The festival is known as the oldest fashion competition aimed at young professionals. Every year since its first edition in 1986 the provincial town of Hyères welcomes fashion insiders from all over the world. For five days it becomes an epicentre of stylish and all those who are looking for next Antoniy Vaccarello and Haider Ackermann (both former winners of the festival).
It’s thanks to Jean-Pierre Blanc, the founder of the festival and the director of the Villa Nouilles that this epic place regained its bygone glory by promoting young creatives.Started as a cloths designers contest, the event was first extended to emerging photographers in 1997 and then to fashion accessory designers in 2016.
Several prizes are awarded to the competing fashion designers thanks to grants provided by the festival’s partners who are committed to support the next generation of creators. By the way, the list of the partners is more than impressive, it has been growing every year and includes such prominent names as CHANEL, le19M, Première Vision, LVMH, Hermès, Mercedes-Benz, American Vintage, la Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, le Défi, Galeries Lafayette, L’Atelier des Matières.
In addition to the cash prize, the winners are provided with long term assistance, be it production, workmanship, materials, legal, media, exhibitions, workshops and residencies.The topic of last year was sustainability. But, well, can we talk about fashion without sustainable approach anymore? Thus, discovering the collections of the 10 finalists we were pleasantly surprised that each of them puts this concept in the core of his/her work.So different and unique, as the organisers put diversity and inclusivity first in terms of the finalists selection, all designers are excellent storytellers (the essential quality for the creatives nowadays) and perfectly know the direction where they go.
The president of the jury Fashion this year became Glenn Martens.Artistic director of Y/Project, Diesel and Jean Paul Gaultier (guest creative director for the spring 2022 couture collection), this Belgian prodigy is definitely the most hyped and promising designer in the industry at present moment.
We were happy to see in the Jury the winner of the Grand Prix of the Première Vision 2021 Ifeanyi Okwuadi who by custom presented his collection at the finalists’ shows on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Nevertheless, the works of Finnish Jenny Hytonen stood out at the very first sight. The leather garments covered in metallic spikes or in transparent mesh decorated with glass beads immediately attracted our attention while discovering the finalists’ looks.Her unisex collection called “Untitled” is based on a contrast of sensitivity and roughness: it is a combination of crystal-embroidered, transparent mesh fabrics and heavily riveted leather.
The collection was topped by the “Cyborg,” which featured a bridal veil incorporating 25,000 glass beads hand placed during the knitting process, and an LED bodysuit with a heart sensor that materialised the wearer’s heartbeat with pulsating lights. No wonder, that this 25-year-old designer who graduated from Aalto University won two awards: the main, Grand Prix of the Jury Première Vision and the Public Prize of the City of Hyères.
The first ever L’Atelier des Matières prize established by Chanel was attributed to the emerging designer from Finland Sini Saavala. Her collection “Unwearable” was our personal favourite.
Produced out off the recycled pieces of underwear and t-shorts, the garments which young creative collected from her friends, very feminine but bold at the same time, it resonated as a manifest. “ I wanted to show what we usually hide: (menstruation) blood traces on a slip or sweat stains on a t-short”, – explained Sini concept behind the looks.
I would like to highlight two more finalists. Both of them had us in terms of content and performance.
Every single look from the collection of Alix Habran Jensen is 100% ‘ready-to-wear’ but with an artistic twist. Alix said that while he creates the pieces he makes his girlfriends try them on, to be sure that they are beautiful but also comfy, what a bless.
While the collection of Juha Vehmaanpera stole the final show and all the hearts of the audience. Under vibrant “I don’t want to be a boy” boys wearing neon knitted sets looked and walked like princesses.
