1.    These terms and conditions (the “Rules”) apply to the MR PORTER FUTURES designer mentorship programme (the “Programme”). The promoter of the Programme is THE NET‑A‑PORTER GROUP LIMITED (part of the YOOX NET‑A‑PORTER GROUP) trading as “MR PORTER” (company number 3820604) of 1 The Village Offices, Westfield London, Ariel Way, London, W12 7GF (“MR PORTER”). All defined terms used in the Rules will be as set out in these Rules. By submitting an Entry, Entrants agree to be bound by these Rules. 

2.    In order to be considered for a place on the Programme, Entrants must submit an Entry between 09:00 BST on 26th April 2021 (the “Opening Date”) and 23:59 BST on 6 June 2021 (the “Closing Date”), inclusive (the “Entry Period”).  Entries received outside of the Entry Period will not be accepted.

3.    The Programme is open to anyone aged 18 and above, whether entering individually or as a design duo, and who satisfies the eligibility criteria set out in the application form (“Eligible Entrants”). Employees of MR PORTER, companies within MR PORTER’S group of companies and/or those associated with the operation or promotion of the Programme, are not eligible to enter. Any such entries are invalid.  

How to Enter

4.    In order to be considered for a place on the Programme, Eligible Entrants must, during the Entry Period:

a)    Complete and submit the online application form in full via the portal on this page www.mrporter.com/futures (the “Online Portal”); and

b)    Submit a design brief via the Online Portal which satisfies the design brief requirements set out on www.mrporter.com/futures  

(together the “Entry”).

c)    Entries should be submitted in the English language in PDF format (provided that it does not exceed a file size limit of 10 MBs) via the Online Portal by no later than the Closing Date. MR PORTER shall not be liable for any incomplete Entries, Entries where the digital file is corrupted or incompatible with MR PORTER’s IT systems, or Entries which are not properly submitted via the Online Portal.

5.    Provided that Eligible Entrants complete and submit an Entry in accordance with paragraph 4(c) of these Rules, Eligible Entrants will be automatically considered for a place on the Programme. Entries received before or after the Entry Period will not be considered. 

6.    There is a limit of one (1) Entry per Eligible Entrant. If more than one Entry is received, only the first Entry received by MR PORTER will be considered. 

Judging Criteria

7.    Entries will be judged based on the following criteria:

a)    In relation to the application form - quality of responses to the questions raised 

b)    In relation to the design brief submitted:

i.    originality of ideas;

ii.    research and inspiration;

iii.    a succinct visual presentation of designs;

iv.    commercial potential and scalability;

v.    overall vision;

vi.    alignment with MR PORTER brand values, details of which can be found at www.mrporter.com/futures 

(together, the “Judging Criteria”) 

Anonymous Application Review and Initial Shortlisting

8.    Each Entry will be reviewed anonymously, meaning that the Eligible Entrant’s personal details will be removed from their Entries, after which they will be assessed by up to four (4) MR PORTER Buyers. Each anonymous Entry will be assessed based on their written answers and submitted design brief by the MR PORTER Buyers and each Entry will be scored based on the Judging Criteria above. The MR PORTER Buyers will then prepare an initial shortlist of up to 60 Eligible Entrants (the “Initial Shortlist”).

Second round Shortlisting of Eligible Entrants and Interviews

9.    Following a review of the Entries as set out in paragraph 8 above, up to seven (7) fashion industry experts (of which two will be the MR PORTER Buying Director and the MR PORTER Style Director) (each an “Industry Mentor”, together the “Selection Committee”) the Selection Committee will review the scores of each Entry in the Initial Shortlist and then select the final 10 Eligible Entrants (“Shortlisted Candidates”) who will be notified that they have been shortlisted and invited for a virtual interview with the Selection Committee. The Shortlisted Candidates will be notified of their interview dates by no later than 5 July 2021 and will be invited to be interviewed between 12 to 16 July 2021.

10.    Each interview will comprise of questions from the Selection Committee and a discussion about the Shortlisted Candidate’s Entry. The interviews will also be judged based on the Judging Criteria set out above. 

Final selection

11.    Following the interviews, the Selection Committee will choose three (3) of the Shortlisted Candidates as the designers selected for the Programme (the “Selected Designers”). 

The Selected Designers will be notified after the final interview of the Shortlisted Candidates takes place, during the week commencing 19 July 2021. However details of the Selected Designers will not be publicly announced until a later date, no later than 30 September 2021 (the “Announcement Date”) via an official press release on www.mrporter.com (the “Website”), and until such date the Selected Designers agree to keep confidential the fact that they are a Selected Designer and the details of the Programme (and not advertise it publicly or privately including but not limited to on social media channels). 

12.    The Selected Designers may be asked to participate in publicity related to the Programme which may include the publication of their name, image and town or country of residence in any media.

13.    The decision of MR PORTER (and the Selection Committee) in choosing each Selected Designer is final and no correspondence or discussion will be entered into.

