Gradute Fashion Week so far, so good!

As each June London gets inmerse in the pre-summer mood: the days are longer and the sun is shinning at its bests.

But as well it is the time that the city exudes innovation and young creativity. we are talking about Graduate Fashion Week, which was launched in 1991 and is a forum to showcase the very best BA Graduate fashion design talent in the UK.  The place to see what the graduates minds are thinking about.

One of this year graduates from Royal College of Art was Stephán Orschel-Read, born in India but raised up in Scotland, who studied laws before turning into a menswear designer. And the change worth it.

After showing with Vauxhall Fashion Scout for 2 seasons, he decided to enroll in a MA at RCA, which he finished last week presenting his graduate collection. A great collection, with special attention to details, such as the reinterpretation of the lapel,  and wise selection and use of fabrics, designing suit jackets with knitwear. Specially showing mastered skills for tailoring and patronage. Definitely this master has improved his skills and turn him into  a more mature menswear designer. He gained our applause from the front row.

Royal College of Arts, has nurture and educated, as well, other great designer that has showed with us such as, David Longshaw, Eudon Choi, Felicity Brown, Sarah Bro Jorgensen among others.

This whole week, is being exciting, coming in and out to shows, and coming to the office impressed by all the new things we have seen. It is worth to mention specially one of the graduate from Westminster University, Catarina Holm, who called our attention. Her collection was a collaboration between her and photographer Noémie Reijnen. Playing with transparent fabrics and acid orange and using floaty fabrics which are trapped with harnesses.

So far so good, this years Graduate Fashion Week is being exciting and inspiring, showing that graduates have a lot to say.

Uk Fashion & Textile Export Awards.

There are just three weeks to go before the deadline for entries to this year´s UK Fashion & textile Export Awards: closing date is 5pm on 17 June 2011.

This award, which this year celebrates their 25th edition also celebrates the awards that  220 Companies have benefited over the past 22 years.

The Awards always attract a very diverse crowd. As well as the winners and other finalists, guests include UKFE members, exhibition organisers, the press and leading retailers. 

The Awards are designed to reward companies, irrespective of size, who have demonstrated export excellence. Judging panel will be looking for winners in eight categories – Menswear; Men's Accessories; Womenswear; Women's Accessories; Childrenswear; Ethical Fashion; Lingerie/Beach Fashion; and New Exporter. 

For the 2011 Awards they have introduced new categories that open up the competition to a broader spectrum of suppliers, retailers and e-tailers within the fashion and textile industry. This year's Awards also take into account the multi-channel marketing strategy that companies are using to sell their products overseas. 

It is a great occasion to network and entertain, and meet people from the industry and other fellows. 

Just to have in mind for this year,  Joanna Lumlet, who presented 2010 edition, joked saying: "Just to let you know, in this room of friends, I am very open to product placement. I'm an average size 12, I have a head, shoulders, feet ready for shoes...you know what to do," Remember this when applying. 

Deadline reminder. They are  Closing date is 5pm on 17 June 2011. 

To start your application just click here.

60 seconds with Fyodor Golan

Young designers, Fyodor Podgorny and Golan Frydman, are the creative minds behind new label Fyodor Golan. Since showing with Vauxhall Fashion Scout last season, the design duo were named Fashion Fringe Finalists yesterday.

Amidst celebrations, Vauxhall Fashion Scout catch up with the boys... 

VFS: What does it mean to you to be nominated as a Fashion Fringe finalist?

Fyodor Golan: It means great belief in our design and support from fashion insiders. We have a chance now to prove ourselves. Show our abilities and style to even wider audience.

VFS: Are you ready in full-swing for next season work?

F.G: Yes our hands are full.

VFS: What is the main inspiration for your next season collection?

F.G: Flowers of evil.

VFS: Which soundtrack are you currently playing in your studio?

F.G: Pink Floyd.

VFS: What's London's best kept secret?

F.G: There are no secrets in London, but Golders Green falafel's are worth the travel!

VFS: What did you did to celebrate last night?

F.G: Lots and lots of Champagne and very good steak!

For further details and to view collections, click here.

