Finalist look created for Chloé prize
The 31st International Festival of Fashion and Photography in Hyères has kicked off, offering emerging talent access to support from established luxury brands.
Throughout the four day festival, 10 finalists in both fashion and photography will gather to show their creations to a jury that has in the past included names such as Jean-Paul Gaultier, Riccardo Tisci and Raf Simons. With prizes available for the winners supported solely by major fashion companies, this gives the industry a chance to invest in up-and-coming creatives.
Main event
Held this year from April 21-25 at Villa Noailles, the four-day festival includes a fashion show directed by Maïda Gregoiri-Boina. There are also workshops, including one that gives a firsthand look at the floral creations of House Lemarié, which has a longstanding relationship with Chanel, trusted to craft its iconic camellias.
A jury including Vogue Runway director Nicole Phelps and Barneys’ Tomoko Ogura is deciding who should receive the top prizes.
Up for grabs this year is a Grand Prixe grant of 15,000 euro, or about $16,844, from Première Vision, the opportunity to collaborate with Chanel’s Métiers d’art and an additional amount up to 15,000 euro. Chloé is offering a second prize, which will give the winner 15,000 euros, with the potential to market the winning design.
Galeries Lafayette is again supporting the event, presenting a capsule collection designed by Sophie Harand, a finalist from last year’s competition. This collection will be available in-stores and online from September 21.
This year again, Galeries Lafayette will pick a finalist to work with the store to produce a capsule.
Galeries Lafayette also sponsors the live broadcast of the fashion show at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, as well as in Toulon, Hyères, Beijing and Shanghai.
"We are delighted to support the Villa Noailles and to be associated with this flagship event for fashion internationally," said Guillaume Houze, image director of communication at Galeries Lafayette, in a brand statement. "Galeries Lafayette is the heart of a mediation process that selects and showcases the best in fashion for a broad public. They are listening to the creators of tomorrow and provide an ideal springboard for new generation."
Other partners of the festival include LVMH, Elie Saab, Kering and Mercedes-Benz.
Talent scouting initiatives have become popular within the luxury industry, as they offer a chance for brands to find and support emerging designers first.
Conglomerate Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton recently kicked off the third edition of its prize for young fashion designers with a look back at past winners.
A new Web site for the competition houses updates on previous LVMH Prize recipients, showing the tangible impact the $325,500 prize can have for up-and-coming fashion designers. Creating a space for both consumers and potential applicants to get acquainted with the winners from 2014 and 2015 gives the recipients more of a global stage while also highlighting LVMH’s hand in their successes (see story).