Dutch Fashion Awards

Mercedes-Benz is cooperating with the Dutch Fashion Foundation and will celebrate Dutch fashion talent with the new Dutch Fashion Awards. With the Dutch Fashion Awards, Mercedes-Benz aims to put Dutch fashion design on the map together with the Dutch Fashion Foundation. The new event will launch on 1 November at the Beurs van Berlage in the heart of Amsterdam. New talent will be showcased and seven fashion designers have been nominated. Every designer is carefully selected besides having a Dutch nationality, graduated from a fashion academy and produced five collection under it's own brand name - the jury will be looking at the uniqueness of the brand and the potential to grow globally.

Striving for the price of £16.000 and international success will be the following pre nominated designers; Spijkers en Spijkers, Jan Taminiau, Francisco van Benthum, Mada van Gaans, Klavers van Engelen, Jeroen van Tuyl and Dryl van Wouw. Prior to the nomination ceremony, a fashion show will present all the finalists. Further more, several Dutch fashion designers will give away the Best Dress Award.

The contesters will be judged by an international jury which includes Colin McDowell fashion director of Sunday Times Style and creative director of Fashion Fringe, Bernadette Wittmann Glittenberg, project manager for BREAD & butter, Barbara Franchin, founder and director of the ITS International Talent Support festival in Triëste, Maria Luisa Poumaillou, owner of several high profile Parisian fashion stores and Valentina Maggi, head-hunter for Floriane de Saint Pierre & Associés. The jury will pick a winner, who will be the most promising and break through on the international fashion market.

Not only press and invitees will enjoy Holland's fashion talent, the Awards will be also open to the public.

Image: Jan Taminiau SS08