VFS

Fashion Fringe Finalists & Five Years of Esthetica

  Fyodor Golan at VFS Feb 11

Cat & Fox
VFS at Esthetica

It was a busy night for the VFS team – first up was the announcement event for the finalists for this year’s Fashion Fringe. While we congratulate all three finalists – Fyodor Golan, Heidi Leung & Nabil El-Nayal – the loudest cheer from team VFS was for Fyodor Golan. Their debut catwalk show at VFS last season went down a storm and was a highlight of the week for many of our regular guests. Fingers crossed guys!

Then it was on the the Fifth Birthday Party for Esthetica where many of our favourite PR’s and designers were enjoying the champagne and canapés. We loved the installation downstairs - especially the giant inflatable animals by Christopher Raeburn! 

Clerkenwell Design Week. Presenting the new.

Clerkenwell area is exuding design, creativity and innovation during this week 24-26 of May.  This new three-day festival breaks with convention by happening midweek, as designers, makers, architects and craftspeople highlight the creativity of this corner of near-central London, which houses 10% of the UK's architects.

This area, where Vauxhall Fashion Scout Headquarters are, has exploded design and creativity, and in every corner there is something new to see. Everywhere and everyone in the neighbourhood show to the outside what they do, inviting everyone to see it and experience it as well as the design process, offering to the visitors the opportunity to interact with the mind behind the innovation and today´s London Creativity, with an exciting programme of talks, debates and workshops.

Clerkenwell is home to over 60 showrooms, a multitude of architectural and creative practices. This cultural hub is the perfect location to host an international festival that celebrates all disciplines of design.

With over 150 events, a series of pop up exhibitions, installations, talks, performances, music and workshops, the festival is a showcase of cutting edge design from some of the biggest names in the industry. In 2010 the design community flocked to Clerkenwell with over 18000 registered, 2011 promises to be bigger and better.

The wonderfully Dickensian Farmiloe warehouse building, which hosts a design exhibition, is one of the event stars, though there are also film shows, art installations, seminars and debates, all design-themed. Tom Dixon fans can get a sneak preview of his new Peg chair and a forest of giant floor lamps will fill St John's Square as well as a craft market hosted by Craft Central.

The House of Detention is a Victorian prison, hosting an exhibition showcasing some of the most exciting contemporary talent. Exhibitors include, PlacesandSpaces presenting Droog, Hendzel and Hunt, Timorous Beasties, Lizzie Mary Cullen and Bank furniture.

A Three days exciting exhibitions with outdoor expositions, a design market held in St John Square South and open days studios, come to the area and enjoy London´s innovative design and experience creativity alive. 

To know more click here, or just drop yourself at Farringdon or Barbican and enjoy.

Fashion Scout gets all nostalgic...

Jens Laugensen Feb 07

Peter Pilotto Feb 08

Felder Felder Feb 08

David Koma Sept 09

William Tempest Sept 09

David Longshaw Feb 10

Iris Van Herpen Feb 10

Hermione de Paula Sep 10

Eudon Choi Sep 10

With the closing of designer applications for VFS Sep 2011 yesterday and a flurry of excitement for the coming season, Fashion Scout HQ took a moment to reflect on our successes.

Over the past ten seasons, Vauxhall Fashion Scout have nurtured and supported over 180 amazing designers – that’s a lot of acclaimed talent on our catwalks and in our exhibitions

Bursting onto the scene in February 2008, Peter Pilotto graced the VFS catwalk, leading to his highly anticipated NewGen debut next season. And following in his footsteps, Felder Felder, Cooperative Designs and Avsh Alom Gur all presented their collections with VFS to an internationally renowned audience.

More recently, Vauxhall Fashion Scout have been responsible for launching the likes of David Koma, William Tempest, David Longshaw, Hermione de Paula, Iris Van Herpen, Felicity Brown, Dean Quinn and Eudon Choi to the market.

David Koma made his catwalk debut with Vauxhall Fashion Scout as the proud recipient of the Merit Award and within just two seasons he was propelled on to the NewGen catwalk. Felicity Brown after just one season at the Vauxhall Fashion Scout London Exhibition (which saw them snapped up by Barneys, Liberty London and Selfridges) also joined the NewGen alumni.

Always a first for new talent, Ones To Watch stars Eudon Choi and David Longshaw saw Harvey Nichols Dubai, Harvey Nichols Hong Kong, Lusia Via Roma and Debut New York collectively invest in their debut collections, leading to the highly successful Elle Talent Launch Pad Award for both!

