1. Bata World News
Bata Inspires Tomorrow’s Designers in Singapore
Young designers in Singapore got to know the Bata brand
intimately through a competition supported by the Shoe
Innovation Center Asia and Africa, or SICA 2, and Bata
Singapore. It was an exciting opportunity for the international
students at the prestigious School of Fashion and Design of the
Management Development Institute of Singapore.
The initiative started a few months ago, when Alberto Virgilli, Bata’s diversity manager,
guided the MDIS fashion and design students around Bata’s newly-renovated Flagship
store in Peninsula Plaza. He introduced the brand’s values and provided key insights on
the accessories market and consumer trends.
Then the competition began! The project brief was to create original designs for
women’s handbags in line with the concept of multi-functionality and the Bata mission
of making great shoes [and bags] accessible to everyone.

2. The design students began with concept exploration and material research. Eventually
they presented sketches, technical drawings and illustrations for a range of three bags
that fit the Bata price point and consumer requirements.
In February, 26 students presented their handbag designs to Virgilli, handbag product
manager Aparna Chatterjee and MDIS lecturer Aven Kee. Among 10 remarkable
projects, three winners were selected: Asel Soorbekova from Russia, Gracia Ventus Putri
from Indonesia and Tiffany Tan Rui Ting from Singapore.
SICA 2 will make prototypes of those three students’ projects, and if some have
commercial potential they may be included in a regional collection. The collaboration
was also an opportunity for Bata to scout young design talent for internships.
“I was struck by the enthusiasm that the students put into the project and by
the deep link they had with the brand, which most of them got to know first
through school shoes. Some of them already showed an impressive
professional approach. For us managers, it was a very exciting experience
being surrounded by so many fresh ideas and creativity,” Virgilli commented.
The project was coordinated by the head of the school, Anna Lottesberger. “The MDIS
School of Fashion and Design is pleased to have the opportunity to work with Bata. It
was an enriching experience for the students, who found this project demanding, tough
and fascinating at the same time,” she said.