Channel is Somerset House’s new curated online space for art, ideas and the artistic process.
Sixteen of the world’s best emerging fashion designers to exhibit in London at the International Fashion Showcase 2019
The International Fashion Showcase (IFS) nurtures and presents work from the best up-and-coming fashion talent from around the world. The biennial fashion presentation is a partnership between the British Council, British Fashion Council, London College of Fashion, UAL and Somerset House.
For London Fashion Week this February, the showcase has a new format. For the first time, 16 selected designers from across the globe will showcase a series of compelling installations to represent their respective country. The designers will explore politics, sustainability, identity and heritage and show their latest designs in immersive environments.
The 16 countries represented are: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, India, Georgia, Italy, Kenya, Lebanon, Lithuania, Netherlands, Rwanda, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Vietnam.
Some highlights of the exhibition include:
· Duran Lantink from the Netherlands - whose ‘vagina’ trousers drew global attention in Janelle Monae’s PYNK video - will present Straight from the sale bins questioning the permanent state of sale and discount in the fashion industry, casting a critical eye on the phenomena of Black Friday and the resulting sales riots.
· Cedric Mizero will use objects from everyday life in a Rwandan village to draw attention to the marginalised communities and cultures in his country. However, rather than focus on the negatives often associated with rural life in a developing country, Mizero will celebrate the wealth of village life.
· Tom Trandt – the founder of Môi Điên in Vietnam - will use UV lights to reveal embroidered slogans of protest about his home country where dissent is illegal.
· Laura Laurens will present work from her ongoing collaboration with three LGBTQ+ members of Colombia’s indigenous Emberá community.
· British Bangladeshi designer Rahemur Rahman is working with young people aged 13-19 from his home borough of Tower Hamlets to produce elements of his space. Working to a creative brief, each will earn an Arts Awards qualification for their participation, which Rahman hopes will support their pathway into working in the creative industries.
· Kenyan jewellery designer Ami Doshi Shah will use salt as the main medium of her collection, pointedly located in the West Wing of Somerset House, once home to the British Empire’s Salt Office.
Sarah Mower MBE British Fashion Council Ambassador for Emerging Talent and Chief Critic at Vogue.com, said:
“As vast, daunting and digitally-driven as the fashion industry can be, the most vital, exciting ideas often originate from self-expression and personal relationships. This year, by inviting the 16 emerging designers to London for a summer residency, the International Fashion Showcase took the principle of fostering personal exchange and interaction to the next level. The results of the experience were unexpectedly electric for all involved. Put simply, the knowledge, eye-opening conversations and creative energy sparked in all directions across the group.”
The free exhibition is a key part of London Fashion Week, giving both the public and industry professionals the opportunity to discover emerging fashion from five continents: Africa, North and South America, Asia and Europe and to celebrate its global relevance. The collections presented offer a balanced mix of womenswear and menswear exploring topical but universally shared issues and present new ideas and solutions that are shaping fashion globally.
In another first, these designers will be supported through a bespoke online programme, developed by London College of Fashion, UAL, which will cover all aspects of business development from branding to sales and production to sustainability. They also travelled to London in August 2018 to attend a two-week talent development programme. This tailored cultural residency and business skills training will give the emerging designers the professional support that is often difficult to access, provided by some of the UK’s leading fashion and creative experts.
The designers spent one week immersed in the creative community of Somerset House Studios where they were supported by a range of studio artists whose skills and expertise range from ethical fashion and sustainability to tech. Another week was spent with experts from London College of Fashion, UAL reviewing their business and brand development goals. During both residencies, the designers explored, tested and developed a series of collaborations and creative projects that formed part of their installations, and were given important insights into all aspects of business from branding and communications to sales.
In recognition of the participants' creativity and innovation, an award will be presented to one designer during London Fashion Week February 2019. The winner will be decided by a panel of cultural and commercial fashion experts chaired by Sarah Mower MBE, BFC Ambassador for Emerging Talent and Chief Critic Vogue.com.
