Hyeres: 34th Edition International Festival of Fashion
IRK Magazine
This spring IRK attended Hyeres. The 34th Festival in Fashion, Photography & Fashion Accessories to discover the newest talents.
Hyeres is acknowledged as the oldest fashion competition aimed at young professionals. Several prizes are awarded to the competing designers thanks to grants provided by the festival’s partners including Chanel, Chloe, Swarovski and many others. They commit, together with the festival, to provide long term support. From the selection stage, practical assistance is provided to the young talents during a period of two years. It covers various domains such as financing, production, workmanship, materials, legal, media, exhibitions, workshops, and residencies.
Grand Prix from the jury Première Vision, Christoph Rumpf:
Christoph Rumpf, Austria, Menswear
In the large Industrial Hangar along the wild Salins in Hyeres, IRK was at the closing fashion show and award ceremony. As we watched one impressive collection after another come down the runway, we knew that the judges had their work cut out for them. This year’s increase of more creative menswear led to the winner of the grand prix of the Première Vision jury. It was given to Austria’s Christoph Rumpf, with a Flamboyant Men’s collection.
The 25-year-old fashion designer, who studied at the Vienna University of Applied Arts, gave life to a sculpted collection carved in precious fabrics. The story is based on a long-lost prince who grew up in the jungle. Most of the looks made from recycled fabrics were structured works of art. For example, Christoph Rumpf transformed an old Persian carpet into a ceremonial dress with oversized shoulders. The second key piece is the oversized grey trench coat. It shows that the prince is living a fake phantasmagoric life as the buttons don’t work, and one can only close it with a belt.
Honourable mention from the jury Tetsuya Doi, Yota Anazawa & Manami Toda:
We were happy that a special mention was given by the fashion jury to the Japanese trio composed of two men Tetsuya Doi, 26 years old, and Yota Anazawa, 25 years old, and a young woman Manami Toda, 32 years old. The three designers from Tokyo were bursting with creative humour as they revisited the classics of fashion. They combined preppy Armani suits to Ralph Lauren with an adorable and childish take. The moving ears on the fluffy hoody were a must-have!!!
Chloé Prize, Tina Schwizgebel-Wang:
The Chloé Prize went to Tina Schwizgebel-Wang from Switzerland. She was able to capture the femininity and style of Chloé while staying true to herself. She dared to repeat the intrauterine device in the pattern of the skirt. Moreover, this expressed the feminism values of Chloé. Each designer was asked to create a look for Chloé that captured the brand’s feminine spirit. Tina was definitely the most connected to the brand while staying true to herself. The 29-year-old Swiss designer is a full-time tattoo artist and part-time cellist who designed her first collection last year, proving she is a woman of many talents. Notably, she was excited to visit Hyeres and immerse herself in its creative environment. Her menswear collection “Inked” was inspired by her background in tattoos.
The SWAROVSKI Fashion Accessories Grand Prize from the jury, Noelia Morales:
The Swarovski fashion accessories grand prize was won by Spain’s Noelia Morales. She made beautiful accessories and underwear for women who have gone through breast removal surgery. Also, she created scarves with hair printed on them for people who have lost their hair to chemotherapy. Her collection was both inspiring and poetic, and IRK’s first choice as well as the Jury’s. Originally from Barcelona, this 46-year-old woman has been dealing with consumer trends since 2004 in a consulting firm.
The Photography Grand Prix of the Jury, Alice Mann:
The festival, since 1997, has also supported emerging photographers, and this year’s jury, headed by Craig McDean, selected a diverse group of aspiring photographers. Firstly, 28-year-old South African photographer, Alice Mann, won the grand prize for her series Drummies. These images depict the unique and aspirational subculture surrounding all-female teams of drum majorettes in South Africa. These girls, affectionately known as ‘drummies,’ are from some of the country’s most marginalised communities.
The 34th edition was dense, full of surprises and as usual, Hyeres was the perfect backdrop to breathe fresh air into the creative world of Fashion and photography. Everyone selected for this year’s festival has a strong vision of the future. We look forward to seeing where they will go next.
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