Midlands Fashion Awards Announce Their 2016 Winners
11-10-2016
Encompassing the very best creative fashion talent in the region categories being hotly contested included: Independent Designer of the Year, Emerging Designer of the Year, Young Designer of the Year, Accessory Designer of the Year and Make-Up Artist of the Year.
What started out as a one-off fashion show has developed into an annual celebration for Midlands’ creatives. Now in its ninth year the awards offer a much-needed platform for current and emerging designers to showcase their talents, to consumers, as well as, press, buyers and industry professionals.
Previous winners have been approached by high-end retail buyers while others have gone on to set up their own fashion brand or to showcase at national and international fashion weeks all over the world.
“We’ve seen so many previous winners go on to develop their own careers, and we’re proud to have been a starting point for them. We’re giving creatives a chance to excel in their field as well as on their home turf”, says Jenny Eason, Founder of Midlands Fashion Awards.
“Often the pressure for designers and creatives to move to London is overwhelming and seems inevitable, but there is so many potential opportunities right here in the Midlands and an event like this proves that there is a melting pot of talented individuals just waiting for their chance to shine. That’s what we’re aiming for with this event.”
Not only does it serve as a ceremony to recognise these talents, it also provides a rich hubbub of creative networking with an added splash of live entertainment, and the Voice 2015 finalist Sasha Simone emotively sang at this year’s event.
This year’s judging panel of industry professionals included:
Jenny Eason, Founder/Director of the Midlands Fashion Awards,
Debra Hepburn, Co-founder of Young British Designers,
Gemma Holly Millinery,
Jo Tabis – Writer & Author of The Girls in Killer Heels,
Maurice Whittingham – Maurice Whittingham Couture
and Lilith Hunt-Sheppard from Sixty Nine Degrees Magazine.
While Jules Cardozo-Marsh, Professional Make-up Artist,
Laura Hannon – Central School of Make-up and Kellie Licorish – Professional Make-up Artist had the difficult task of selecting the winning Make-Up Artist of the Year.
Midlands Fashion Award winners will not only be exposed to web coverage and editorial exposure, but will be eligible for free membership with the Fashion Central Network, with a listing in their Creative Directory, a photoshoot featuring selected pieces from the designer’s collection or body of work, as well as a congratulatory trophy.
(Images clockwise from top left: Sophie Pittom and her models – Emerging Designer of the Year, MFA cupcakes by @bakernim, a design by Helen Howe – Independent Winner, Young Designer Sophie Gordon with her models, Make-Up Artist of the Year Chelsea Moore in action and Accessory Designer of the Year Alexa Milne picking up her award.)
Here are the 2016 winners and runners-up:
Accessory Designer of the Year
Alexa Milne Jewellery – Winner
Jemima Olivia Millinery – 2nd
Sophie Pittom – 3rd
Make-up Artist of the Year
Chelsea Moore – Winner
Hannah Louise Field 2nd place
Young Designer of the Year
Sophie Gordon – Winner
Sian Sweet – 2nd place
Tado Vito – 3rd place
Emerging Designer of the Year
Sophie Pittom – Winner
Merce by Jaqueline Richards – 2nd place
Rosie Billington – 3rd place
Independent Designer of the Year
Helen Howe – Winner
The Bottle Blonde – 2nd place
SM Walker -3rd place
Well done to all that took part.
All images courtesy of Saint Loupe @saintloupe
Related articles:
The Midlands Fashion Awards 2015
Uni of Derby Student Nominated for ‘Emerging Designer’ Award
Awards Ceremony to Celebrate Midlands Fashion Talent
