Being involved in fashion means exposing yourself to one of the most competitive industries today.
This year, Télio’s 8th annual Breakthrough Designers competition will give 25 emerging design students the chance to enter the spotlight and become OVEREXPOSED, which is the theme of this year’s competition.
The winner will also receive an exclusive showing at Montreal Fashion Week, an all-expenses-paid immersion into Montreal’s fashion scene and the chance to win a $15,000 valued academic scholarship.
Finalists will have the opportunity to create, develop and showcase their innovative designs to a panel of four industry experts that include Carly Stojsic (WGSN), Christina Vongas (Dynamite), Marie Josée Trempe (Specs Modelling) and Quebec designer Mélissa Nepton. The Télio design competition is designed to shine light on the future leaders of the fashion industry and introduce them to a world of opportunities start-up designers can only dream of—a dream that became a reality for last year’s Télio design winner, Mitchell Stuart Gilroy.
Mitchell wowed the judges with his clean and contemporary aesthetic for a seductive and alluring woman. His attention to detail is what caught the eye of the judges who awarded him the prize for Technical Achievement. His success in the competition started him on his creative journey of pattern drafting, designing, marketing and PR.
He has since had a huge impact on the Halifax fashion scen e. “Without having done the Télio competition, my work wouldn’t have developed into such technically strong pieces,” he says. “The design process is a valuable exercise [and] the amount of press surrounding the competition is surreal.”
With the competition as a precursor to his collections, allowing him to develop a goal-oriented mindset, Mitchell paved the way for this year’s finalists to start their own creative journeys. Julien Christophe (the “less is more designer” from Quebec), Tyler Harrison-Tremblay (the chic and fierce designer from Montreal) and Alexandra Pharand, (the feminine classic designer also from Montreal), are among the finalists for the 2013 title.
Although the finalists have different styles and inspirations, the challenges they face are similar to those that Mitchell endured. “Overall, the biggest challenge to overcome was time management,” says Tyler, talking about the universal obstacle for fashion designers.
“It gives you a good overview of what is the reality of a designer and the problems they have to face,” agrees Alexandra.
Fashion design is much more than just sketching and sewing. “It is about bringing something fictional to reality, from A to Z,” says Julien. This competition exposes that reality to the contestants. “It is a great way to improve yourself, test your limits, see what you can do and how you can do it and by finding the best way to create what you have sketched,” says Julien.
Telio’s Breakthrough Designers competition gives fashion hopefuls the chance to get their foot in the door to a competitive, but rewarding field. Without this competition, Mitchell says, “I wouldn’t have developed the discipline needed to produce high quality work.” For him, it impacted the quality of his work and his life, by learning how to maintain a balance.
By enjoying the journey and using the competition to network and have fun, the contestants will get to experience the rewards of all their hard work.
From the Faze team, we wish all the breakthrough designers at the Télio Design competition finalists the best of luck. Time to get stitching!
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