ITS: A GLOBAL CONTEST
Barbara Franchin, founder of ITS – International Talent Support, lives in Trieste but tirelessly travels the world selecting talents from top fashion schools to present on her creative platform every year. The latest edition, which awarded cash prizes and concrete professional opportunities, saw the participation of 40 finalists from 21 countries. She therefore has the perfect perspective to outline a new geography of fashion talents.
Which countries are emerging and which are firmly established, also in terms of the schools to be found there?
“European countries and Japan have a long-standing tradition of being hothouses of talent. But flows of creativity change course. In recent years, China, South Korea and the United States have also started to gravitate around planet ITS. There are plenty of Asian contestants. Over the years we’ve had 630 projects from China, with an exponential growth considering there were just 12 in 2002, while in the last edition there were 120. But of those 630 entrants, over 350 have stud- ied abroad, and a similar situation also affects Korean designers. This is because studying fashion design in Europe is still seen as extremely prestigious, and it’s also true that fashion schools in those countries have yet to forge their own solid identities. It’s a different story in the USA, where I’ve noticed a constant rise in the quality of universities, which are turning out increasingly interesting young designers.”
This issue of Vogue Talents looks at South Korea, Japan, Georgia, Israel, Lebanon and Finland. What are the main qualities of designers from these countries?
“The Israelis are very focused on materials. They excel in leather craftsmanship and they have a strong tradition in jewellery design, which is a talent they also share with the Lebanese. The Koreans are technically outstanding. They work meticulously and with obsessive attention to detail, aiming for a level of precision that’s difficult to find elsewhere. The Japanese still have a unique, oneiric and often unfiltered imagination. This translates into dreamy projects loaded with cultural references that trace back to the Land of the Rising Sun. Designers from Finland have been a pleasant surprise over the last few years. They’ve really boosted Nordic attention for design tout court. Lastly, when I come across a quality Georgian design, I detect a very romantic element united with a clear position statement on the theme of the collection.”
Does a country’s economy affect its level of creativity?
“The potential of creativity knows no borders. The influence of a strong or weak economy can be seen in the tools that creative talents have at their disposal to translate their visions into real projects. This is particularly true when it comes to access to schooling, which is why many young Chinese and Koreans head to European and American universities.”
Which fashion schools offer the most innovative educations?
“In recent years, our juries’ choices have awarded prizes to schools in the UK, Belgium and Germany. In Japan I’d mention the Coconogacco school in Tokyo, which is definitely very innovative. It was established by an ex-finalist of ITS, Yoshikazu Yamagata, and in turn it has produced several ITS finalists, some of whom have won important prizes.”