About us

thefashioncontest.com is sponsored by Banão Clothing Ltd, a children's clothing company that aspires to be original in its product design, different in its organisational structure and ethical in its business practices.

The Origin of Banão
Banão is the fusion of two words: “bana” and “ao”. “Bana” is the Sesotho word for “Children”. Sesotho is a Bantu language, spoken in southern Africa. “Ao” is the Mãori word for “World”. Mãori is a language spoken in New Zealand and the Cook Islands.

Banão, or Children of the World, is the brand that aspires to convey to our children an openness of mind and a curious look on the world.

Our Philosophy
We, at Banão, want to promote a new dimension of fashion. The capacity of the clothes we wear to promote the values of “Sharing”. The clothes we wear can be a formidable medium to share the beauty of a culture, to share the richness of the world through the eyes of a designer.

When we say share, we imply taking and giving back. And we intend to do so by returning some of the fruit of our work to the source of our inspiration. We want to give back to those who are the most vulnerable and for whom our contribution can have a life-altering effect: children.

Why a fashion contest?
Every clothing brand has a unique style that differentiates it from the others. That style can be the result of one designer or the result of the contribution of a team of designers who each bring their own style and sensitivity while remaining faithful to the brand's unique personality.

We, at Banão, have imagined a different organisation, a collaborative approach in which young designers from around the world can participate in the creation of a collection and become a “partner” with Banão. Each designer will bring to the designs a different vision, a different culture and the influence of a different region of the world. The fusion of inspirations coming from different cultures will give birth to the Banão collection.

Our ethical principals are at the core of this contest and our commitment is clear: only the winning designs will be produced and all authors of selected designs will be compensated accordingly.