Applications have opened for the 16th Bridal Gown Design Competition, held within the scope of IF Wedding Fashion İzmir – Bridal, Groom and Evening Wear Fair, one of Europe’s largest fashion fairs. The competition will be organized this year under the theme “Equilibrium” Last year, 97 designers applied with 243 designs. Applications will remain open until November 14.
IF Wedding Fashion İzmir, to be held in İzmir—the capital of fashion and bridal wear—will open its doors at fuarizmir between January 20–22, 2026, hosted by İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and organized by İZFAŞ in partnership with the Aegean Clothing Manufacturers Association (EGSD). As in previous years, the Bridal Gown Design Competition will be held for the 16th time, aiming to introduce new designers to the sector and bring fresh momentum to bridal fashion with original ideas.
The theme of this year’s competition has been set as “Equilibrium” Designers will create new bridal gown designs by harmoniously blending tradition and modernity, simplicity and elegance, nature and digital elements within a single creation. Young designers selected as finalists will present their designs—prepared under the guidance of industry mentors—to a professional jury and sector representatives.
Applicants must be at least 18 years old and not older than 35 by the date of the award ceremony. Candidates must be students or graduates of at least two-year fashion design programs at faculties of fine arts, fashion design departments, vocational schools of fashion and textile design, stage design and applied sciences schools, or maturation institutes; or hold a certificate from Ministry of National Education–approved fashion design courses.
Detailed application requirements and all relevant information are available at gelinliktasarimyarismasi.com.tr.
The pre-selection will take place on November 20–21, after which the semi-finalists will be announced. Following the evaluation on November 25, 15 finalists will be selected and will have the opportunity to prepare their designs together with experienced industry mentors. The finalists will showcase their creations on the IF Wedding Fashion İzmir runway, and the competition awards will be presented at a ceremony held within the scope of the fair.
Young designers who place in the competition will gain both a strong entry into the sector and prestigious awards. The first-place designer will receive TRY 100,000 and earn the right to stage a Performance Fashion Show at IF Wedding Fashion İzmir 2027. The second-place designer will be awarded TRY 75,000, while the third-place designer will receive TRY 50,000. In addition, the Performance Fashion Show of Öztürk Yıkılmaz, winner of last year’s competition, will meet fashion enthusiasts on the IF Wedding Fashion İzmir 2026 runway.