We are pleased to announce that Swarovski returns to GFW18 to sponsor both the Hilary Alexander Trailblazer Award and the International Fashion Award, set to be the biggest show to date in the history of the worldwide competition. The world-renowned crystal company will provide 28 crystal trophies for the award winners at the prestigious Gala Award Show and are launching a new showcasing upcycled crystal!
The Hilary Alexander Trailblazer Award has been created in order to capture and reflect Hilary鈥檚 evident enthusiasm for new, fresh, and unpublished fashion design. The winning collection must provide a refreshing and innovative direction, it must address the important issue of sustainability; and illustrate the ground-breaking, fashion-forward thinking that the UK is renowned for. With last year's winner, graduate of receiving both the coveted and the Hilary Alexander Trailblazer Award for her sustainable creative collection, we're eager to see which expressive graduate impresses the judges at GFW18.
鈥淪warovski has a long history of support for fashion education, and we are looking forward to expanding our partnership with Graduate Fashion Week in 2018 with a renewed focus on the power of emerging talent. We are also delighted to further champion conscious design by introducing the new Swarovski Sustainable Accessories COMPETITION.鈥�
Nadja Swarovski, Member of the Swarovski Executive Board
The event鈥檚 famed International Fashion Award Catwalk Show takes place on Wednesday 6th June 2018. Starting with four universities just five years ago, the 2018 edition will feature 48+ participants from leading design schools around the world, including , Osaka Institute of Fashion in Japan, and numerous other
The invites these fashion institutes to enter their best and most innovative students for the opportunity to showcase their collection at Graduate Fashion Week. The first winner in 2012, , has gone on to launch a successful fashion house now showing at The winner of The Swarovski International Fashion Award will be announced during the prestigious that same evening, and will receive a prize of 拢1,000, alongside the opportunity to showcase for free at London Fashion Week SS19 under . Additional runner-up prizes will also be awarded.
鈥淭hrough GFW International and the Swarovski Fashion Award we are able to unite so many different countries that reflect their great cultural diversity within fashion culture as well as the different approaches to education. We give the opportunity for institutions, large and small, well known and less to discuss, socialise and above all have sensational visibility in London which is in many ways is the world鈥檚 fashion capital for new design talent鈥�
Adrien Yakimov Roberts, International Trustee at Graduate Fashion Week
As part of the extended partnership, will host a hub featuring an installation and interactive learning space within the sponsorship floor during Graduate Fashion Week 2018. The Swarovski hub will offer workshop sessions which provide students the opportunity to gain career insights at Swarovski and learn about crystal product and applications. In addition to the International Fashion Award show, we are hosting an International Showcase on the new second floor exhibition space, and specialist masterclasses will be given exclusively to international academics and graduates, with the chance to meet industry contacts and develop collaborations.
Graduate Fashion Week's growing international reach and the crucial role that it plays in launching graduates鈥� careers; offering a global stage for students to receive exposure to job opportunities within the world's most admired fashion houses and retail brands. With the shared international It was a natural fit for Swarovski to expand its support for Graduate Fashion Week with Nadjanow named a and the launch of an exciting new competition: The Swarovski Sustainable Accessories Competition. Running ahead of the event in June, the competition winner will be commissioned to create a one-off accessory with up-cycled crystals, which will be displayed during Graduate Fashion Week.