2 October 2025. Cabildo Tenerife (Tenerife Island Council), through the Empresa Insular de Artesanía, S.A., has announced the 15th edition of the Tenerife Moda 2026 International Competition for Young Designers, a contest that awards three cash prizes and promotes new talent in textile design.
The Councillor for Employment and Education, Efraín Medina, made special mention of the winners who, for 15 years, have made possible a competition that is a benchmark in the sector worldwide, ‘they have been the driving force behind this competition, which has become a springboard to the employment industry. Fashion is culture, and this way of diversifying our island’s economy helps us to position ourselves in the world’.
He also explained that ‘the aim of this competition, which maintains its international character, is to support all those new designers who are looking to start their professional careers in the field of fashion design, helping to promote the textile industry as a generator of employment and entrepreneurship among young people.’
Individuals, either privately or grouped under a common brand, regardless of their nationality or country of residence, who are at least 18 years old and will not exceed 40 years of age on 31 December 2026, may participate, as stated in the contest rules that have already been made public.
Those interested in participating in this edition have until 6 March 2026 to submit their applications, which must be delivered in person or by registered post to Empresa Insular de Artesanía, S.A., located at C/ Tomas Zerolo 27, La Orotava 38300. (Tenerife, Spain).
For his part, the Councillor for Youth, Serafín Mesa, ‘wanted to congratulate the Tenerife Moda team for their commitment to young people and for their efforts to give the island’s young people an opportunity in such an important sector. He referred to those young people who are now one step further, fulfilling their dreams with the help of the Cabildo de Tenerife’.
Once the list of finalist collections has been defined, the envelopes will be opened to reveal the identity of the participants and verify that they meet the requirements. Subsequently, the jury selected for the occasion will choose a total of seven finalists, one of whom must be a resident of Tenerife.
The new designers selected for the final will present their respective collections at a fashion show to be held at the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Exhibition Centre in June 2026, where the winners of the awards will be announced.
The Councillor of Trade, Krysten Martin, added that ‘these cross-cutting projects allow us to offer subsidies to established entrepreneurs and businesses, giving them a boost to their work and efforts. We are going to launch a specific line of aid for emerging designers to help them set up a physical store on the island where they can distribute and market their work. It is necessary to support them in this first step of their professional career.’
To bring their collections to life, the seven finalists will receive a maximum of £1,500 to cover the costs of producing the ten models in their proposal (clothing, fabrics and accessories). Similarly, designers residing in other areas will be granted assistance to cover travel expenses (including transport of the collection) and accommodation on the island, so that they can attend the finalists’ fashion show and the awards ceremony.
At the final gala, the jury will select two winners, who will receive cash prizes of €5,000 and €3,000, depending on their ranking. Another prize of €2,000 will be awarded to the most commercial collection, which may coincide with the first or second prize in the competition.
In the last edition of Tenerife Young Designers, the first prize went to designer Annaiss Yucra from Peru. María de Ara Pérez from Badajoz won second prize, while María de la Calle Arroyo from Bilbao was awarded the prize for the most commercial collection.
