Global Denim Awards 2016 by e3 Cotton Sets the Stage for Designer-Mill Concoction

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Global Denim Awards 2016 by e3 Cotton Sets the Stage for Designer-Mill Concoction

"The stage is set for the third edition of the Global Denim Awards, scheduled to be held on October 26, 2016 in Amsterdam. With the unique concept of bringing in world’s most progressive mills along with 11 emerging fashion designers, this show is aims to bind the warp & the weft of textiles together. Aptly defined as the perfect concoction of progressive design with technical innovation, this has truly become the world’s premier platform for the future of denim design, innovation, sustainability and craftsmanship."

Global Denim Awards 2016 by E3 Cotton Sets the Stage for Designer-Mill Concoction

The stage is set for the third edition of the Global Denim Awards, scheduled to be held on October 26, 2016 in Amsterdam. With the unique concept of bringing in world’s most progressive mills along with 11 emerging fashion designers, this show is aims to bind the warp & the weft of textiles together. Aptly defined as the perfect concoction of progressive design with technical innovation, this has truly become the world’s premier platform for the future of denim design, innovation, sustainability and craftsmanship. According to Co-founder Mariette Hoitink (CEO of fashion recruitment and consultancy agency HTNK), “What's unique about the Denim Awards is that it puts some of the most innovative mills worldwide front-row. In this way, Global Denim Awards is also a preview to the future, since brands will have to offer transparency regarding where and how product is produced within the next few years.” Andrew Olah, co-founder and CEO of denim trade-show Kingpins, remarks, “It's amazing to see how much traction the Global Denim Awards has gotten in so little time. We are, as a fact, inspiring a 60-billion-dollar global market, I really look forward to seeing how GDA develops.”

DESIGNERS TRAVEL TO MILLS

Global Denim Awards 2016 by E3 Cotton Sets the Stage for Designer

As per the format, selected designers travel to a number of destinations, for example: Turkey, Taiwan, Thailand, Spain, India and China, wherein they will spend at least one week at their partnered mills to develop an in-depth understanding of the mill’s latest technological possibilities vis-à-vis fabrics, washes, finishes, treatment and sustainable manufacturing processes. The designers will work together with the mill to develop on the spot a capsule collection, comprised of five total looks, which will be presented during the Global Denim Awards show.

This edition’s presentation will be held at De Hallen Studios. Instead of a traditional runway show, models will present themselves on three spectacularly lit stages. It will be attended by a carefully selected audience of 500 international denim professionals from mills, wash houses, suppliers, brands and retailers.

THE ILLUSTRATIVE JURY

The 11 collections with the unison of designers and the mills will be judged by a jury of international denim experts on the overall look, the innovative nature of the design, and the creative use of denim. The winning designer will receive a €10,000 award. An additional award would be handed over to the mill with the most innovative fabric. The winning collection will then be exhibited at Kingpins Shows in New York City and Hong Kong, before returning to Amsterdam for Denim Days 2017. The Jury includes illustrious names in the world of fashion. These are:

Amy Leverton: Involved with the denim industry since 2003, Amy’s job involves many aspects of the denim market; covering over 15 industry trade shows & niche denim events per year, analysing street style, and hunting for obscure new brands. Leverton says, “I’m a big fan of the Global Denim Awards. The denim industry is a tight-knit community where the healthy competition in fact brings us all closer together. How great is it that once a year the whole community gets to work towards a common goal!”

Art Comes First: Founded in London, Art Comes First was created by former Saville Row designer Sam Lambert and stylist Shaka Maidoh as a conceptual platform for both their formal work as a styling and designer duo, as well as for their non-commercial research and more art-oriented activities. Art Comes First has collaborated with brands such as PONY, Super Duper Hats, Spencer Hart, Ozwald Boateng, Kanye West, Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def), and Liberty Fairs, and created limited edition capsules like The Coal collection, presented at Harvey Nichols and United Arrows.

Kelly Harrington: After having graduated from Loughborough University in printed textiles, Kelly has spent 14 years at Swedish Fashion chain H&M. Her job involves designing, trend forecasting, and setting up an inspirational vintage archive. She is often scouring vintage shops and flea markets around the world for inspiration or attending trade fairs, while analysing street style and fashion week trends. Kelly is always on the hunt for new niche brands and vintage shops, and regularly collaborates with denim brands from around the world.

Alex Jaspers: The Global Sales Director of Scotch & Soda and day-to-day denim aficionado, Alex completes the list of this year’s Global Denim Awards jury. He has been responsible for setting the strategic horizon of Amsterdams Blauw, the highly successful denim collection of Scotch & Soda, as well as working on the overall denim business and marketing strategies for this Amsterdam based global brand. His experience in fashion, denim and retail spans over 20 years now. "Global Denim Awards is a platform that gives ‘passionists’ in fashion the opportunity to work and excel in the most complex part of the fashion industry: the denim trade,” says Jaspers. “Participating in this platform as a designer just by itself is daring and inspiring… Denim is so versatile and complex it can drive you mad or give you great glory. My respect for the competitors is therefore even larger. I am honored to be in the jury to learn from them as denim always teaches you, and I hope I can give something of my expertise back to let them succeed in their dream.”

ARVIND MILLS MAKES IT TO THE PARTICIPANTS’ LIST

Having almost doubled the number of participants since its inception in 2014, GDA now presents the 11 paired fashion designers and progressive denim mills that will present their co-created capsule collections during Global Denim Awards 2016. The list of designers & mills duo includes:

1. Marina van Dieren and Christina Albrecht (The Netherlands/Germany) & Advance Denim (China)

2. MariusPetrus (Belgium) & Atlantic Mills (Thailand)

3. EdithMarcel (Italy) & Berto Industria Tessile (Italy)

4. Outkastpeople (Turkey) & Calik Denim (Turkey)

5. Designer: Lavinia Mustapha (Italy-Lebanon) & Candiani Denim (Italy) 6. Anbasja Blanken (Curaçao) & ITV Denim (Italy)

7. Tess van Zalinge (The Netherlands) & Knitdigo (Taiwan) 8. Lisa Konno & Karin Vlug (The Netherlands) & Prosperity Textile (China)

9. Roosmarijn Koster (The Netherlands) & Arvind (India) 10. Deniz Gür (Turkey) & Kipas Denim (Turkey)

11. Leandro Cano (Spain) & Tejidos Royo (Spain)