Grants and awards
"Go To Brand" Grant - funded by the European Regional Development Fund, obtained through the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP).
The goal of the "Go To Brand" program is to assist small and medium-sized enterprises in expanding into potential new markets. This is primarily done through participation in trade fairs and festivals, where company representatives establish new business relationships. Since most of Wasted Couture's products are sold to customers abroad, and participating in trade fairs plays a major part in our growth, we gave our all to receive this grant. We succeeded, and thanks to it, we participated in as many as six different business trips. This was an opportunity for us to gain extensive experience, engage in hundreds of enlightening conversations, and establish several valuable business contacts.
Thanks to the grant, we took part in the following events:
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MOMAD - Madrid, Spain. 17/09/2021 In September 2021 we took part in the first one of events that we're attending thanks to the Go To Brand grant from the PARP project. For the first time we participated in this sort of international fashion fair! The event turned out to be slightly different than we expected, but we still managed to find lots of inspiration there, and to meet a few amazing persons. The most interesting part was certainly the Sustainable Experience alley where our stand was also placed - there, fashion brands who create in an ethical and eco-friendly way presented their products. |
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FACTS - Ghent, Belgium. 06/11/2021 The FACTS Convention, i.e. the Belgian Comic Con in Ghent, was the second trip in which we participated thanks to funds from the Go To Brand grant. A noteworthy thing about the event was its perfect organization - both the remote communication during the preparations for our arrival and the cooperation with the Organizers on site was exceptionally quick and nice. On our way to the event, we were not sure what to expect there, but it turned out that the attendance was good, the atmosphere was very kind, and our stand attracted the attention of many visitors. |
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Hamburg Harley Days - Hamburg, Germany. 24/06/2022 Participation in Harley Days - the largest European rally of these impressive motorcycles - was an opportunity for us to see how our assortment will appeal to people at an event of a completely different type than the ones we usually go to. Outside of work, we admired the machines all around us, we saw a spectacular fireshow performance, we also managed to establish an acquaintance with a German company that produces clothes in a similar, worn-out aesthetics.
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Colours Of Ostrava - Ostrava, Czechia. 13/07/2022.
Colors is a truly unique event, most importantly thanks to its amazing location. During the festival, the historical area of the Dolne Vítkovice steelworks is filled with a over a dozen scenes with a variety of music, great food, excellent Czech beer and, of course, thousands of beautifully styled attendees. The industrial space provided the perfect backdrop for our post-apocalyptic and alternative projects, and looked truly amazing from the lookout tower. Our mobile boutique was very popular, and we also managed to meet some very interesting exhibitors. |
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Wasteland Weekend - California, USA. 29/09/2022 Attending Wasteland Weekend has always been one of our dreams. The event turned out to be even more amazing than we'd have imagined. The community greeted us with extraordinary hospitality and lots of support. We were surprised by the number of people who recognized our brand, attendees who told us about their Polish heritage, or online customers who'd come around to our booth to meet us in person and take a picture together. We made lots of new connections and our friend and booth neighbor, Karol Bartoszyński, introduced us to more fantastic, talented artists. We'll always treasure the memories of our stay at the Mojave desert and we hope to come back one day!
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MIPTV - Cannes, France. 17/04/2023 Our trip to Cannes was the last one we took with the funding from the Go To Brand program in 2023. This was of enormous importance to us. Until then, we hadn't had the opportunity to showcase our work at a film industry trade fair, even though we had been increasingly involved in this field in recent years. Our expectations were met in every way!
We met numerous film and music producers, directors, and other professionals from the entertainment industry. The multitude of networking events during MIPTV was a pleasant surprise, providing us with countless opportunities to connect with many interesting individuals. Building new friendships is what matters most to us during such trips! |
"Strengthening the Regional Economy of Western Pomerania - Navigate towards Innovation," implemented as part of the Regional Operational Program of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship 2014-2020.
The West Pomeranian Voivodeship is very actively supporting entrepreneurs in the region to develop their businesses. The "Navigate towards Innovation" program gave us the opportunity to embark on another international trip to promote our brand and establish new business relationships. We chose the Wave Gotik Treffen event, which we had considered attending with the Go To Brand grant, and thanks to the support from Western Pomerania, we eventually made it there.
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Wave Gotik Treffen - Liepzig, Germany 26/05/2023 We feel honored that in 2023, we had the opportunity to be a part of this incredible event for the first time. The attendees loved our work! We met many people who have been following our activities for a long time, including some old customers, and we also gained new enthusiasts for our fashion. It's amazing how colorful, warm, and friendly the gothic community is. |
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Wave Gotik Treffen - Liepzig, Germany 17/05/2024 This festival will undoubtedly remain in our hearts forever. Our post-apocalyptic style was once again warmly received by this community. This year, we had more time to build relationships with other alternative fashion brands, designers, and artists. We also met many musicians this year, but most importantly, we got to spend quality time with numerous loyal customers. We highly recommend attending this event – you don't have to be a goth to fall in love with it! Participation in the event subsidised under the non-competitive project entitled: ‘Rudder to Export’ realised within the framework of the programme European Funds for Western Pomerania 2021-2027, Measure 1.9 Preparation and implementation of new business models of enterprises (including joint projects of enterprises and business support institutions) - Project type 3 Export promotion and internationalisation SMEs. |
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Victory in the Mentorship Program organized by Western Pomerania in connection with the Design Conference. Collaboration with Katarzyna Konieczka.
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As Wasted Couture, we managed to convince the competition committee that we should participate in the mentorship program with Katarzyna Konieczka, an internationally recognized costume designer. During various meetings and discussions, we gained valuable insights related to running our fashion business. The continuous dialogue within the mentorship program also resulted in the creation of an impressive costume, which was showcased during the Design Conference organized by the West Pomeranian Voivodeship Office. This collaboration went beyond the formal framework of the mentorship program, evolving into an authentic and supportive friendship. It demonstrated the significant importance of sincere collaboration among creators, who operate in a similar industry but possess entirely different experiences, as well as the region's support for local businesses.
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