Jena Theo wins Fashion Fringe 09
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Jenny Holmes said: “I am feeling stunned and elated and privileged as all of the designers on this year’s platform so deserved to win. Having the support of everybody at Fashion Fringe at Covent Garden means we can make our dreams happen.” Dimitris Theocharidis added: “I feel amazing, it has been a great platform, the mentoring and support was incredible. We feel really secure having the Fashion Fringe at Covent Garden support to help us make our next collection.”
Chaired by Donatella Versace, the judging panel included Anne Pitcher (Buying Director at Selfridges), Antoni Burakowski (Designer, Antoni and Alison), Joshua Schulman (CEO of Jimmy Choo), Natalie Massenet (Chairman and Founder of net-a-porter.com), Paula Reed (Fashion Director of Grazia) and Professor Roy Peach (Dean of MA Fashion at London College of Fashion). This year’s four finalists were selected by the judging panel in May and showcased their collections as part of London Fashion Week’s official schedule. Their stories were told to the guests in short films shown on Dell laptops before their catwalks presentations.
Jena Theo were presented with a trophy designed by young, London based jewellery designer Jessica McCormack. They are also awarded with £100,000 worth of support from the Fashion Fringe at Covent Garden development fund for their business and a slot at London Fashion Week in February and September 2010. Their collection will be exhibited in Rendez-Vous Paris at Jeu de Paume from 2nd – 5th October.
Colin McDowell, Founder and Creative Director of Fashion Fringe at Covent Garden said after the show, “As always with judging process there was a lively discussion amongst our team of experts lead by Donatella Versace. All of the judges were in agreement on who should win, but there was great support for the other three finalists. I am feeling very confident for Jena Theo, and a lot of is because of our home in the creative hub of Covent Garden, London.”
This year’s four finalists were selected by the judging panel in May and showcased their collections as part of London Fashion Week’s official schedule. Their stories were told to the guests in short films shown on Dell laptops before their catwalks presentations. Over the past three months the designers have undergone an intensive mentoring programme from industry experts in all subjects surrounding the industry and business, from PR to Marketing, logistics to sales, brand identity to individuality, and from law to finance. They were invited by Honorary Chair, Donatella Versace, to sit front row at the Versace SS10 menswear show in June, the Camera Nazionale Della Moda Italiana party and a tour of the Versace Atelier. For July & August the designers were given a budget along with studio space at the London College of Fashion to create their capsule collection.
In order to expand it’s mentoring to all those with plans to set up design businesses Fashion Fringe at Covent Garden and new partner Davenport Lyons have created a user-friendly booklet ‘The Look and The Law’ to help reduce the hurdles that most young brands face when starting a new business.
Launched in 2004, former Fashion Fringe winners include Eun Jeong (2008), Aminaka Wilmont (2007), Gavin Douglas (2006), Erdem (2005), Basso & Brooke (2004), and Rubecksen Yamanaka (2004).
Image: Fashion Fringe