers to keep building their businesses. The Jack Daniel’s Distillery has announced its third year of supporting designers through its Remix Grant Program, an initiative to support the next generation of streetwear designers. Three winners will be selected, and the garment sales from this year’s featured designers will be matched by 100% from the 2023 Classic Remix Collection of $100,000. The program was established in 2021 to support up-and-coming streetwear designers making noise in the fashion industry. “The Jack Daniel’s Classic Remix Program began in 2021. With the fashion industry increasingly leaning towards streetwear, we wanted to fully embrace the next generation of designers that incorporate streetwear culture and inspiration into their work,” says Keenan Harris, Director of Multicultural Marketing Brown-Forman, via a press release. “We were inspired to create a program that not only sparks originality and provides meaningful financial support for emerging designers but also builds community, which is inherent to the culture.”
Past winners Justin Mensinger and Alex Carter Brand have been able to thrive since winning in 2021 and 2022. The program also offers the opportunity to be mentored by judges Ouigi Theodore and Sheila Rashid.
If you’re wanting to know how to stand out in a sea of applications, Harris gives a bit of insight into the selection process, “After all of the submissions are received, we carefully comb through each part of the application, which includes; a sketch inspired by a prompt given by us, the designers’ portfolio, and a video response detailing the designers’ vision for the future. We go about choosing our winners based on the submissions that radiate the most confidence, not only in their design ability but their insight on how they can impact the future of culture and fashion.”
One of this year’s judges, Theodore of The Brooklyn Circus, is looking for “someone who is doing the research, is committed to their craft, has a vision, and is eager to learn and contribute to the global conversation.” He also says, “making beautiful things that sell is not enough. A successful artist (designer) has to think beyond themselves and embrace the power they have to shift culture and narratives through their craft. “
The application to apply is now available at jackdaniels.com. You must be at least 21+ to apply, and the application requires an original sketch of one of your designs, your portfolio, and a two-minute video about your vision.