The International Festival of Fashion, Photography and Fashion Accessories has taken place at the Villa Noailles in Hyères since 1986, and this year was no different — with the exception of social distancing, of course. For its 35th edition, running from 15-18 October, finalists — selected by judges including Kaia Gerber and Jonathan Anderson — were part of a digital mentorship program in partnership with Mercedes-Benz and Fashion Open Studio, which schooled them in eco-sustainable practice. On completion of the program, finalists Tom Van der Borght, Emma Bruschi, Maximillian Ritter, Xavier Brisoux, Andrea Grossi, Katarzyna Cichy, Timour Desdemoustier, Céline Shen, Marvin M’Toumo and Aline Boubertwere asked to select a look from their collections which best integrated the eco-knowledge they’d gained.
The chosen looks have been photographed by Daragh Soden, who was awarded the Grand Prix du Jury in the photography category at the Festival in 2017, at The Horniman Conservatory in London, a location chosen for its resemblance to the site of the French festival. “The Horniman conservatory felt very much like parts of the Villa Noailles, especially after it’s interior had been transformed by Georgina Pragnell, the amazing set designer we worked with,” says Daragh. “Along with the on-point styling from Ola Ebiti, the shoot had the same fresh and creative feel of the Festival in Hyères.”
See the sustainable looks in question, and read Daragh’s thoughts on the incredible opportunities the festival provides, below.
Hi Daragh! Where are you at the moment, and in what state of mind?
At the moment, I am in London making the most of what is around me, working on some new personal projects in my neighbourhood and finishing off some work that I began a few years ago.
What did winning the Grand Prix du Jury at Hyères mean to you?
Winning the Grand Prix opened some incredible doors for me. I was delighted to get the opportunity to shoot a project in Toulon with the Villa Noailles and Be-poles’ Portrait de Ville, to shoot a fashion/documentary story with some of the jury members that year and most of all to be introduced to the wide and wonderful network of creatives that are associated with the Villa Noailles and the Festival d’Hyères.
Why is it important that there’s a festival devoted to young fashion talent?
The creative industries are notoriously difficult to ‘break into’.The Festival d’Hyères offers young/new talents the chance to meet and talk to some of the industry’s best, to take on advice directly from the top and to begin to build collaborative networks around Europe and beyond.
Can you tell us about shooting at the Horniman conservatory?
The Horniman conservatory felt very much like parts of the Villa Noailles, especially after its interior had been transformed by Georgina Pragnell, the amazing set designer we worked with. Along with the on-point styling from Ola Ebiti, the shoot had the same fresh and creative feel of the Festival in Hyères.
Were there any designs that particularly stood out to you?
To be honest, I was impressed most by the diversity of style across the finalists looks. I think it says a lot about young designers today, but I guess it’s also encouraging to see the open mindset of the jury that selected them.