Being part of IFS can be the springboard to international recognition. Eight designers who have previously shown at IFS have been nominated for the LVMH prize, 32 nominated for the Woolmark prize and four have won Hyères awards, these include Bodice and the-sirius. 15 have shown on schedule at LFW such as Per Götesson, Rejina Pyo and Xiao Li, five were awarded NEWGEN sponsorship and five have participated in LONDON show ROOMS in Paris.
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Notes to Editors:
Listings Information
Dates: 11-24 February 2019
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 10.00-18.00 (last admission 17.00)
Address: West Wing Galleries, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA
Free admission
Transport: Temple, Embankment, Charing Cross, Waterloo
For press and media enquiries about the International Fashion Showcase contact:
Rebecca Ward
T: +44 (0) 7977 071450
For more information about the British Council contact:
Ekene Oboko, Media Relations Officer, British Council
T: +44 (0) 20 3285 3635
E: ekene.oboko@britishcounctil.org
For media enquiries about the British Fashion Council contact:
Michalis Zodiatis, PR Manager
T: +44 (0) 20 7759 1989
E: michalis.zodiatis@britishfashioncouncil.com
For media enquiries about Somerset House contact:
Josephine Rodrigues, Head of Press
T: +44 (0)20 7845 4638
E: josephine.rodrigues@somersethouse.org.uk
The International Fashion Showcase 2019 designers are:
Bangladesh – Rahemur Rahman
Brazil – David Lee
Canada – Curtis Oland
Colombia – Laura Laurens
Georgia – Situationist
India – Naushad Ali
Italy – Ice Surface Temperature
Kenya – Ami Doshi Shah
Lebanon – Roni Helou
Lithuania – Morta Nakaite
Netherlands – Duran Lantink
Rwanda – Cedric Mizero
South Africa – Thebe Magugu
Sri Lanka – Amesh Wijesekera
Uruguay – Clara Aguayo
Vietnam - Môi-Điên
International Fashion Showcase 2019 images www.bit.ly/ifs2019images
For more information visit: www.internationalfashionshowcase.com
Twitter and Instagram: @british_design #IFS2019
About International Fashion Showcase
The International Fashion Showcase was established in the year of the London Olympics as a platform for emerging fashion designers to exhibit their work during London Fashion Week as a competition that shares the same values of the Olympics; fraternity, respect, equality and excellence. Finalists were included a group show of work from Botswana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, as well as Belgium, China, Estonia, Italy, Japan, Korea and USA. Korea was the winning country with their exhibition.
The subsequent four IFS have presented prizes to designers and curators from Bahrain, Czech Republic, Colombia, Estonia, Japan, Lebanon, Nigeria and South Korea; and partnerships with On|Off and Fashion Scout.
Since 2012, more than 600 of the most exciting international designers from 70 countries have exhibited in the International Fashion Showcase. It reflects London’s reputation for promoting and supporting new talent in the creative industries – a number of whom are working within Somerset House – by providing opportunities for designers from overseas to engage with the UK fashion community and build international connections.
The Advisory Panel for the International Fashion Showcase 2019 includes:
Chair: Sarah Mower MBE, BFC Ambassador for Emerging Talent and Chief Critic at Vogue.com
Alexandra Gordon, Liberty
Alistair O’Neill, Fashion Curator
Anders Christian Madsen, British Vogue
Andrew Tucker, London College of Fashion, UAL
Anna Orsini, British Fashion Council
Ashish Gupta, Ashish
Barbara Grispini, D/ARK
Ceri Hand, Somerset House
Lauren Indvik, Vogue International
Hikari Yokoyama, Paddle8
José Teunissen, London College of Fashion, UAL
Mandi Lennard, Mandi’s Basement
Natalie Kingham, Matches
Niamh Tuft, British Council
Nick Vinson, Wallpaper
Robb Young, Business of Fashion
Sarah Mann, British Council
Shonagh Marshall, curator
Stavros Karelis, Machine-A
Steve Salter, i-D
Tristan Webber, Royal College of Art
About the British Council
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We work with over 100 countries in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Last year we reached over 65 million people directly and 731 million people overall including online, broadcasts and publications. We make a positive contribution to the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust. Founded in 1934 we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body. We receive 15 per cent core funding grant from the UK government.
