There is a very perceptible frisson of excitement in the air as fashion followers everywhere begin counting down to that much anticipated orgy of garments and accessories better known as ‘Fashion Week’. New York, London, Milan and Paris will soon be buzzing with editors, buyers, scribes, clients and yes, humble bloggers, all jockeying for a first glimpse of Spring/Summer 2009 trends. Before we all get sucked into the fashion vortex for the next few weeks, I would simply like to draw your attention to the very deserving young finalists of Fashion Fringe, the prestigious contest that seeks out and nurtures young British fashion design talent.

Fashion Fringe is the brainchild of respected U.K. fashion writer and historian, Colin McDowell, Senior Fashion Writer for The Sunday Times Style and author of many books on fashion. What sets this contest apart aside from McDowell’s status within the U.K. fashion industry and the caliber of the judging panel is that the prize money (??100,000 GBP) and media attention is accompanied by a well-conceived mentoring program designed to guide young designers through the intricacies of running a business, crucial experience lacking in many talented young designers that often plays an important role in the demise of their fledgling fashion brands. Past winners include Erdem Moralioglu, the London-based, Montreal-raised, Turkish/English designer whose label Erdem has since become a favorite of editors. The contest is now in its fifth year and in addition to garments, organizers have this past year added shoes.

The winning designer will be selected by a panel of judges that includes fashion industry heavyweights such as Nathalie Massenet, founder and CEO of online fashion retailer Net-A-Porter, designers Donatella Versace and Roland Mouret and members of the fashion press. The winner will be selected and announced during London Fashion Week (September 14-20). The four finalists for 2008 are Sarah Easom, William Tempest, Louise Markey (label: LF Markey) and Eun Jeong Hong (label: Go By A Secret Path). For further biographical details on the finalists, I recommend a recent article in the The Sunday Times. wishes them the best of luck!

Row 1: Left to right: Eun Jeong Hong (label: Go By A Secret Path); Louise Markey (label: LF Markey), photos courtesy of Fashion Fringe.
Row 2: Left to right: Sarah Easom; William Tempest, photos courtesy of Fashion Fringe.