Against the lush green backdrop of an idyllic hillside overlooking the Côte d'Azure, the annual Festival d'Hyères took place this past weekend. To spotlight the emerging innovators changing the face of fashion and encourage sustainable craftsmanship – the fashion finalists utilised materials from Mercedes-Benz automobiles – a cohort of judges, spearheaded by 2021 LVMH finalist and French designer Charles de Vilmorin, deliberated for over three hours to crown this year’s winners, which comprised categories such as fashion, photography and accessories. A weekend of workshops lamenting the cruciality of sustainability, showroom luncheons and dinners concluded with the spectacular 38th award ceremony held along the coast in Nice.
In addition to sponsoring the showroom located in the confines of villa Noailles, Mercedes-Benz commemorated one designer’s eco-concious efforts with a Sustainability Prize for the third year in a row. Enlisted as a guest mentor this year, Nanushka founder Sandra Sándor guided the young game-changers by coaching them on developing a strong business acumen and how to incorporate environmentally conscious practices. Speaking of her position as a mentor this year, Sándor said: ‘It has been so inspiring to work alongside the Hyères fashion finalists on their sustainability journey. Seeing their approaches to working around sustainable solutions, aesthetically as well as practically, these young talents show us that we must continue to be creatively inquisitive.’
Below, ELLE speaks with this year’s finalists to discuss the ethos of their brands, the fashion climate as a young designer, and the inspiration behind their collections.
What is the crux of your brand?
The essence of my brand lies in the deconstruction of men's tailoring, emancipating it from conventional constraints to evoke a more relaxed sensibility. In this collection, the source of inspiration was Mallorca, specifically the traditional Llengos fabric, primarily used in upholstery for sofas and curtains, imbuing it with a fresh context.
What was the most intricate piece to make from your collection?
A leather jacket in collaboration with Atelier Montex, who are experts in 3D embroidery practice. The jacket stems from the fusion of a cross-over leather jacket with a tailcoat, bringing together the two worlds encapsulated in my collection: the edgier, punk-inspired rebellion, and the refined elegance drawn from classic tailoring seen in historical frock coats.
What was it like receiving mentorship from Nanushka founder, Sandra Sándor?
Receiving mentorship from Sandra was an immensely inspiring experience. One valuable piece of advice I received was the emphasis on tailoring garments to the body, thus extending their lifespan.
Jung Eun Lee
Where do you get inspiration from?
I’m inspired by historical clothes in the 17th and 18th Centuries, especially justacorps, which heavily influenced formal menswear. It opened a space to think about how masculinity can be territorialised.
What was the most intricate piece to make from your collection?
A velvet bird blazer which consists of feathers that are made from deadstock fabric. It was dyed a dark colour, then the fabric was sewn and fringed to create a feather-like texture. In total, it took around 250 hours to construct.
How do you ensure sustainability is a vital part of the way you work?
I used plant-based leathers – such as cactus – from Mexico and deadstock fabric from shuttered German companies. I also developed the embellishments in the collection from leftovers to reduce waste.
Igor Dieryck – Winner of the Grand Prix of the Jury Première Vision
What did it feel like receiving the news you’re one of the fashion finalists at Festival d'Hyères and in competition for the Mercedes-Benz Sustainability Prize?
Cliché, but accurate: it’s a dream come true to be in Hyères. I saw a documentary about the festival when I was 14-years-old and have always hoped to be part of the finalists. Being able to showcase my work at Villa Noailles is one of the reasons why I decided start fashion studies five years ago.
Where do you get inspiration from?
This collection is also an extension of research into the role of the uniform. The main objective of my collection is to highlight those who, too often, are ignored and concealed by a system that does not give them the place to be powerful.
What is your outlook on the current fashion landscape?
Its undergoing a profound transformation, and it's an exciting time to be a young designer. I see this as an opportunity to pioneer sustainable practices and challenge conventional norms, ultimately contributing to a more responsible and forward-thinking industry.
What is the crux of your brand?
My brand, No Pain No Glamour, strives for inclusive, sustainable glamour while pushing traditional crafts into a new potential.
What was the most intricate piece to make from your collection?