Vauxhall Fashion Scout has quickly become renowned as London’s leading showcase for innovation, selecting and showcasing the quality and vision that London is so famous for. And with such an established eye for the future of British talent, Vauxhall Fashion Scout has recently introduced On-Schedule talents Maria Francesca Pepe, Tim Soar, Krystof Strozyna and BodyAmr into its fold.

The Vauxhall Fashion Scout intention has always been to discover and bring the most exciting talents to the attention of the industry and are proud to have showcased some of London’s hottest names.

With a smile on our face we look forward to the next season!

FAD students featured in Disorder magazine

Menswear Runner-up, Annie Vallis of Nottingham Trent University and finalist Lucy Johnson from The University of East London, FAD students from the February show – FAD Competition – at Vauxhall Fashion Scout, have been featured in the latest edition of UK Mag Disorder.

F.A.D (Fashion Awareness Direct)  is a charity that has been helping budding designers in the transition from education to the fashion industry for a decade now by awarding the winner and two runners up with £2000 and £1000 and unique industry placements. Protégées go on to work in top fashion industry designer roles or set up their own label, testament to the importance of the work that F.A.D is doing.

On their latest competition, they celebrated ten years of supporting young creative talent with a successful show that saw a refreshingly diverse range of womenswear and menswear. The theme behind this year competition, enticed students to design a mini-collection inspired by the concept of escaping. 

Finalist Lucy Johnson got her inspiration from her personality and what she thought about what she wants to escape from, the fear of being alone somewhere. She found the place through travel – looking at mountains, rocks and water to pick up textures and an organic feel, to finally create a hooded brown men’s parka and leaf scarf look

Annie Vallis, the second runner up, presented the new idea of men clothing, earthy menswear. Landscape printed shirts grounded with beige shorts, legging and plastic macs, made for a new breed of eco-warrior. 

Both students will be showcasing at Graduate Fashion Week in London this June, along with several other talented FAD students including FAD’s 2010 winner, Rasa Abramaviciute. 

Read more about the FAD Competition: the winners, runners-up and inspirations at www.fad.org.uk.

To have a look at Disorder Magazine click here. 

Maria Francesca Pepe. People you should know.

Maria Francesca Pepe, On-schedule designer who showed with Vauxhall Fashion Scout, is presented by 10 magazine as someone we should know, and they gave us an insight into the designer behind the name with an in-depth interview about how she works, where she gets inspiration from, and some tips to make your own jewellery.

She defines her self as avant-garde and gothic, she likes luxury when it gets dirty and contaminated. She also confess “I´m rather selective and critical in my choices. But I do have a thing about pink stuff” which she regrets.

At the moment she is analyzing what she has done after fashion week and besides dealing with the industry, she feels the urgent necessity to start designing again, and she starts collecting ideas, inspirational things, and feedback  to be ready for the moment to start over again.

For her, it is easier to design jewels as you don´t have fitting rules and the construction process is much more straight forward. "What you draw in the paper is most likely what the final piece is going to look like" she says. And you can play with elements and tools. As well, she finds funny working on printing for her jersey range, she often use pictures of her jewelry to create prints. 

Maria gives an advice to student-budgeted readers. When she was a student she used to take pictures of expensive things she liked and printed them in cotton stripes to make fabric-jewelry. Now, that she can move into different materials, she has pierced with crystals and pearls the faces of vintage sexy icons such as James Dean, Rita Hayworth, Theda Bara.

She is auto-referential in her work, she goes with her emotions, but she is learning to be more aware of commercial values. She is not only trying to think about her wearing MFP but also about the customers and celebrities who represent the brand, like hugely eye-catching Lady Gaga. 

To know more about Maria Francesca Pepe click here.
To see her show with Vauxhall Fashion Scout click here.


Juan Mora Yanes

Fashion-enterprise Launches the first Fashion Fast-track Bootcamp

Fashion-enterprise Launches the first Fashion Fast-track Bootcamp for London scheduled for 9 - 10 July 2011. 

If you have a new fashion label, innovative  idea, product or service, the Centre for Fashion Enterprise’s Bootcamp can assist to fast-track your business to success.  

It is an intensive start-up weekend programme aiming to give fashion entrepreneurs realistic feedback on their product/service and their launch plan. 

This opportunity is really good for entrepreneurs who might be outside the usual networks and may not be able to access the right experts to get experienced market feedback.   

