Fashion Fringe 2006

Whilst many people are engrossed in season 3 of Project Runway, a real fashion competition is well on its way to fruition.  Yes, it’s Fashion Fringe time again.  For those that don’t know, it’s basically a competition looking for new British design talent and over one year, applicants will be whittled down to 10 semi-finalists and then the 4 finalists who will show at London Fashion Week.  It was founded in 2004 by Colin McDowell, Sunday Times Style magazine writer and has propelled designers like Basso & Broke and Sinha Stanic.    The 10 semi-finalists have been selected and are down in London presenting their ideas to judges like Jonathan Saunders and Susannah Frankel to win those 4 finalist spots which will be announced next week.  I’m going to try and blag a ticket to the show come September – it remains to be seen whether Fashion Fringe approve of the underdogs of fashion journalism (i.e. bloggers!) as well as the up and coming designers! 

Verttos Vrettakos, with an MA at London’s RCA and awards including Best Designer at Milan’s Graduate Fashion Week.

Stephen Harper, BA at Middlesex in fashion design, calls his work ‘Simple…about luxury and sophistication.’

Rui Leonardes, studied in Amsterdam and the RCA.  Has worked at Nina Ricci Homme and with Hedi Slimane says his designs are ‘rock,dark,sharp.’

Rose Popham and Koki Kang met whilst studying womenswear at the RCA says their label is about ‘careful draping and high quality tailoring.’

Gavin Douglas was assisted by The Prince’s Trust to launch his label which won him London Avant Garde Designer of the Year in 2004.  He has been labelled as ‘ghetto couture’ and says he is into ‘big sillhouettes.’

Sarah Hartman, studied at Hastings and Westminster and has shown at both AFW and GFW (Alternative, Graduate) and says her label ‘s ‘ethereal, glamourous but unconventional.’

Maria Malychina set up her own art and designer studio in 1993 making souvenir dolls, womenswear and jewellery and says her stuff is ‘dramatic, exciting and elegant…I see no point otherwise!.’

Six and Seven Eights, a partnership between David Wojtowycz and CSM MA grad Antonio Ciutto says their label is one with agenda and a ‘concept label based around artistic or idiosyncratic images.’

Antonio Santana has worked for the likes of Bruce Oldfield, Issa, Alice Temperley.  His collection is called ‘Who wears the Trousers’.

Erika Trotzig graduated from CSM with a BA and currently teaches there too.  Her collection is called ‘Private’ and is ‘poetic, feminine but quite intellectutual.’

(All pics from vogue.co.uk)

The one thing that strikes me is the variety of origins amongst the designers – people who have come from all over the place to London to launch their fashion label.  I think that’s testament to the quality and professionalism of the competition.  Hard to tell from the sketches but I’m backing Popham Kang and Six and Seven Eights.