The Midlands Fashion Awards 2015

Now in its seventh year the annual event acts as a much-needed platform for up and coming designers from the region to gain recognition and to network within industry. This year’s awards were judged by a committee of fashion experts, with Jenny Eason, Midlands Fashion Awards founder & managing director, Kim Stephens, Retail Marketing Manager at Resorts World Birmingham, Luke Roper, Managing Director at Luke 1977, Lisa Shepherd, Managing Director at Lisa Shepherd Salons, Andrew Riley, Editor in Chief at Style Birmingham Magazine and renowned make-up artist Jules Cardozo-Marsh all sitting on the panel.

Jenny Eason, founder and managing director of the Midlands Fashion Awards commented:

“2015 marked the seventh consecutive year for the Midlands Fashion Awards, and each year I’m completely blown away by the talent and creativity of the finalists, it really is just getting better and better! Previous participants have taken their work everywhere from Fashion Week to the Oscars, so this is just the start of the journey and I can’t wait to see what this year’s finalists can do.”

The MFA finalists showcasing were as follows:

INDEPENDENT DESIGNER OF THE YEAR

Maurice Whittingham (design pictured top right)

Boo-Couture

FashionSistas

Dancing Dolls UK (design pictured below right) 

Tiffany Standford

EMERGING DESIGNER OF THE YEAR

Kashane Swaby

C La Rouge

Eleven Fifty Nine

Sarah Louise Woodward 

Crooked Knitwear

YOUNG DESIGNER OF THE YEAR

Georgia Richardson

Isla Gilbertson

Abigail Emily Vincent

Ronja Fell

Kayleigh Wright

Sophie Hudson

ACCESSORY DESIGNER OF THE YEAR

Spirit of Harlequin    

Monday Boutique

Kavina Tank 

France Leonard 

Magnifique    

MAKE-UP ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Leanne Brown  

Gabrielle Hunt

Fatou Jagne

Navdeep Makh

 

And the winners were:

Independent Designer of the Year: Maurice Whittingham (pictured below)

Emerging Designer of the Year: Sarah Louise Woodward

Young Designer of the Year: Georgia Richardson (design pictured right)

Accessory Designer of the Year: Spirit of Harlequin

And Make-Up Artist of the Year: Gabrielle Hunt    

FashionCapital editor JoJo Iles commented:

“It was fantastic to see such a diverse mix of styles and ideas coming through at this year’s event. For me Maurice Whittingham was a well-deserved winner his cutting and tailoring skills were exceptional combined with his eye for detail in both his men’s and womenswear designs. Other standouts for me included Georgia Richardson’s slick use of pleating and print and some rather lust-worthy separates by Dancing Dolls, such as the oversized cowl top and opening embellished hooded dress for a Princess Leia meets Kylie feel. Not forgetting Kavina Tank’s oversized, light-as-air, structured hats that made a real statement on the MFA catwalk.”

As part of the prize, design category winners will feature in an exclusive Style Birmingham shoot, putting their collections in the spotlight. In the year following awards ceremony, make-up artist and MFA judge, Jules Cardozo-Marsh, will mentor the successful Make-Up Artist of the Year. The winner will accompany and assist Jules on professional shoots, benefiting from her direction and experience. This will allow them to build a portfolio of work and a network of invaluable industry contacts.

The Midlands Fashion Awards 2015 was held at CBSO Centre in Birmingham on the 16^th October 2015 – check for updates on the MFA website to apply for the next 2016 edition.

http://www.midlandsfashionawards.co.uk

By JoJo Iles

Images by garazi.co.uk 

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