About the British Fashion Council
The British Fashion Council (BFC) was set up in 1983 to promote British fashion internationally and co-ordinate this promotion through fashion weeks, exhibitions and showcasing events. The BFC now supports designers beginning at college level and extending to talent identification, business support and showcasing schemes to help British designer businesses develop their profiles and business globally and promote British fashion and its influential role in Britain and London. The BFC Colleges Council offers support to students through its Foundation, BA and MA scholarships, links with industry through design competitions and Graduate Preview Day. Talent identification and business support schemes include BFC Fashion Film; BFC/GQ Designer Menswear Fund; BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund and NEWGEN which includes womenswear, menswear and accessories. The BFC supports Boden’s Future British initiative. The BFC also runs and owns charities including the BFC Fashion Arts Foundation, the BFC Fashion Trust and the BFC Education Foundation. Showcasing initiatives and events include London Fashion Week, London Fashion Week Men’s, LONDON show ROOMS, International Fashion Showcase, London Fashion Week Festival and the annual celebration of creativity and innovation in the fashion industry: The Fashion Awards.
www.britishfashioncouncil.com
About Somerset House
Inspiring contemporary culture
One of the city’s most spectacular and well-loved spaces, Somerset House is a new kind of arts centre in the heart of London, designed for today’s audiences, artists and creatives – an inspirational community where contemporary culture is imagined, created and experienced.
From its 18th century origins, Somerset House has played a central role in our society as a place where our culture and collective understanding of the world is shaped and defined. In 2000, it began its reinvention as a cultural powerhouse and home for arts and culture today, creating unique and stimulating experiences for the public, bringing them into direct contact with ideas from the greatest artists, makers and thinkers of our time. Our distinctive and dynamic year-round programme spans the contemporary arts in all its forms, from cutting-edge exhibitions and installations to annual festivals, seasonal events in the courtyard including Film4 Summer Screen, Summer Series and Skate, and an extensive learning and engagement programme.
As well as welcoming over 3million visitors annually, Somerset House houses the largest and most diverse creative communities in the country – from one-person start-ups to successful creative enterprises including MOBO, British Fashion Council, Dance Umbrella, Improbable Theatre, Hofesh Shechter Company, and Dartmouth Films.
In 2016 we launched Somerset House Studios – a new experimental workspace connecting artists, makers and thinkers with audiences. Currently housing over 80 artists and Makerversity (a community of over 250 emergent makers), the Studios are a platform for the development of new creative projects and collaboration, promoting work that pushes bold ideas, engages with urgent issues and pioneers new technologies.
www.somersethouse.org.uk
London College of Fashion: Shaping Lives Through Fashion
London College of Fashion, UAL is a world leader in fashion design, media and business education. In boundary-pushing research where fashion intersects with science, engineering, and technology, and in enterprise, where it partners with top brands and helps launch new businesses. It has been nurturing creative talent for over a century, offering courses in all things fashion. Across every subject, it encourages students to examine the past and challenge the present. To have inventive, assertive ideas that challenge social and political agendas. It gives them the skills, opportunities – and above all, the freedom – to put those ideas into practice.
It starts with education, with over 70 undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, and 165 short courses. Students come from over 100 countries. Some learn fashion design – its heritage, craftsmanship, radical thinking and high-tech practice. Others develop analytical skill, creative thinking and business acumen. Others still: cutting-edge approaches to traditional, experiential, and interactive media. They all examine the present in light of its deep historical context. And learn how to use fashion to build a sustainable future, and improve the way we live.
LCF moves fashion forward, by looking beyond it. We partner with fashion’s most successful brands and labels – both high street and luxury. LCF graduates are in key positions across every dimension of the fashion industry, from established designers like Jimmy Choo OBE, Sophia Webster and JW Anderson to rising stars like Ryan Lo and respected entrepreneur and former Chairman of the British Fashion Council, Harold Tillman CBE as well as fashion journalists Melanie Rickey and Sarah Harris.
In the next five years, LCF are moving to a single site at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London. There we will continue to do what we do today. Pioneer how we all consume and practice fashion. Use fashion design, business and media to shape culture, economics, and society.
And through fashion, shape lives.