"Fashion dies young, that's what makes it so touching", the quote of the Frenchman Jean Cocteau, was a winged phrase in different variations at Hyères 2015, and Minister Fleur Pellerin explicitly emphasized that it dies younger every year. The collection has hardly made it onto the shelves, and the intermediate collections have to be created if you want even half a chance of following the market momentum, the competition and the trend. This applies to young designers as well as to big fashion houses.
That is why young talent is such an indispensable guarantee for innovation, for creativity, for esprit in fashion. And when the shows are over, the showrooms of the finalists become a place for inspiration and finding new networks. So it was no big surprise to see Virginie Viard and her jury colleagues absorbed in deep conversations in the small fashion tents. The finalists were sometimes so overwhelmed by the crowds that they didn't even know who was speaking with them or being photographed – which made it simple to photograph Caroline of Hanover and Monacco with Annelie Schubert on the first day, or Caroline de Maigret with Anna Bornhold, who won the Prix Chloé later on...
Another important part of the event is the second tent area titled 'The Formers' where last-years Grand Prix or Prix Chloé winners have the opportunity to present their latest work to the industry, the jury, and last, but not least, the media. "The best part about the festival is," Dutch Chloé 2014 award winner Liselore Frowijn tells GoSee "that you are really guided by experts while developing your career. I am just in the middle of a cooperation with an Italian clothing company, and I look forward to my new scarves collection which will appear this fall. But it is, of course, a great opportunity to network."
This is how we saw the fashion jury at the booths again, completely relaxed as they have a look at the fashion, feel it in their hands, and discuss it. And then the entire jury left in a slightly exaggerated Mercedes Benz shuttle phalanx to a déjeuner on the beach or the VIP area.
