Welcome to the first ESPnews delivery of EricaSharlette's Purview! Without further ado - let's get going!
Cordwainers' Design Student of the Year
The Cordwainers’ National Footwear Student of the Year Awards was hosted in style on the 9th June. Two hundred and fifty people, including students, designers, colleges and industry professionals, came together at the high profile event to meet the next generation of outstanding design talent and to celebrate Britain’s foremost position in footwear design education.
 |
| (From L-R) The Footwear Design Winning Entry, Master of Ceremonies with Caroline Klemp, the Finished Design Product |
The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers launched the Footwear Student of the Year Awards in 2014, in order to support the future of the shoe industry and to celebrate and encourage young footwear talent. John Miller, the Chief Executive, the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers, said: “We are delighted to host this national award for the very best footwear design students. We believe this will help Britain to maintain its position as the world leader in the design and manufacture of footwear.”
The award ceremony included an exhibition of the work of the 15 student finalists from the Universities of Northampton, De Montfort and University of the Arts London, as well as the work of six companies that are new to the footwear world. The British Footwear Association supported the exhibition and Chief Executive of the BFA John Saunders, presented the awards to the students. John was honoured to take part in the event for the first time this year, “I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Worshipful
Company of the Cordwainers for their ongoing commitment to this prestigious event which gives us a chance to celebrate the consistently high quality of the design graduates produced by the UK’s higher education establishments.” He also made a call to action, explaining the importance of the industry coming together to ensure that schools, universities and footwear companies work closely together to promote British footwear. “We can all play a part in keeping British footwear great.”
Applications were invited from all current footwear students from the three universities that specialize in footwear design, to design a pair of shoes. After an initial selection by the universities, the work of 15 finalists was presented to the judging panel of GuyWest, Atalanta Weller and chaired by Katie Greenyer, Creative Director, Pentland Brands. Katie Greenyer announced the winners:
1st Prize – Caroline Klemp - UAL, London College of Fashion
2nd Prize – Chantal Lavender - UAL, London College of Fashion
3rd Prize –Claire O’Connor - De Montfort University
Commendations – Doey Kim - De Montfort University and Da Young Im- UAL, London College of Fashion
Katie Greenyer explained that the judges had the enviable task of looking into the minds of the passionate, extremely talented footwear designers who entered. She explained the judges found the process “A thought-provoking practice that left us feeling inspired. It’s a real credit to LCF, De Montfort, Northampton, and the staff, who I know all work incredibly hard to drive, nurture and direct the students to become the best crop of footwear designers globally. It gives me great encouragement to see such talented designers coming through these institutions and that we have the opportunity to employ and benefit from their talents in the near future. Thank you to the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers for this competition.”
Sophia Webster, an alumna of Cordwainers at London College of Fashion, was the key note speaker at the event. She gave a passionate and inspiring speech encouraging the next generation of designers, commending all the students for their achievement in being an awards finalist and thanking the Cordwainers for their valuable support of footwear design students. “It is a great responsibility to speak to the next generation. Advice I would give …. is to believe and have determination, visual your success. Second is always go above and beyond what is expected from you, be prepared to work hard and build a dream team, as you need a team of people to support you.”
The Master of the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers, John Rubinstein expressed his thanks to everyone who supported the awards “This event is all about footwear students. Britain leads the world in footwear design education and has produced some world-leading talent over the years.” He also thanked the supporters, including The University of Northampton, The Dune Group, Hudson Shoe Agencies Ltd, William Lamb Group, Schuh Limited, Pentland Brands Plc, British Footwear Association, Davys, University of the Arts London, London College of Fashion, De Montfort University, Cheaney & Sons, Start-rite Shoes Ltd and Jeffery West.
www.cordwainers.org
_________________________________________
IJL NAME FIVE EDITOR’S CHOICE WINNERS FOR 2016
The winners of IJL’s popular and hard-fought exhibitors’ competition, Editor’s Choice, are announced today. Chosen for their creative and innovative designs as well as commercial aptitude, the winning line-up includes David Miracca, John Moore Jewellery, Kickstarter Vicky Lew, Samsares Jewelry from Switzerland and Tezer Design from Germany.
The judges, Claire Adler, luxury communications consultant and Financial Times contributor, and Event Director Sam Willoughby, selected the winners from a range of categories, which included the new category ‘German Style’ - in recognition of the quality and creativity of German craftsmanship, as part of the Market Focus for 2016.
Sam Willoughby, Event Director, commented: “Editor’s Choice always highlights the very best design and craftsmanship on show at IJL and this year is no exception. These superb pieces, many created using ground breaking techniques, reflect the diversity of brands and designers at this year’s show. All the winners are to be congratulated and we look forward to seeing them at IJL in September.”
Claire Adler was equally impressed by the winning five, explaining: “Judging IJL Editor’s Choice 2016 has been challenging and exciting. The well-deserved winners have created outstanding pieces of jewellery. IJL Editor’s Choice is a UK based international talent spotting competition and I’m pleased to say the standards remain high. I’m looking forward to a buzzing show in September!”
The 2016 winners are:
GERMAN STYLE
A jewellery piece from a German exhibitor at IJL evoking impeccable German craftsmanship and design.
Tezer Design
The Bauhaus Design influence has led to simplicity and reduced forms becoming a synonym for German Design. Sema Sezen, Managing Director of Tezer Design, likes to work with basic geometric forms. Her design philosophy is a pars pro toto system. She works with a single element, to which she adds more feminine and playful touches. Her contemporary pieces are all handmade.
