Fashion designer Elīna Siliņa has won the Chloé award and a grant of 20 thousand euros at the prestigious Hyères Festival. It is one of the oldest international fashion competitions supporting young professionals in the industry.
The International Festival of Fashion, Photography and Fashion accessories, Hyères, took place between the 14th and 17th October. This year, two Latvian designers were among the ten finalists of the prestigious Hyères International Festival fashion competition: Laima Jurča with the collection Collective Blanket, created in collaboration with the artist Marta Veinberga, and Elīna Siliņa with the collection For Sally.
In addition to the main prize of the competition, special prizes are presented every year. This time, Chloé invited each of the finalists to add a look to their collection that follows the style and philosophy of the fashion house. The outfit created by Elīna Siliņa was recognised as the best, and the designer will receive a grant of 20 thousand euros from Chloé.
The collection For Sally is permeated by flowing lines in combination with deconstructed fashion elements of the eighties and handicrafts. Designer Elīna Siliņa has used yarn from her grandmother’s closet, as well as materials from production leftovers and second-hand shops. The inspiration behind Elīna’s collection is rooted in her childhood: «My childhood is unimaginable without the American TV series The Bold and the Beautiful. It was the backdrop to all my family’s daily activities. I remember knitting and dreaming of becoming a fashion designer just like Sally Spectra. Sally was a bright and colourful personality that reminded me of my always bold and colourfully dressed mom. This collection is a tribute to my wonderful mother Daiga and the ever-shining Sally. These women always inspire and encourage me to follow my dreams.»
After her success, Elīna does not hide joy: «I am happy. Already being in the final means that you are a winner — high-caliber representatives of the industry listen to you, they see your work, appreciate your efforts, express constructive criticism. And a million compliments.» The designer admits that the evaluation received is a huge push to continue her work, which required a huge effort. Elīna also emphasises that the experience gained has allowed her to get to know other new talents: «In a year we will meet in Hyères again as a family.»
The collection Collective Blanket by designer Laima Jurča and artist Marta Veinberga was also presented in the final of the festival. It is based on the idea of upcycling. The collection recreates the visual and conceptual material of an existing work of art, thus allowing it to reach a wider audience. The graphic identity of the collection is based on Marta Veinberga’s paintings, which are made from store promotion stickers and tells about the unfulfilled dreams of contemporary society.
Since the start of the Hyères competition back in 1986, Latvian designers have been nominated six times: designers Rolands Pēterkops and Mārīte Mastiņa–Pēterkopa (Mareunrol’s) won the competition in 2009, and Agnese Narņicka (One Wolf), Tomass Bērziņš (Victoria/Tomas) and Dita Enikova have been among the finalists.
An exhibition featuring the works of the finalists of the competition will be open to the public until the 28th November. More information about the Hyères competition can be found on the festival’s homepage.
Viedokļi