London Fashion Week: International Exhibition Reveals Emerging Talent

Design from China that will appear as part of 2012 London Fashion Week (Photo: British Fashion Council)

A selection of international fashion designs will be on show as part of an exhibition during this month's London Fashion Week.

Nineteen embassies and cultural institutes across London will open their doors to display the work of more than 80 emerging international designers as part of the International Fashion Showcase.
The public will have the opportunity to view the collections of some of the most innovative talent from across the globe.
The British Council and the British Fashion Council (BFC) have collaborated on the project, which will form part of the week's cultural programme.
Countries participating in the event include Australia, Belgium, Botswana, Estonia, South Korea, the Netherlands, Romania and the United States, among others.
Each country has been asked to present a selection of emerging designers who are considered representative of the future of fashion in their region.

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Sarah Mower, BFC ambassador for emerging talent and contributing editor to US Vogue, will chair an advisory panel that will judge each piece to find the country with the best emerging fashion talent.

South Korea's entry in International Fashion Showcase, part of 2012 London Fashion Week (Photo: Louis Park)

The winning country will be announced on 19 February at Somerset House.
Some of the highlights will include:

• American design school Parsons will present 10 of its first US graduate students in fashion design at Benjamin Franklin House. Four of the participating designers were finalists in a competition at the Alexander McQueen Metropolitan Museum Exhibition.

• Vogue Talents will present eight designers at the Italian Cultural Institute in London, in a show featuring ready-to-wear, menswear, accessories and jewellery.

• A selection of the best emerging African talent from Botswana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone will go on display at the British Council offices, curated by Carol Tulloch of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

• The Japanese embassy brings together young milliner Kaji Masahito and emerging designer Kawanishi Ryohei, a recent graduate of Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.    The pair specialise in creating bold works that show great sensitivity, which will be on display at Somerset House.

• The Flanders Fashion Institute will present a selection of emerging fashion talent from Belgium, including A Knackfuss, Cedric Jacquemyn, OMSK and WOLF by Sofie Claes.