What is the initiative all about?
The Young Basotho Designer’s Collection is an initiative by Aranda Textile Mills aimed at empowering young designers of Basotho origin. This initiative provides a platform for them to showcase their blanket designs and tell Basotho tales through the medium of the blanket. We facilitate the creative process where young and talented designers can contribute to the rich blanket wearing tradition that is woven into fabric of the Basotho culture. In order to keep this tradition alive, Aranda recognizes the need to enable authentic blanket designs by Basotho, for Basotho. All designers chosen for the initiative will earn a royalty for as long as the blankets sell.
What are the criteria?
Our objective is to have a structured development and growth of the collection; thus, the initiative runs on a bi-annual cycle. All designers who meet the required criteria are encouraged to submit their blanket designs to Aranda. The submission deadline date for new designs, to be considered for inclusion into the following year’s range, is the end of March each preceding year.
The pre-admission criteria are as follows:
1. Origin | In order to keep the initiative authentic to the Basotho culture, entries are open to designers of Basotho origin only.
2. Age | The collection is open to young designers, therefore the age limit for anyone submitting their blanket design is up to and including 45 years of age.
3. Profession | The initiative is open to anyone with a design / creative background. Entries will go through a rigorous evaluation process. Once the best designs are chosen, they will be converted to CADs, before sampling and production commences.
Terms and conditions
By applying to be a part of this initiative, you agree to the following:
1. To provide Aranda with at least one blanket design or up to a maximum of three blanket designs for review and consideration for the initiative.
2. Part of this initiative is to tell Basotho tales through the medium of blankets; therefore, the designer must provide Aranda with the story relating to the blanket design and inspiration.
3. Aranda undertakes to pay a non-negotiable rebate amount of 4% (four percent) per blanket sold, calculated based on the wholesale price (excluding VAT and delivery). The wholesale list price can be revisited sporadically, as and when adjustments may apply in that regard.
4. The design and trademark of the blanket that will ultimately be chosen to be a part of the collection, will be owned by Aranda and accordingly, Aranda will be responsible for the registration and maintenance of the intellectual property in that regard.
5. The designer agrees to avail themselves at their own cost, as and when required by Aranda, for photoshoots, media interviews and ultimately a live blanket launch event in Lesotho and / or South Africa.
6. The designer gives the right to Aranda Textile Mills to use the photos including the reproduction thereof or likeness based thereon, with or without the designer’s name, in any legal manner for marketing of their blanket product, in any or all means or media now known or later invented, and the right to copyright same.
7. Aranda reserves the right and at their discretion, to continue to manufacture any blanket design forming part of this initiative after the initial collection production.
8. The designers will have the option to purchase a minimum quantity of 112 (one hundred and twelve) blankets for their own account should Aranda decide not to continue to produce their blanket. They will be charged a factory list price (plus VAT and delivery), and they can then sell it to their own private network of customers. Aranda requests that the MAP (minimum advertised price) pricing principle be adhered to in that regard at retail level.
9. The designers will be independent designers and will not be in any capacity an employee, agent or representative of Aranda Textile Mills (Pty) Ltd.
10. The relationship is limited to a Rebate agreement, based on design(s) supplied by the designers.