High profile international fashion judges announced the 2013 Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize finalists

London, 2013-07-24 — /travelprnews.com/ — Following shortlisting judging sessions in London, Paris, Geneva, Milan and Los Angeles by a high profile panel of international judges from the world of fashion, the fourdesigners shortlisted for the 2013 Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize are:

Barbara Casasola www.barbaracasasola.com
Fyodor Golan www.fyodorgolan.com
Emilia Wickstead www.emiliawickstead.com
Huishan Zhang www.huishanzhang.com

The shortlisted finalists were selected from designers of ready-to-wear, couture and accessories based in the UK, France, Italy, Switzerland and the US, with an established design business, which has operated for a minimum of two years and a maximum of five years. A new element of the application process included the submission of a one minute video entry, which invited applicants to present their collection, inspiration and design philosophy to the judges. These videos will be broadcast on the Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize website.

Judges were looking for applicants that evoked the spirit of Dorchester Collection’s iconic hotels and their individuality, luxury, style and craftsmanship, which are synonymous with the brand.

“I am absolutely delighted by this year’s Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize shortlist. I know that all the judges have been impressed by the level of submissions this year, and therefore this shortlist of finalists shows an overwhelming level of talent and size of promise” said Caroline Issa, one of this year’s judges.

Thomas Tait, Anndra Neen and Augustin Teboul, previous winners of the Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize, have since enjoyed critical acclaim for their collections and been featured in respected titles such as The New York Times, Harper’s Bazaar UK, Vogue.com and L’ Officiel.

The 2013 Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize carries an endowment of £25,000 to help establish the designer’s brand, a two night stay at a Dorchester Collection hotel, and in a new element launched this year, the prospect of one-to-one mentoring from a selection of the judges.

“We are delighted to encourage and nurture young fashion talent – it’s been rewarding to follow the success of previous winners and finalists, knowing that the prize has helped them make that next step to global success and recognition. The judges have been highly impressed by the calibre of this year’s entries as the prize goes from strength to strength since its debut in 2010. The collections of the shortlisted finalists clearly echo the individuality and heritage of Dorchester Collection’s iconic hotels,” states Christopher Cowdray, chief executive officer of Dorchester Collection.

The grand final will be on 29 October 2013 at The Dorchester, London, where the shortlisted designers will be invited to stage a catwalk presentation before the judges collectively decide the winner of 2013 Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize.

Notes to editors:
2013 Dorchester Collection shortlisted finalists

Barbara Casasola
Barbara Casasola is a Brazilian ready-to-wear womenswear designer. Barbara who studied at London’s Central Saint Martins, has worked with the likes of Roberto Cavalli and was selected for Milan Fashion week’s Vogue Talents Corner. Her design aesthetic is centred around romantic minimalism and paredback, understated luxury.

Fyodor Golan
Fyodor Podgorny and Golan Frydman make up women’s ready-to-wear designer Fyodor Golan. Painting provides a constant source of inspiration through which they create shapes and proportions, mirroring these into garments where microscopic detail is explored and dissected. Fydor Golan design for a woman who is emotional, expressive and strong; an international person who is not afraid to both explore and show her sensitive and powerful side.

Emilia Wickstead
Well regarded for her modern approach to made-to-measure as well as her fast growing ready-to-wear line, Emilia showed for the first time in London Fashion week in September 2011. Emilia has collaborated with Manolo Blahnik and Swarovski. Emilia took inspiration for her collections from The Beverly Hills Hotel which influenced her colour palate for her upcoming SS/14 collection.

Huishan Zhang
Chinese-born, London-based designer and Central Saint Martins’ graduate Huishan Zhang has created a luxurious brand where eastern heritage meets western influence. He was hand-picked by Delphine Arnault to work in the house of Dior whilst still a student. London’s V&A museum has selected his
couture “Dragon Dress” to become a permanent piece in the T.T. TSUI gallery – making him the first Chinese contemporary fashion designer to receive this honour.

Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize
Established in 2010, the annual Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize was created to discover emerging fashion talent and build on Dorchester Collection’s own established fashion heritage. It is the first award of its kind developed by a luxury hotel company.

The esteemed panel of judges evolves year to year and has included world renowned and criticallyacclaimed members of the fashion elite. This year the judges include Caroline Issa, Stephen Jones, Daniella Helayel, Nicholas Oakwell, Rupert Sanderson, Stephen Webster, Fabia Di Drusco, Vivia Ferragamo, Guglielmo Miani, Margherita Perico, Derek Blasberg, Catherine Bloom, Penny Lovell, Gelila Assefa Puck, Frederic Aranda, Laurence Desbordes, Jean-Pierre Greff, Lorenz Baumer, Pamela Golbin and Kappauf.

Social media details

Twitter: follow @DC_LuxuryHotels for updates on #DCFashionPrize
FB: Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize
Instagram: @DorchesterCollection
Pinterest: Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize board

Dorchester Collection
Dorchester Collection is a portfolio of the world’s foremost luxury hotels in Europe and the USA, each of which reflects the distinctive culture of its destination. By applying its unrivalled experience and capability in owning and operating some of the greatest individual hotels, the company’s mission is to
develop an impeccable group of the finest landmark hotels through acquisition as well as management of wholly-owned and part-owned hotels, and to enter into management agreements.

The current portfolio includes the following hotels (in order of them joining the group): The Dorchester, London; The Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills; Le Meurice, Paris; Hôtel Plaza Athénée, Paris; Hotel Principe di Savoia, Milan; Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles; Coworth Park, Ascot, UK; 45 Park Lane, London;
and Le Richemond, Geneva.

dorchestercollection.com

For further information on Dorchester Collection please contact:
Olivia Johnson or Victoria Henson at Peretti Communications
Telephone: 020 7244 1930
Email: olivia.j@peretti.com victoria.h@peretti.com

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