Selected Designers Will Showcase Five Complete Looks at a Full-Service Fashion Show Hosted at Brooklyn Borough Hall This Fall
Each Selected Designer Will Be Awarded $5,000 Grant and Mentorship Opportunities With Colm Dillane of KidSuper
***DESIGNERS APPLY HERE***
***FLYER AVAILABLE HERE**
BROOKLYN, NY (June 17, 2025) – Today, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and Brooklyn Arts Ambassador Colm Dillane of KidSuper released an open call for emerging fashion designers hoping to showcase five full looks at a full-service fashion show hosted at Brooklyn Borough Hall this fall. The call for designers is open to all Brooklyn residents ages 18 and above. Applications close July 6 at 11:59pm. The five selected designers will each be awarded $5,000 grants and mentorship opportunities with Colm Dillane of KidSuper. Interested designers may apply here starting today.
“From streetwear in Bed-Stuy to bridal boutiques in Bay Ridge, people from all over the world come to Brooklyn for the fashion and style that originates here,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “While it’s never been easy for artists, today it’s nearly impossible for young and aspiring designers to get their foot in the door. But a bet on Brooklyn is never lost – and inaugural Arts Ambassador Colm Dillane knows that firsthand. Today, we’re launching our search for five emerging Brooklyn designers who are defining the next chapter of what Brooklyn fashion is and can be – bold, expressive, and rooted in culture. I’m so grateful for Colm’s partnership as we build an artist network based in mentorship, opportunity, and excellence, and I can’t wait to see the work Brooklyn’s up-and-coming designers have to show.”
“Brooklyn is home – and no two blocks ever look the same. You’ve got skaters weaving past strollers, old-school locals trading stories, and kids in head-to-toe looks they definitely styled themselves. That kind of unfiltered, everyday expression keeps me inspired,” said Colm Dillane, the creative force behind KidSuper. “I’m excited to help guide these young creatives as they shape their own version of what Brooklyn looks like now.”
Specifics for Open Call for Fashion Designers
Summary
- Borough President Reynoso and Arts Ambassador Colm Dillane are searching for five emerging fashion designers based in Brooklyn.
- If selected, each designer will be invited to show five looks at a special full-service fashion show hosted at Brooklyn Borough Hall during New York Fashion Week in September.
- Each designer will be provided with a $5,000 grant to assist with expenses.
- Please note: The Office of the Brooklyn Borough President (OBKBP) will not provide materials, tools, or professional assistance with garment construction.
- The designer collection must be ready 15 days prior to the fashion show.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be residents of Brooklyn.
- Applicants must be 18 years or older.
Timeline
- Application opens: June 16
- Application closes: July 6 at 11:59pm
- Notifications go out: Week of July 18
- All designs must be finalized: August 29
- Fashion Show: Fall 2025
Full-Service Fashion Show
- The Office of the Brooklyn Borough President will provide:
- Venue with runway, lighting, sound, music, and stage design.
- Hair and makeup.
- Models.
- Styling.
- Photography and videography.
- Backstage set up.
- The Office of the Brooklyn Borough President will handle:
- All seating and ticketing.
- All communications, including press.
* The Office of the Brooklyn Borough President is an inclusive equal opportunity agency of the City of New York. The Office of the Brooklyn Borough President encourages individuals of all backgrounds and walks of life to apply. Eligibility will not be determined by an individual’s sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.
About Borough President Reynoso’s Arts Ambassador Initiative
At the 2025 Brooklyn State of the Borough, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso announced his new Brooklyn Arts Ambassador initiative designed to celebrate and support the borough’s creative community. This initiative provides mentorship for emerging Brooklyn artists, strengthens connections between creatives and cultural institutions, and expands public engagement with the arts. Helping the Borough President develop and lead the initiative is Brooklyn’s first-ever Arts Ambassador: renowned multi-disciplinary artist and fashion designer Colm Dillane, the creative force behind KidSuper.
Colm Dillane, who spent his days as a student at Brooklyn Tech making and selling t-shirts, started KidSuper only a few blocks away from Barclays Center. KidSuper blends fashion, art, and community storytelling through and is known for its bold, colorful designs and playful approach to streetwear. In 2021, Dillane was awarded the coveted Karl Lagerfeld Prize by global luxury goods corporation LVMH. In 2023, he guest-designed the Louis Vuitton Homme Autumn/Winter 2023 menswear collection. Dillane has collaborated with major brands like the Brooklyn Nets and PUMA. Today, KidSuper Studios is based in Williamsburg, where Dillane has built a hub for creatives that features not only his store but also an art gallery, podcast studio, screenprinting shop, and more.
As the inaugural Brooklyn Arts Ambassador, Dillane was charged with the unique honor of redesigning a Limited Edition run of the official Brooklyn pin. Describing his inspiration,Dillane said, “As many artists before me I used to doodle on my high school notebooks, I would always use this specific font that I would write bubble letters on all of the papers. This bubble letter font was something I would use on t-shirts, artwork, graffiti moving forward. What a full circle moment to use that same font and aesthetic for the official pin for the Brooklyn Borough President.”
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