International Talent Support will not take place in 2017
ITS 2017 will not be taking place. The international competition for young designers, usually held in mid-July at Trieste, has not been able to source sufficient funds for its 2017 edition.
The organisers stated in a press release that the decision was due to ‘the fundraising [having] been less successful than in the past years. The resources we collected are not enough to deliver it with the same level of quality we have achieved in the past 15 years.’
‘It has always been a difficult task. During this period, we collected 16 million Euro, 80% of which from private companies. Everyone who works with events and cultural activities knows how unusual this is,’ the statement continued.
The international competition for emerging designers, dedicated to fashion, jewellery and textiles, and founded/ directed by Barbara Franchin, will continue to evolve. The focus of its progression in 2017 will be via the significant network of young designers that it has developed over the years, and through its creative archives. The latter consists of the 16,000 applications and portfolios submitted to the programme over the past 15 years, in addition to 30,000 drawings, 220 looks, 120 accessories, 80 pieces of jewellery and over 700 photo projects.
After celebrating the success of the past 15 editions in July last year, ‘the time has come to take stock of the situation and think about the future of ITS,’ even if it has been a difficult decision, admitted Franchin.
ITS has been supported since its debut by the founder of Diesel, Renzo Rosso, the traditional partner and sponsor of the fashion competition. Partnering with the Japanese group and zip specialist YKK, ITS was able to diversify its categories with the introduction of accessories in 2006, and a jewellery competition five years later with the support of Swarovski. The Swatch group is the latest addition, having enabled the creation of a competition devoted solely to creativity.
Since 2000, ITS has brought countless young talents to the fore who have later emerged into the fashion sector, from Demna Gvasalia, the artistic director of Balenciaga, to Aitor Throup, Peter Pilottoand Katy Reiss, art director and senior stylist at Lanvin, Courtney McWilliams, design director at Givenchy, and Heikki Salonen, designer at Maison Margiela, to name just a few.
The decision by the ITS organisers arrives in the wake of the introduction of two new categories at the Hyères International Festival of Fashion and Photography. The two new programme sections at the next edition will be dedicated to accessories and still life photography.
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