International Talent Support

rdf:langString International Talent Support

rdf:langString International Talent Support (ITS) is a platform created to give support and visibility to young talents in the field of fashion design, design of accessories and jewelry. The most artistic-oriented designers are also challenged with ITS Artwork, a purely artistic contest. The 16th edition which will be held once again in Trieste on 27 June 2018. Contestants are selected from more than 80 countries around the world. After this selection process, they are invited to Trieste to present their works and are evaluated by a special jury that awards the prizes in the competition. ITS is not just a contest, it includes a Creative Archive showcasing projects of the past finalists: a collection of 16,000 portfolios, 220 dresses, 80 jewelry pieces and 120 accessories, and more than 700 digital photo projects. In addition, it produces a yearly trends report "The Seismographer" and has built a wide network made up of designers, journalists, opinion leaders, design teachers, head hunters, heads of studio and more. The platform was founded and is directed by Barbara Franchin. Here are some of the past ITS jurors: the performance artist Marina Abramovic, photographers Nick Knight, Ari Marcopoulos and Sarah Moon, the Editor in Chief of Vogue Italy Franca Sozzani, the founder of Business of Fashion Imran Amed, the former head curator of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum in New York Harold Koda the singer-songwriter Mika and designers such as Raf Simons, Viktor & Rolf, Consuelo Castiglioni, Manish Arora as well as journalists like Hilary Alexander, Angelo Flaccavento and Cathy Horyn. Many past finalists hold key positions in the fashion industry, like Demna Gvasalia (Creative Director Balenciaga & founder Vetements), Aitor Throup (Executive Creative Director G-Star Raw) and Peter Pilotto (eponymous line).