Chinese designer Yui Chen won the fashion Grand Jury Prize at the 41st Hyères International Festival of Fashion, Photography and Accessories for “Food Cover.” For readers curious about emerging design, the collection’s central idea is easy to trace: Chen reworked the structure of a humble food cover into three-dimensional clothing. WWD’s report describes the collection and the festival’s other award winners.
How Chen Built the Collection
Chen used the food cover as a starting point to challenge conventional ideas of clothing. The collection explored sculptural form and the space around the body, using material experimentation and reinvention of familiar shapes.
Sleeping dresses and shirts became vehicles for volume, sheer layering and foldability. An all-encompassing coat made from recycled leather and covered in bows offered another take on those ideas. The garments were paired with protective headgear. Chen said, “I want to change how we see things.”
The collection was selected by a fashion jury headed by Chemena Kamali, creative director of Chloé. Kamali described Chen’s work as having a “distinctive voice,” and said the jury chose a candidate whose vision was personal and opened new perspectives.
Other Prize-Winning Work
The festival’s other fashion awards highlight different approaches to familiar materials and objects. Fellow Paris-based Chinese designer Xiao Xu received the second annual Supima Prize for “Uncanny.” She transformed ordinary sweaters and cardigans into latex constructions, exploring the tension between domestic familiarity and fetishistic sensuality.
Mexican German designer Dieter Vlasich Obermann won the Le19M Métiers d’Arts Prize, in partnership with Chanel, for “Tiliches.” Working with embroiderers from Yucatán, Mexico, he used traditional techniques alongside recycled leather, textured fabrics, beadwork and embroidery. His collaboration with Le19M’s Maison Michel reinterpreted traditional hat-making as footwear.
Spanish designer Brais Albor Rodriguez received a special mention and the public prize for “Por Mis Santos Cojones,” a squirrel-inspired collection dedicated to “big boys” overlooked in the fashion market.
A Way to See the Work
The festival’s new leadership said it had focused on the exhibitions and fashion show, with fewer parties and side events. Managing director Hugo Lucchino said the exhibitions remain open for months after the festival, allowing locals, tourists and students to visit. The report does not provide exhibition dates or opening details, so check Villa Noailles’ official information before planning a visit.
The leadership also said Villa Noailles needs sustained public and private backing, along with new partners, to support emerging talent over the long term. Which collection’s approach to shape, material or craft would you most want to see in person?
Source image: WWD.