The main aim is to fast-track beginners to access expert market feedback, matching them with experts who will assist in directing strategies to make sure that business idea is properly researched, developed, planned, funded and launched; increasing its chances of success.

There’s also a chance to win a cash prize of £1,000 for the entrepreneur with the best idea pitched to our experts during the Bootcamp.

Full details are available on the  CFE website click here.

Ethical Fashion Forum opens applications for the innovation awards 2011: The Sustainable Fashion Design Competition

The industry body dedicated to a sustainable future for fashion, Ethical Fashion Forum opens the applications for the innovation Awards 2011: The Sustainable fashion design competition. Deadline for applications 10th June 2011.

The Ethical Fashion Forum's annual INNOVATION competition seeks out and promotes inspirational new talent in fashion design and sustainability.

Winners are selected for awards on the basis of outstanding design and product quality, as well as innovation in relation to social and environmental sustainability.

They have partnered with Pure London which is a trade fashion event for sourcing contemporary, directional and premium womenswear, footwear and accessory brands every February and August.

For the first time they launch an INNOVATION USA  category in partnership with Nolcha Fashion Week: New York 2011. Winners of this category will be showcased at the exhibition at Nolcha Fashion Week in September 2011. 

Nolcha Fashion Week, consists of runway shows, exhibition and networking events showcasing independent fashion designers, now in its 5th year and held simultaneously with New York Fashion Week.

Winners benefit from a stand at either Pure London or Nolcha Fashion Week, as well as promotion to the EFF's huge network of press and buyers through all of their media channels.

INNOVATION UK winners benefit for the first time from a professional photoshoot of their collection courtesy of Green Lens Studios.

For further information click here. 

Applications for September 2011 will be closing Monday 23.

Just 1 week to end the search for the best innovative designers as Vauxhall Fashion Scout, London’s leading independent showcase, closes its applications for London Fashion Week September 2011 and Paris Fashion Week October 2011, next Monday 23rd.


Over 200 applications requested and applications still coming in, full of innovative ideas and young talents, hurry up!

Taking place in our permanently location Freemasons´ Hall, Covent Garden, the event runs for the full length of LFW featuring multiple show spaces including 2 Catwalk halls, Exhibition halls and a media lounge. 

As well you can apply for Vauxhall Fashion Scout’s Paris Showroom, located next to the Picasso Museum in the heart of the Marais. 

Remember that applications are open to womenswear, menswear and accessory designers for

·       Catwalk

·       Presentations

·       Salon Shows

·       Exhibition

·       Paris Showroom

We are also receiving application for VFS’s acclaimed awards - Merit Award, Ones To Watch and the newly launched Ones To Watch MEN.

The Merit Award offers a fully sponsored catwalk show and specially tailored mentoring and business support to winning designers for three consecutive seasons. Attracting leading international press and buyers, the prestigious Merit Award has previously launched William Tempest, David Koma, Hermione de Paula, Eudon Choi and Georgia Hardinge into the fashion spotlight.

Ones To Watch is a highly acclaimed platform designed specifically to launch the freshest new talents to the market in a collaborative back-to-back showcase. Providing designers with their first opportunity to show to a UK and international audience and with dedicated exhibition space in London, Ones To Watch has quickly become the leading showcase for the next generation of design talent.

For further information please visit www.vauxhallfashionscout.com and to request an application form please contact show@vauxhallfashionscout.com.

Remember the deadline Monday 23 May and Good luck!

Pina in 3D. Dance, dance or we will be lost.

It is the time to start creating and designing the collections for next season, finding some inspiration is always good. From Vauxhall Fashion Scout we will like to help.


Pina is a feature-lenght dance film in 3D with the ensemble of the Tanztheatre Wuppertal Pina Bausch, featuring the unique, innovative and inspiring art of the great German choreographer, who died in the summer of 2009.


Wim Wenders, the director takes the audience and place it straight onto the stage, on a sensual, visually stunning journey of discovery. “A film for Pina Bausch” is the result of using the choreographs which had been carefully selected, and using some images and audio files of her life as well as 3D recordings of individual ensemble members of the Tanztheater Wuppertal who in spring of 2010 danced personal memories of the precise, critical and loving nature of their great mentor.


