The Talents of the 37th edition of the Festival de Hyères, held in collaboration with the Première Vision fair, presented a new textile vocabulary.
The young generation will not have to sift through the old clothes (dead stocks or upcycling) of the previous generation forever. Especially since these bear the social and ecological traces of a system that is past its best. For the young designers who presented their collections as winners and finalists in the field of fashion and fashion accessories at this year’s international festival for fashion, accessories and photography in Hyères, “sustainability” in the traditional sense is no longer an option. For her, upcycling is the final act of a fashion system that is at the end of its life. “I’m not going to recycle garden hoses my whole life,” says Lora Sonney. The young designer nonetheless put all her energies into developing a new material made from garden hoses, which she cuts and heats before flattening them to get a slab, which the designer then used to make bags, hats, a miniskirt and a raincoat.
Hyères Festival 2022: reinventing the raw material – the Gen Z challenge
In addition to financial support of 20,000 euros, visibility and contacts to participating companies, the Première Vision trade fair plays a crucial role, as it holds the key to key energy sources. Philippe Pasquet, Chairman of the Textile Fair, pointed out at the award ceremony that without rethinking the topic of “raw materials” there is no (fashionable) future. Interesting, then, how the finalists made the yarns their own in order to rebuild the field of new possibilities.
She likes “knitting and bdsm”. Finn Jenny HyTONEN won the Première Vision Grand Jury Prize and the 2022 Audience Prize. She reinterprets materials and garments (like a leather jacket) by attaching metal pins or embellishing a sheer mesh fabric with glass beads. Glenn Martens, President of the 37th Festival of Hyères, told FashionUnited after the award ceremony: “Jenny HyTONEN has designed a collection that combines creativity, know-how, ready-to-wear and personality, her work is complete”.
Regarding the innovation of materials, the work of another Finnish woman is also to be commended – who by the way was strongly represented with four out of ten candidates – namely Priss Niinikoski. Thanks to the support of the European Flax and Hemp Confederation (CELC), a new partner of the festival, the young designer has used the fibers of flax (but also of paper, raffia and wool) as the basis for a new type of fabric. “I use a very old loophole technique that is very similar to knitting. I really start with the combed linen fiber and turn it into a rope by handwork,” she explains. Her approach is still conceptual from a fashion point of view, but sets an example. But German designers were also involved. Antonia Schreiter invented the art of knitting on old looms.
Festival de Hyères 2022: Bavarian designer impresses with sustainability award
Valentin Lessner received the le 19M des Métiers d’Art award, the Mercedes-Benz Eco-Responsible Design Award and also the esteem of Maïda Gregori-Boina, the artistic director of the Festival de Hyères. Lessner has mastered the craft of tailoring, which he inherited from a family tradition – and gives it his own personal touch with recycled materials and designs (a pair of pants made from leftover linen). The collection’s silhouettes are inspired by his native Bavaria and a mystical figure, the Perchten. This is visually reminiscent of a human beast. Lessner’s ability to create a connection between the old and new worlds is also reflected in the work of Joshua Cannone, winner of the accessory award. Cannone immerses us in the Metaverse with its leather bags with amazing and oversized shapes. Adele Dendaletche also attracts attention with accessories. She makes Plexiglas molds into which she dips a bath of PT Flex, a resin that hardens and allows her to make soles without being tied to a manufacturer’s minimum order quantities.
With the collections presented, the 37th edition of the Hyères Festival has shown that it is possible to build on a new foundation. To create a haven for dreams, beauty and freedom, following the example of the strongly represented gay community, who can free themselves from not always benevolent looks here. This is the case, for example, of Pierre Éon, an artist invited by the Villa Noailles who wants to dispel the prejudice that says there are no gays in breakdance. Prejudices that sometimes turn into aggression. One of Glenn Martens’ giant inflatable dolls was vandalized on the grounds of Villa Noailles. The 38th edition of the Hyères Festival, which in 2023 will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of this illustrious piece of architecture, may be anxious to step through the door of the dream to make it a reality on the spot.
The winners of the 37th Hyères International Fashion and Photography Festival:
Jenny Hytonen: Grand Prix du Jury Première Vision and the Audience Award 2022
Valentin Lessner: Prix le 19M des Métiers d’Art and the Mercedes-Benz Sustainability Award
Sini Saavala: Prix l’Atelier des Matières
Joshua Cannon: Grand Prix of Jury Accessories
Lola Mossino and Indra Eudaric: Prix Hermès for accessories and the audience award
Rala Choi: Grand Prix Du Jury for Photography and the Audience Award
Adeline Care: Mention Speciale Du Jury Photography
Chiron Duong: Prix de la Photographie American Vintage
This translated and adapted post previously appeared on FashionUnited.fr.
