Young Designers Impress in Hyeres
By Ellen Groves HYERES, France ? Underlining its status as an international launchpad for new fashion talent, more than 400 industry professionals plus 200 journalists flocked to the 23rd International Festival of Fashion and Photography held here from April 25 to 28.
Over a sun-soaked weekend, 10 fashion designers, whittled down from 250 candidates initially, impressed a jury presided over by Givenchy’s creative director, Riccardo Tisci, who declared half of the designers could easily have shown at Paris Fashion Week.
“People are saying it doesn’t look like a young designer’s competition,” said Tisci, who was joined by fashion experts including Haider Ackermann, Lane Crawford’s fashion director Sarah Rutson and stylist Patti Wilson.
Tisci predicted that three or four of the competitors would go on to be successful. Among them will likely be British designer Matthew Cunnington, whose “Hail Mary” collection of voluminous black wool and jersey dresses, inspired by his mother’s forced adoption of her illegitimate daughter in the Sixties, swept the L’Or?al Professionnel sponsored prize of 15,000 euros, or $23,300 at current exchange.
“For me, it was perfection,” said Tisci, lauding the collection’s volume and details. “Not many people have a sensibility like that.”"There?s a need for sensuality and beauty today, instead of aggression and sexuality.??” ? Haider AckermannThe jury lauded Birmingham-based Cunnington’s devor? technique, where he burnt the natural wool on a screen print with acid to leave patches of viscose exposed ? a literal expression of being emotionally torn apart.
“There’s a need for sensuality and beauty today, instead of aggression and sexuality,” said Ackermann.
Belgian stylist Jean-Paul Lespagnard, meanwhile, took an ironic view of fashion, sending Dolly Parton-wigged models sashaying down the runway in clown-striped or cowboy pants, plus drag queen killer heels, accessorized with french fries made from Perspex. Lespagnard, who trained in theater design, scooped both the audience award and French fast-fashion chain 1.2.3’s 15,000 euro, or $23,300, prize.
Some of the designs will go straight to the shop floor. Maria Luisa will display Lespagnard’s collection later this year, while Lane Crawford is planning to host installations by several, as yet undisclosed, designers.
Tisci, meanwhile, evoked the possibility that several Hy?res participants could work with him at Givenchy and also plans to point willing investors in their direction. “In fashion, without money you can go nowhere,” he said. “I’ve been there; 10,000 euros [or $15,500] changes everything.”
