Good for him! I love his womenswear. I hope he will decide to launch a menswear line with the prize money!
Bruno Pieters Wins Swiss Textiles Award
Godfrey Deeny
November 21st, 2006 @ 00:29 AM - Beijing
Bruno Pieters has won the Swiss Textiles Award, typically described as the richest prize in European fashion.
Pieters beat out competition from a short list of six designers,
composed of Anne-Valérie Hash, Doo.Ri Chung, Jonathan Saunders, Kaviar
Gauche and Kim Jones.
All six staged catwalk shows of their most recent collections in
Zurich this past weekend, as part of the Stella Contemporary Fashion
Awards. Pieters emerged the victor from the panel of international
judges this edition.
"I'm overwhelmed and absolutely delighted to win," Pieters said
after picking up the award, which includes financial support worth Euro
100,000.
Previous winners have included Christian Wijnants and Raf Simons.
Antwerp-trained Pieters' spring-summer collection was inspired by
French artist Yves Klein, known for his intense, monochrome pictures.
A key feature of his collection, structured weaves and materials
such as dyed linen, coated cotton, and was clearly important in the
judging of this the fabric-obsessed award.
The winner does not get a cash payment, but the equivalent in
support to expand his international career. Working together with the
Swiss Textile Federation, Pieters will determine how the sum can be
invested, either in public relations, show productions or the search
for suitable marketing partners.
He also receives a voucher worth Euro 10,000 to purchase materials
from Swiss manufacturers. The other finalists get a voucher worth Euro
2,000 to purchase Swiss textiles.
To be selected, a designer had to have presented a minimum four
collections in a high-profile fashion international season, created
significant international sales and been discussed in the specialist
press.
The 12-person jury included Laird Borrelli of Style.com, Alfons
Kaiser of Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Evelina Khromchenko,
Editor-in-Chief of L'Officiel Russia, Isabelle Peyrut of France's
Jalouse magazine and famed Paris boutique owner Maria Luisa Poumaillou.