“It is a great honour to receive this award. We have been exhibiting for more than 15 years at IJL and have found so many wonderful customers in the UK. Thank you for this recognition of my work,” said Sema Sezen.
Claire Adler observed: "Cleverly designed and handcrafted in a Bauhaus athletic, Tezer's designs are a very welcome addition to IJL 2016.”
COMMERCIAL VISION
A piece or collection produced in volume that demonstrates thorough research of the target market and current trends - destined to become a best seller.
Samsares Fine Jewelry: A collection of pendants, rings and bracelets in recycled 18 karat rose gold with stones including white and pink opals, rose quartz and orange carnelian
Floral folklore is the signature of this Swiss based brand, known for their playfully elegant, contemporary fine jewellery created in sustainably sourced 18K gold. This company is dedicated to sustainable sourcing of raw materials and compliance to the standards of excellence for all manufacturing processes. Their gold is recycled in specialized Swiss refineries which meet the most stringent norms of environmental protection.
Giedra Jeanneret, Owner Samsares Fine Jewelry commented: “My vision was to create a new concept of luxury – a fine jewellery collection which would be flawless, not only in terms of craft quality and consistent design, but also in ethics and environmental preservation. The idea of natural preservation is also incorporated into my designs, which are inspired by the rich and colourful world of flowers and by the folklore of the world cultures, celebrating joy of life, femininity and free spirited nature.”
Claire Adler added: “Samsares branding is slick and professional. A clear explanation outlining the thinking behind the brand makes it appealing and sellable to retailers who are considering introducing it into their stores and hopefully buying into the brand in a serious way."
VISUAL IMPACT
A show stopping piece or collection that photographs well and will look good on the page.
David Miracca:Titanium Amethyst Ring: Amethyst centre. Inside shank microset set with 1.86ct F VS1 diamonds
David Miracca creates timeless jewellery with definite influences from the great British and European jewellery houses; a flair he developed during his early training in London and Geneva. The piece, worked in titanium, with true craftsmanship and is finished to an impeccable standard, with a beautiful colour and the stones have been set to perfection.
David Miracca said: “In jewellery manufacture, much of design and technical innovation goes on behind the scenes, with few opportunities to demonstrate ways and ideas that are new and different. We are very excited and grateful to have won this award, as it represents recognition of a hard-won technical expertise that has enabled us to create such a ring in titanium. This is just one small part of what we can do, and we look forward to our debut at IJL as a platform to present beautifully designed and cohesive jewellery collections about which we are passionate.”
Claire Adler observed: “David Miracca's ring is a daring and fun juxtaposition of materials with its own twist - rhodium plated titanium and amethyst, with rows of indulgent diamonds on the inside of the ring, known only to the wearer.”
OVERALL ORIGINALITY
A truly unique piece or a collection which highlights the talents of the designer.
Vicky Lew London: Flight Collection: Thalurania Colombica Earrings made with sapphire, topaz, spinel, rhodolite and smoky quartz, hand-set in black rhodium-plated 18kt white and yellow gold
FLIGHT is Vicky Lew’s début collection, fuelled by nature-inspired forms and the juxtaposition of these forms on the human body. Employing a traditional pavé-setting method, the instantaneous moment of take-off is alluded to through the use of perspective-localized angles, whereby the birds are only revealed from certain angles. As a result, a fleeting moment is afforded to the audience, giving the gem-set birds movement as the wearer moves. Pieces from this collection are made with Swarovski Gemstones, pavé-set in palladium and 18ct yellow gold.
Vicky Lew, a 2016 KickStarter said: “This award is a huge honour and a massive boost of confidence as a designer! I hope this can raise my company's brand awareness even further to an already excellent platform, thus leading to more sales and retail opportunities.”
Claire Adler commented: “Vicky Lew's Flight earrings look fantastic simply sitting on a dressing table, like a mini sculpture or artwork. They also happen to look fabulous worn on a night out with sky scraping heels."
TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE
A piece or collection that is worked with technical innovation or a rarely used technique, resulting in a thought provoking piece.
John Moore Jewellery: Diamond Verto Necklace - Sterling silver, 18ct gold, 29 diamonds, silicone, magnets
Winner of The Goldsmiths’ Company Award 2016, artist John Moore, is known for his distinctive designs with fluid movement and use of colour. Materials including anodised aluminium, silver, steel, wood, silicone and gold, are engineered to create unique specimens. Clever use of a silicon cord enables the individual discs to take their place in the composition of the necklace without losing their flexibility in relation to each other. The technical execution ensures a controlled movement, giving the wearer the opportunity to interact with the piece, without losing the makers visual and conceptual intention.
John Moore explained: “My hunger to make things began when I was a small child and remains a driving force. There are multiple facets to my work, all centred around the notion of self which manifests in wearable objects that function on a number of levels. The jewellery is born as an expression of myself as the maker and then it becomes a means of expression for those with whom it resonates, empowering them and enhancing the positive energy they put out into the world. It’s a celebration of nature, of beauty and of the self. To win this award is a complete surprise and I’m absolutely thrilled.”
Claire Adler added: “John Moore's Verto necklace is a striking piece of engineering - a flexible, tactile and meticulously executed statement jewel.”
All the winning pieces were on show at IJL 2016.
________________________________________
That's it for the news section this week. Come back in an hour for my round up of Hyper Japan 2016!
Until the next...
ES
Photo courtesy of Mark Witter Photography.
No comments:
Post a Comment