NEW YORK—Lividini & Co. and The Accessories Council have launched the second annual Emerging Designers Competition, an initiative to find and mentor high-potential, up-and-coming accessories, eyewear, jewelry and footwear designers. The winner will participate in a one-year program, directed by L& Co., in partnership with the Accessories Council, which will provide mentoring and networking opportunities.

The Emerging Designers competition is open to accessories designers who have been in business for less than five years and who are looking to strengthen their brand identity, marketing outreach and/or distribution. Applicants must submit a portfolio, which may include lookbooks, product information, wholesale distribution and a business plan. In addition, applicants must be available for interviews in New York in the month of October. Executives from the retail, fashion and accessories industries, along with representatives from Lividini & Co. and the Accessories Council, will review all applications submitted. Complete rules and submission information is posted here. Submissions must be received by Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2015.

“We are delighted to partner once again with the Accessories Council in this competition,” said Jaqui Lividini, CEO of Lividini & Co., a brand strategy company specializing in driving established and emerging brands to success. “We’re so proud of the work we’ve done with our first winners, Fairchild Baldwin, and look forward to watching their success unfold in the upcoming months. In the ever-changing business of fashion, the need for programs which cultivate and develop new talent have become more critical than ever.”

Added Karen Giberson, president of the Accessories Council, “We’re delighted to partnering with Lividini & Co. for the second year on such an important initiative. We look forward to seeing some new and, hopefully, some returning faces in this year’s competition.”

The winner of the Second Annual Emerging Designers Competition will be revealed at the Accessories Council’s upcoming ACE Awards dinner on Nov. 2 in New York City. Recipients will be rewarded with visibility for their brand, industry recognition, access to information and guidance and mentorship from both organization’s members. Each recipient will also be given two designer showcases, a year’s membership to the Accessories Council and inclusion in all Accessories Council press events for one year, free of charge.

The Accessories Council is a not-for-profit international trade association. It works to stimulate consumer awareness and demand for fashion accessories products and over the past 20 years, its membership has grown to include over 290 members, representing the leading brand names, designers, publications, retailers and associated providers for the accessories, eyewear and footwear industries.