International Talent Support announces 2019 finalists

The International Talent Support (ITS), the Trieste-based design competition dedicated to supporting emerging fashion, accessories and jewellery talents, has named the finalists for the 2019 edition taking place in July, featuring designers from 15 countries including the UK.

The design competition received more than 800 entries from more than 80 countries, and the final selection includes emerging talents from countries including Australia, Belgium, China, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Israel, Japan, Peru, South Korea, Switzerland, the UK, the US, Taiwan and Thailand, highlighting the “international propensity of the contest,” added organisers.

There are a number of British designers named as finalists including Central Saint Martins MA graduate Moon Hussain, who has been shortlisted as a Fashion finalist as well as ITS Fashion@Work by Illy Award for her womenswear and accessories label, while Royal College of Art’s Skye Gwillim, who graduated with an MA in Accessories Design has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Jewellery and Accessories category.

The other fashion finalists are: Louis Appelmans (Belgium), Daoyuan Ding (China), Annaliese Griffith-Jones (Australia), Cecilia Del Carmen Juarez Balta (Peru), Jimin Kim (South Korea), Rafael Kouto (Switzerland), Shie Lyu (China), Yukika Saito (Japan), Anni Salonen (Finland), and Hana Yagi (Japan).

While the jewellery and accessories finalists are: Fabia Brüning (Germany), Irina Galon (Israel), Corrina Goutos (US), Joanne Guiraud (Switzerland), Yukako Hihara (Japan), Hazuki Katagai (Japan), Asumi Maeda (Japan), Xiaotu Tang (China), Bingqing Yi (China), and Yunqi Zhang (China).

British designers shortlisted for ITS 2019 competition

ITS has also named ten designers as finalists for the ITS Fashion@Work by Illy Award, which challenges the designers to “radical re-design of the Illycaffè coffee aprons” and alongside the UK’s Hussain will be: Jiaen Cai(China), Daoyuan Ding (China), Annaliese Griffith-Jones (Australia), David Huang (Taiwan), Ping-Chieh Hsieh (Taiwan) and Wimonwan Wichaikhamjorn (Thailand), Rafael Kouto (Switzerland), Shie Lyu (China), Anni Salonen (Finland) and Kelly Toode (Estonia).

The Lotto Sport Award, which will see the winner receiving a three-month internship with Lotto Sport Italia to design and develop an exclusive project built around a shoe or an apparel mini capsule collection, has named its three finalists as: Jimin Kim (South Korea), Rafael Kouto (Switzerland) and Anni Salonen (Finland).

The competition features a number of awards, including the coveted ITS Award, where the winner will take home 15,000 euros, as well as 12 months of mentoring from the Pitti Immagine tutoring and consulting team and the opportunity to showcase their collection at Pitti Uomo in Florence or Super in Milan in 2020.

While the OTB Award will see one winner receiving a cash prize of 10,000 euros as well as the possibility of an internship in the design office of its brands, and all fashion finalists will be challenged with a special project by Diesel for their award, which will grant the winner with a 6-month internship at Diesel HQ in Italy.

All the finalists were selected by a judging panel led by ITS founder Barbara Franchin and included designer Aitor Throup, Lee Jeans creative director Michael Kampe, Illycaffè art director Carlo Bach, and Swatch creative director Carlo Giordanetti.

Notable past finalists of the ITS competition has included Demna Gvasalia, Maiko Takeda, Paula Knorr, Aitor Throup, Mark Fast, James Long, Niels Peeraer, Yang Du, Astrid Andersen, and Peter Pilotto.

The ITS 2019 final will take place in Trieste, Italy on July 12.

Image: courtesy of ITS - jury at work