International designers to imagine utopia at Somerset House for LFW

For the upcoming London Fashion Week, the British Council and the British Fashion Council have teamed up to present an exhibition showcasing the work of 80 emerging designers from 25 different countries around the world.

Entitled ‘Fashion Utopias’, the exhibition will open on February 19 at Somerset House, London as the fifth edition of the annual International Fashion Showcase (IFS). The exhibition is said to be a key part of LFW’s public programme, which aims to celebrate the ongoing relevance of fashion in contemporary culture.

This year’s exhibition will also celebrate the 500th anniversary of the publication of Thomas More’s inspirational text, Utopia, which highlights the educational value of honouring different places, people and cultures. Therefore, for the IFS 2016 the West Wing at Somerset House will be transformed into an imaginary terrain, designed by Hatty Ellie Coward, where the emerging designers and curators will invite attendees to share their vision of the future.

Spanning over 15 galleries, the exhibition will consist of 14 galleries representing a country and one group installation entitled ‘Next in Line’, curated by Shonagh Marshall, which will feature work from additional designers. Country installations for the exhibition include Czech Republic, Indonesia and Nigeria.

The London College of Fashion is set to organise a series of seminars, visits and mentoring chances for the designers to help them prepare for the showcase, known as the Designer Support Programme. A collaboration with Fashion Scout will offer the participating designers a chance to show their designs on the catwalk.

A ceremony will also be held during LFW, chaired by a panel of industry experts, who will select the winning Country and Designers, as well as a Curator Award sponsored by Bonaveri. “At a time when it often seems as if we’ve plunged into a dystopian age, it’s a liberating act to think about exactly the opposite: if we could create a Utopia, how would we want it to be?,” said Sarah Mower MBE< BFC Ambassador for emerging talent and head of the panel.

“From the entries we’ve already seen, this year’s showcase will be a chance to witness a phenomenally uplifting inter-cultural compare-and-contrast. Each country’s deeply-felt exhibit is also to be framed with a national curator, a fast-developing field of collaboration on the frontiers between art and fashion.”

The IFS is set to run from February 19 to 23, 2016 at Somerset House.