The Programme Benefits

14.    As part of the Programme, each Selected Designer will receive the following:

a)    The opportunity to design and develop a minimum 15-piece capsule collection with MR PORTER across five (5) design workshops based on the Selected Designer’s Entry (the “Capsule Collection”);

b)    Participation in six (6) business incubation workshops with MR PORTER and the London College of Fashion in order to teach the Selected Designers how to commercialise the Capsule Collection;

c)    12 individual one-hour virtual coaching sessions with an Industry Mentor focussing on entrepreneurial development;

d)    Two individual one-hour virtual mentoring sessions with four Industry Mentors (being eight mentoring sessions in total) during the term of the Programme to discuss and develop the Capsule Collection. MR PORTER will allocate each Selected Designer with the appropriate Industry Mentor for these mentoring sessions subject to availability and appropriate expertise;

e)    Subject to any applicable travel restrictions up to four (4) trips to London between August 2021 and September 2022 in order for the Selected Designers to undertake the workshops referenced above in person. MR PORTER will arrange and pay for the cost of these trips together with any accommodation and/or expenses. For the avoidance of doubt, this benefit shall we subject to any and all travel restrictions that may exist at the relevant time and therefore cannot be guaranteed; 

f)    The launch of the Capsule Collection on the Website; and

g)    Receipt of 50% of the Net Profits generated from the sale of the Capsule Collection on the Website for 12 months from the launch of the Capsule Collection for sale on the Website. “Net Profits” means the sale price of the product less operational, manufacturing and production costs, landing costs, including transportation fees, customs, duties, taxes, handling, packaging and payment fees.

together the “Programme Benefits”. 

15.    The Programme Benefits (together and separately) are subject to availability, and in respect of the workshops, MR PORTER will use reasonable endeavours to arrange the various workshops referred to in paragraph 14 at a mutually convenient time for the Selected Designers and the Selection Committee. The Programme Benefits are non-transferable, non-exchangeable and no cash alternative is offered. 

Intellectual Property

16.    Ownership of each Entry, once submitted to MR PORTER, shall remain the sole and exclusive property of the Eligible Entrant. Each Eligible Entrant hereby grants to MR PORTER a worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive licence to use the Intellectual Property Rights in its Entry for the purpose of operating and advertising the Programme, including providing the Programme Benefits to the Selected Designers.   17.    Ownership of each Capsule Collection shall remain the sole and exclusive property of the relevant Selected Designer. Each Selected Designer hereby grants to MR PORTER: (i) a worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive licence to use the Intellectual Property Rights in the Capsule Collection for the purpose of operating and advertising the Programme, including providing the Programme Benefits to the Selected Designers and (ii) a worldwide, irrevocable, exclusive licence to use the Intellectual Property Rights in the Capsule Collection for the purpose of advertising and selling, as the exclusive retailer, the Capsule Collection on the Website for 12 months from the launch of the Capsule Collection for sale on the Website.

18.    Each Eligible Entrant who does not become a Selected Designer agrees to keep confidential the details of their Entry until the Announcement Date and each Selected Designer agrees to keep confidential the details of their Entry and Capsule Collection until it is launched on the Website.

19.    Each Eligible Entrant and Selected Designer warrants that:

a)    it has not given and will not give permission to any third party to use any of the Entry and/or Capsule Collection, nor any of the Intellectual Property Rights existing in the Entry and/or Capsule Collection in breach of these Rules; and

b)    the Entry and/or Capsule Collection is the Eligible Entrants’ and/or Selected Designers’ sole and original creation and use of the Entry and/or Capsule Collection or the Intellectual Property Rights in the Entry and/or Capsule Collection by MR PORTER will not infringe the rights of any third party. 

20.    Each Eligible Entrant and each Selected Designer waives any moral rights in their respective Entry and Capsule Collection which they may be entitled to under Chapter IV of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or any similar provision of law in any jurisdiction, including (but without limitation), the right to be identified, the right of integrity and the right against false attribution, and agrees not to institute, support, maintain or permit any action or claim to the effect that any treatment, exploitation or use of the Entry and Capsule Collection  or other materials by MR PORTER (or its affiliates) infringes their moral rights.

21.    For the purposes of these Rules, “Intellectual Property Rights” shall mean patents, rights to Inventions, copyright and related rights, moral rights, trade marks and service marks, business names and domain names, rights in get-up and trade dress, goodwill and the right to sue for passing off or unfair competition, rights in designs, rights in computer software, database rights, rights to use, and protect the confidentiality of, confidential information (including know-how and trade secrets) and all other intellectual property rights, in each case whether registered or unregistered and including all applications and rights to apply for and be granted, renewals or extensions of, and rights to claim priority from, such rights and all similar or equivalent rights or forms of protection which subsist or will subsist now or in the future in any part of the world.

**General **

22.    It is each Eligible Entrant’s responsibility to ensure that they provide accurate and up-to-date contact information. MR PORTER may exclude any Eligible Entrant, replace any Selected Designer and/or withdraw the Programme Benefits from a Selected Designer and choose another Selected Designer if MR PORTER feels that such individual has failed to comply or violated these Rules for any reason.

23.    By submitting an Entry to the Programme, each Eligible Entrant (whether entering as an individual or a design duo) warrants that they have authority to enter into the Programme. 

24.    MR PORTER does not accept any responsibility for any damage, loss, injury or disappointment suffered howsoever arising from the Programme or the Programme Benefits, whether due to any errors or omissions or other cause by MR PORTER, its employees, agents or others to the fullest extent permitted by law. Nothing shall exclude MR PORTER’s liability for death or personal injury as a result of its negligence. Eligible Entrants’ statutory rights are not affected.

25.    Any personal information provided to MR PORTER may be held and used by MR PORTER and other members of the Selection Committee for the purposes of administering the Programme and fulfilling and delivering the Programme Benefits to the Selected Designers. For details as to how MR PORTER may use personal data, please consult the Privacy Policy here.

26.    MR PORTER reserves the right to hold void, cancel, suspend, or amend the Rules, Programme or Programme Benefits without prior notice. 

27.    In the event of any dispute regarding these Rules and all other matters relating to the Programme, the decision of MR PORTER shall be final and no correspondence or discussion shall be entered into. 

28.    For any questions about the Programme, please contact futures@mrporter.com 

29.    The Programme and these Rules shall be governed by English law, and the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.