I was recently invited to an intimate lunch hosted by ex-colleagues and good friends at Lusso in Greenbelt 5. The purpose of this get-together was to announce LOOK magazine's second year of searching for the next talented young designer.
As always, the food at Lusso is always delish! With me, ordering the same old entree: spinach pasta with truffle and ham ... with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice :D
LOOK Magazine, Inquirer Lifestyle, Samsung and the British Council of the Philippines formally announced their nationwide search for the next talented young designer in 2011’s LOOK Of Style Awards. Last year's winner was Pablo Cabahug, who was named Most Promising Designer for 2010 for his robotic-inspired body-con creations made of gray duchesse satin and metallic trimmings with jusi. I have always been supportive of local designers, all the more those who utilize our local organic fabrics such as jusi—one of my favorites!
Organized to support the next generation of Filipino fashion designers, and help them pursue their design and business plans, the second staging of the LOOK Of Style Awards will present the winning designer with an all-expenses paid trip to the United Kingdom where he/she will have the opportunity to enrol in a short course of his/her choice in London’s prestigious Central Saint Martins. The winner will also receive business mentoring from fashion industry professionals in areas such as business planning, marketing, etc., as well as a spot in Inquirer Lifestyle’s next Face Off Fashion Show.
“The LOOK Of Style Awards is actually a way for us to collaborate with artists from the Philippines and the UK using an arts area we are both strong at—fashion,” says Ana Tan (left, with Liza Ilarde of thefashpack and Style Weekend), program and public relations manager of the British Council of the Philippines.
“For us, this project is one way of helping young designers hone their craft and further their career in fashion,” adds Melanie J. Cuevas, editor-in-chief of LOOK Magazine. “With the support of Samsung, and the British Council of the Philippines, we plan to make this a continuous effort.”
To qualify for the LOOK Of Style Awards, an applicant must have an established, primary design business in the Philippines. He or she must also have a minimum of two consecutive years of design experience (i.e., have garnered substantial and recent editorial coverage, have professional staff that can devote the time and effort required to accomplish the stated aims of an applicant’s design career plans).
A go-see, where all applicants will be required to present actual samples of their clothes and a portfolio of their work to a screening committee consisting of LOOK magazine editors and fashion industry experts, will narrow the field down to 10 finalists. Each of the 10 finalists will then be asked to provide specific information about their short- and long-term business goals and objectives, as well as how the award and business mentoring will enable them to pursue their design career plans and existing business.
Additionally, finalists will be required to submit a portfolio presentation containing work from their previous collections, which may include sketches, photos, and editorial features. The finalists will also submit 3-5 references (editors, retailers or other fashion industry professional with whom they have a close, working relationship) that the fashion council can contact for their comments and opinions.
Finally, the 10 candidates will undergo an interview and presentation of 5 looks from past, present, and upcoming collections to the panel based on a given theme. With science and technology becoming part of everyone’s lifestyle, this year’s given theme, Stylish Tech, will challenge finalists to make use of innovative techniques and fabrication, and make them into wearable pieces of art. The interview on the other hand, will also include an assessment of the business mentoring needs of each of the candidates.
A panel of judges will rate the finalists’ works, and select an overall winner based on construction technique (35%), design skill and interpretation of theme (35%), overall presentation and visual impact (15%), and design marketability/wearability (15%).
The winner will be announced in a cocktail event and fashion show in October 2011. The fashion show will include segments from the finalists, as well as from LOOK’s guest British designer.
*For interested applicants, check www.facebook.com/lookmagazineph or follow www.twitter.com/lookmagazineph for go-see schedules and updates on the competition. Good luck!
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