The British Fashion Council is delighted to announce that this year, for the first time, The Fashion Awards 2018 in partnership with Swarovski, will celebrate the global community of young creative talent by recognising 100 of the most innovative and inspiring young creative talents from around the world via a new element to the awards; NEW WAVE: Creatives.
The 2000 members of the international fashion community that make up the Fashion Awards Voting Panel, were asked to nominate those they believe to be the best young creative talent of today. Shining a light on this year’s emerging visionaries, NEW WAVE: Creatives will include trailblazers from image-makers, hair and makeup artists, set designers, creative directors, models, digital influencers and stylists. The final list will encompass 100 names and will include some of fashion’s most exciting and forward-thinking young professionals. The criteria was simply to vote for the most creative new wave of talent across creative disciplines in fashion.
NEW WAVE: Creatives will be celebrated at The Fashion Awards 2018 in partnership with Swarovski on Monday 10th December at the Royal Albert Hall but also during a series of satellite events leading up to the ceremony, in London, Shanghai and New York.
The Fashion Awards in partnership with Swarovski recognises creativity and innovation in fashion, celebrating exceptional brands, businesses and individuals whose imaginations and creativity have broken new ground globally. In the past 12 months, these innovators have transformed the possibilities of fashion today. NEW WAVE: Creatives highlights London’s position as an international hub and pays homage to the incredible success of both home-grown and international talent, while celebrating all those who play a vital role in the industry’s cultural and creative reputation.
Today, at an event at The Middle House Shanghai, Caroline Rush, Chief Executive British Fashion Council unveiled the first twenty names of the group and celebrated their achievements with key media, retailers, partners and industry professionals. More young creatives from the shortlist will be unveiled in London and New York over the coming weeks.
The first twenty names are:
Anny Fan (digital influencer); Chu Wong (model); Fan Qiong (stylist); Fan Zhang (hair stylist); Fil Xiaobai (stylist); Jiali Zhao (model); Jin Jia Ji (photographer); Jing Wen (model); Jumbo Tsui (photographer); Leslie Zhang (photographer); Liang Hengyi (photographer); Luo Yang (photographer); Mia Kong (stylist); Tao Liang, Mr Bags (digital influencer); Ting Chen (model); Wen Zhi (hair stylist); Xin Miao (makeup artist); Yu Cong (photographer/art director); Zeng Wu (photographer); Ziqian Wang (photographer)
Caroline Rush, BFC Chief Executive commented: “The Fashion Awards in partnership with Swarovski is a celebration of an incredibly diverse industry; through the event we aim to shine a light not only on designers but also on all of those who contribute to the creativity and innovation of our industry. We are delighted to be launching NEW WAVE: Creatives this year, to highlight and celebrate creatives from all around the world, to inspire new collaborations and to encourage an even younger generation to consider the many creative roles that make up the fashion industry and follow in their footsteps.”
The Fashion Awards in partnership with Swarovski is a fundraiser for the British Fashion Council, a not-for-profit organisation focused on promoting excellence in British fashion and supporting the future pipeline of creative talent. The BFC’s work is achieved through a range of charitable initiatives and education, business and mentoring schemes that support a pyramid of creatives from school level students, to emerging designers and future fashion start-ups, through to established designer businesses.
In 2017, The British Fashion Council raised over £2.2million for its charities and business support initiatives and in the twelve months to March 2018 has allocated £1.1million to further support these efforts. As part of its Education pillar, the BFC’s education initiatives are designed to secure the legacy of support for talented students at every stage, safeguarding the opportunity to further education regardless of financial situation.
Nominees and winners for The Fashion Awards 2018 in partnership with Swarovski are voted for by an international judging panel of over 2,000 key industry figures from all corners of the global fashion industry. A number of special recognition awards are also presented on the night and announced in advance, in recognition of the weight of the achievements they represent. Nominees for The Fashion Awards 2018 in partnership with Swarovski will be announced on Tuesday 23rd October.