Hot Couture Artist and Designer Application

Call for Fashion Designers and Industrial Artists

Application submission deadline at 10pm on September 25, 2016

The Crucible is seeking designer and artist submissions for Hot Couture 2017, our annual show integrating bold design, visionary fashion, and fire accessories. Our four-night event, February 16-19, 2017, will feature artists and designer teams creating haute couture concepts that illustrate the intersection between fashion, traditional industrial materials, and fabrication.

For Hot Couture 2017, we are inspired by the boundary-defying showmanship of Prince. He embodies what we want for our fire fashion show: innovative artistry, iconic fashion, perpetual creativity, bold vision, and lots and lots of love. Like his collaboration with other talented artists, we encourage designers to build strong runway presentations that celebrate diversity and funk and excellence in all its forms. As such, the theme for the next Hot Couture will be “The Beautiful Ones”.

The Hot Couture fashion shows will take place Thursday, February 16 to Sunday, February 19, 2017. The final dress rehearsal (open to the community) will be on Wednesday, February 15. An initial run through/fire rehearsal will be on Friday, February 10. The Crucible will provide a materials stipend for each designer/team selected. Designers will have access to The Crucible for meetings, production rehearsals, and several fabrication tools. All artists and designers will be credited for their work and the contracted designer will receive four complimentary tickets for one of the shows (night TBD). The Crucible will hire and staff all production details for the runway show. This includes lighting, pyrotechnics, ticketing, security, hospitality, and front of house. Designers are responsible for hiring their own models, makeup artists, and hair artists.

Application process:

Professional and amateur designers are welcome. To submit an application for inclusion in our next Hot Couture performance, send your biography, contact info, and proposal to events@thecrucible.org. Larger format files can be sent via dropbox or hard copies delivered in person to The Crucible. Please include the following in your submission:

Minimum 500-word biography detailing your experience or desire to create wearable art. Include any details of past experience, exposure with runway shows, relationship to The Crucible, as well as name, address, email, phone number, and links to social media and/or websites.
Minimum four head-to-toe wearable looks to be created for the runway. Sketches or photographs (jpegs) are acceptable formats. Designers will be allowed to have up to 8 designs during their walk in this year’s show.
All completed looks must be imaginative and well executed. Wearable is a guideline. We ask that designers incorporate some sort of fire into their runway show and/or designs. All designs should be flame resistant. Women’s and men’s fashions are accepted and encouraged. Hair, makeup, and music ideas must also be included as part of the descriptions for each look.
List of team members, including hair, makeup, models, or musicians, if known. Designers are responsible for enlisting their own models, as well as hair and makeup artists. Each team will be allowed one model per outfit (4-8), up to four artists/assistants and one photographer. Most designers submit music via CD or online link, however if you want live music for your 5-6 minute walk (exact timing TBD), note that the musician can only be mic’d to two microphones; no plug-ins to amps, guitars, etc.

Please contact us by email for any questions. No phone calls.

Important dates: