Gallery: A tribute to talent
In a raw setting at Copenhagen’s “Papirø”, Kopenhagen Fur’s design competition Imagine Talents took place Wednesday evening during Copenhagen Fashion Week.
Design talents from around the world showed their take on fur and fashion demonstrating innovation, courage and creativity. The evening culminated with the announcement of the winner, Chinese Shangqian Xu from University of Westminster, who not only received a big round of applause and the title, but also a prize of €5,000.
Design talents of tomorrow
‘Imagine Talents’ is part of Kopenhagen Fur’s talent programme. Through strategic co-operations with the world’s leading design schools and ditto fur manufacturers, students are offered insights in the ancient craftsmanship carried out by furriers. Tomorrow’s designers are paired up with leading fur manufactures via teaching, creative interaction and sharing of knowledge. This bridge building between fashion and fur gives students the necessary tools to be able to work with sustainable fur designs in their future work.
New approach to fur
The winner was selected by an international jury consisting of five members who reviewed the students fur styles.
The 23 participants pitched their designs to the jury at Kopenhagen Fur’s creative centre Kopenhagen Fur Studio. The winner was announced with the following statement from the jury.
- Shanqian shows a new approach to the texture of fur and uses forward looking and innovative construction techniques; creating an interesting juxtaposition between street fashion and the craftmanship of the furrier.
Facts: Members of the jury
Guo Chao, Fashion Director, L’Officiel China
As Øland, Creative Director, Danish Fashion & Textile
Edward Crutchley, Designer, Edward Crutchley
Jens Laugesen, Designer, Jens Laugesen
Jordan Spyropoulos, Vice President Merchandising, BC International Group New York
Participating design universities
China Academy of Arts (CH), Tsinghua University (CH), The Arts Institution of Heilongjiang (CH), Design School Kolding (DK), Via University College (DK), The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (DK), Business Academy SouthWest (DK), Royal College of Art (UK), Westminster University (UK), Atelier Chardon Savard (FR), T.E.I. of Central Macedonia (GR), Mode Gakuen (JP), Seoul National University KR) og University of Technology and Design (RU).