International Fashion Showcase 2019
11-25 February 2019
Somerset House, West Wing Galleries
Free Admission
internationalfashionshowcase.com
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The International Fashion Showcase (IFS) nurtures and presents work from the finest up-and-coming fashion talent from around the world. The biennial fashion presentation is a partnership between the British Council, British Fashion Council, London College of Fashion, UAL and Somerset House.
For London Fashion Week February 2019, the showcase has a new format. For the first time, 16 selected designers from across the globe will showcase a series of compelling installations to represent their respective country.
The 16 represented countries are: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, India, Georgia, Italy, Kenya, Lebanon, Lithuania, Netherlands, Rwanda, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Vietnam.
Some of the participating designers include:
• Duran Lantink, from the Netherlands, whose ‘vagina’ trousers drew global attention in Janelle Monae’s PYNK video
• Self-taught Georgian designer Irakli Rusadze of Situationist
• Rwandan Cedric Mizero and his bold ‘fashion for all’ designs
The free exhibition is a key part of London Fashion Week, giving both the public and industry professionals the opportunity to discover emerging fashion from four continents: Africa, America, Asia and Europe and to celebrate its global relevance. The collections presented offer a balanced mix of womenswear and menswear exploring topical but universally shared issues and present new ideas and solutions that are shaping fashion globally.
In another first, these designers will be supported through a bespoke online programme, developed by London College of Fashion, UAL, which will cover all aspects of business development from branding to sales and production to sustainability. They will also travel to London this August to attend a two week talent development programme, ahead of the February 2019 exhibition. This tailored cultural residency and business skills training will give the emerging designers the professional support that is often difficult to access, provided by some of the UK’s leading fashion and creative experts.
The designers will spend one week immersed in the creative community of Somerset House Studios where they will be supported by a range of studio artists whose skills and expertise range from ethical fashion and sustainability to tech. Another week will be spent with experts from London College of Fashion, UAL reviewing their business and brand development goals. During both residencies, the designers will explore, test and develop a series of collaborations and creative projects that will form part of their installations in February’s exhibition, and be given important insights into all aspects of business from branding and communications to sales.
In recognition of the participants' creativity and innovation, an award will be presented to one designer during London Fashion Week February 2019. The winner will be decided by a panel of cultural and commercial fashion experts chaired by Sarah Mower MBE, BFC Ambassador for Emerging Talent and Chief Critic Vogue US; the same panel that selected the 16 designers earlier this year.
Being part of IFS can be the springboard to international recognition. Eight designers who have previously shown at IFS have been nominated for the LVMH prize, 32 nominated for the Woolmark prize and four have won Hyères awards, these include Bodice and the-sirius. 15 have shown on schedule at LFW such as Per Götesson, Rejina Pyo and Xiao Li, five were awarded NEWGEN sponsorship and five have participated in LONDON show ROOMS in Paris.