One of the most time-consuming pieces is the fur coat in my Mercedes-Benz sustainability look. It's handwoven from textile industry waste and trash, and then hand-stitched together. I loved the idea of creating a garment that was once considered the epitome of luxury and glamour, out of trash.
Why are festivals such as d’Hyères vital for promoting and amplifying the voice of young designers?
We represent a new generation with different values and ideas, and it's our responsibility to showcase what we believe is essential for the future of fashion and the world we want to create. I'm optimistic about the fashion industry's future, especially after connecting with fellow finalists who share the same focus on sustainability and inclusivity.
Tiago Bessa
How do you ensure sustainability is a vital part of the way you work?
I treat my garments like one-of-a-kind pieces of art which means I have no intention for them to be massively produced. By having this slower pace, I’m not indulging in the overproduction that fashion is known for and instead, I’m prioritising artistry and craftsmanship.
Were you always creatively inclined?
I was raised by my mother and grandmother, a pattern maker and a seamstress respectively, in their atelier and I always felt the urge to grab scrap material and create something with it.
What are your hopes for shaping the future of fashion?
Garments can have a deeper meaning, and in my case, they represent queer resilience and I hope they’re a source of comfort for the next generation.
Where do you get inspiration from?
I get my inspiration from my personal life: I was born, grew up and studied in China, a country where social relations are very structured and coded. That's why I chose to continue my studies in France, [as I was] eager to discover another culture.
What was the most intricate piece to make from your collection?
Without hesitation, it's the sleeveless pullover designed for the Mercedes-Benz look. There's a play of contrasts between transparency and opacity, which always symbolises the same idea of a protective straight jacket and the possibility of freeing yourself from it.
What was it like receiving mentorship from Nanushka founder, Sandra Sándor?
The exchanges with Sandra confirmed my conviction in the benefits of eco-responsibility, an approach which I've always been deeply committed to.
Petra Fagerstrom – Winner of the Mercedes-Benz Sustainability Prize
What is the crux of your brand?
A key element for the brand is lenticular pleated textiles that shift images as the fabric moves.
How do you ensure sustainability is a vital part of the way you work?
As a student I used Nona Source for my collection, which is a supplier of leftover stock from LVMH houses. I also included upcycling by using fabric from a discarded military parachute.
What is your outlook on the current fashion landscape as a young designer?
If I am being completely honest, I have been a bit frustrated lately as we see fewer and fewer women in creative director positions at big houses. Kering has zero women in creative director positions. Even if being a creative director isn’t everyone’s goal, this sends a message that women’s perspectives in womenswear aren’t relevant or valued.
Bo Kwon Min
What did it feel like receiving the news you’re one of the fashion finalists at Festival d'Hyères and in competition for the Mercedes-Benz Sustainability Prize?
It was the middle of the night in Korea when the announcement was beginning; it took a moment for me to realise that they had called my name. It was an incredible moment.
What is the crux of your brand?
Interaction – I feel like I’m writing poems when making or sketching garments and almost all garments in this collection can be transformed with zippers, buttons, and straps.
Why are festivals such as d’Hyères vital for promoting and amplifying the voice of young designers?
There are still many young designers who have irreplaceable visions in the world, but they hardly get to spotlight their work. Hyères Festival provides designers an opportunity to present their work and collaborate with professional teams.
Where do you get inspiration from?
The inspiration for my new Hyères collection comes from my father passing away last year. We brought him home from the hospital for the last few weeks of his life and he spent them on the farm he was born in. The collection uses wood from the surrounding hedgerows and landscape as bag handles and hats.
Were you always creatively inclined?
I’ve always been the black sheep in my family of medics, manual labourers and farmers. My family and school didn’t know what to do with a creative queer child, but they allowed me to follow the high goals I set for myself and still continue to encourage me.
How do you ensure sustainability is a vital part of the way you work?
I enjoyed using the Mercedes-Benz materials so much. I ended up making high-waisted trousers out of airbags, and then I made feathers out of wire. The top that accompanies this look is a crop made from netting from the inside of a Mercedes-Benz car and then I went mud-larking down the Thames at low tide for around four days collecting old Victorian clay tobacco pipes to use as an embellishment.