You find yourself starring at individual dancers while you hear their voices, their thoughts about Pina, and their learning processes with the main character of the film who is present on the dialogues, and only physically visible dancing.


In all the pieces - “Cafe Müller”, “Le Sacre du Printemps”, “Vollmond”, and Kontakthof”-there are several elements that create the idea, or help to communicate the feelings, which might give you a hint about the sense the piece should have, or the understanding of what is happening.


Architecture and natural locations have been carefully chosen to create an intense atmosphere, jumping from the theatre to the street, where the dancers perform in the middle of the road with the cars passing trough, in the tube or dancing in a glass box in the middle of the forest. This dimension of the space, in which movement and dance take place, is only depicted as a sensual journey with 3D technology.


Natural elements have a huge role in the choreographs as well as in the movie as they form part of Pina teaching and the understanding of the human and its movements. Dancing in the water, soil or blowing fallen leaves.


As well as architecture and natural elements, the garments the dancers are wearing, help to embody the concept. Flowy dresses that give lightweight to the dancers, who sometimes fall to the floor as stones. Or pure white dresses that turn into another piece as the dance goes on and the performers were dragging on the soil. Even the dresses were the constant element in a piece where there is a play between ages, dancers turning from teenagers to grown up individuals.


All this elements helped to create the scenography, and communicate what words sometimes can not.  This movie is a delicious journey onto the innovative dancing that Pina created, as well a close up on the self teaching manners that Pina used to educate the dancers. “Dance for love” she only said to one of them.


You find yourself trying to give sense to a scene, with the unique capacity of your knowledge, understanding what is happening and tidying up your feelings. This is inspiring in the way you try to mix different thoughts, as well it is inspiring how the dancers self-learned and found their way.


Dance, Dance or we will be lost.


To see the trailer click here.


Juan Mora Yanes.

Fashion Finest Awards nominees announced.

Nominees for the inaugural Fashion Finest Awards have been unveiled. Congratulations to the nominees, who among all, are 6 designers that showed and exhibited with Vauxhall Fashion Scout, they are:

Bunmi koko nominated for the Emerging Designer Category

Samantha Cole London nominated for the Designer of the Year category

A.Hallucination London, Asger Juel Larsen, C/Bruerberg and Mr. Lipop nominated for the menswear designer.

The Awards have been Organised by Fashion Finest Magazine which is an increasingly growing portal for both the fashion consumer and industry professionals to connect.

Now, they want to recognise emerging talents and young minds, to spot them as the new generation, and give them the opportunity to be recognised as industry talents that are considered ‘off the radar.’ 

This nomination already recognises the great work that every single designer have done, as well highlighting their innovative spirit, which is one of the main facts that this awards celebrates.

Well done guys! Now, keep working hard, and we hope this nomination entice you to show the industry what the new generations can do. 

The event will take place on July 22 at  London at Gibson Hall. Click here to see the official site.

Juan Mora Yanes

Not Just A Label launches new web page

NJAL, the leading global resource for discovering and supporting pioneers in contemporary design, is celebrating 3 years of digital fashion launching a new state-of-the-art website. This will make their efforts stronger on supporting young an innovative designers.

With this new website they are trying to be at the spot, leading trends and new technology bringing the most innovative fashion designers to the front, and push undiscovered talent forth with ease. This new site is focused in answer the necessities of different sides of the industry, press, designers and shoppers.

For press and media, the site offers an improved designer directory, which allows accelerated access to the most exciting new talents, tailored to the industry’s demands. A section showcasing the newest collections offers a real-time avenue for finding new talent instantaneously, and an enhanced editorial section that brings more focus to fashion journalism; paying attention on topics not covered by the mainstream media.

For designers, the new site offers more exposure opportunities and an improved retail function to finance their progression independently. It also provides a fresh platform to promote and publicise independent design with increased functionality.

For shoppers, the site has elevated its retail platform to a new level, with access to the world’s most fashion-forward designs. Working alongside this launching, collaborations with London based designer, will complete the evolution of the site.

The evolution of this webpage enhances the previous efforts that NJAL was doing, as well as Vauxhall Fashion Scout, showcasing and bringing new talents to the front, and helping them to launch and grow businesses. Understanding the evolution of the new technologies and social networks is vital to succeed and be on the right track to carry on. 

Click here to visit their new webpage full of interesting new content.

Juan Mora Yanes