Texprint First View

Fashion designers know that the addition of an original print, or unique embroidery, knitted or woven textile can give their designs an extra edge and really make the difference between a best selling collection and one that is left on the sale rail. In an increasingly competitive market place textile design has become even more relevant and is often the only ingredient that can bring a much needed edge of originality and exclusivity to a collection.

Responsible for discovering some of the fashion industries great un-sung heroes, the Texprint First View exhibition is one of the industries best kept secrets and the greatest showcase of the very best new designers entering the market place.

Bringing together 24 outstanding young graduates, selected uniquely by panels of professional designers from over 200 applicants, Texprint celebrates and mentors the best new graduating talent, bringing them together to network and present their work to some of the most important names in the industry both in the UK and abroad.

Texprint was set up 37 years ago as an arm of the Design Council, to help British textile graduates start their careers. Today the event is supported by an impressive host of companies, trusts and charities. Major sponsors include; Burberry, Jaeger, Marks & Spencer and Diane von Furstenberg with additional support from Paul Smith, Donna Karan and newly added names for 2008 include Hobbs, Issa, Jigsaw, Nathan Jenden and Holland & Sherry. Without them, the not-for-profit Texprint, would simply not happen.

Texprint First View 2008 promises to be even more exciting than ever with an impressive panel judging and selecting the 6 prize winners; Diane von Furstenberg will for the second year judge the Print Award, Nathan Jenden - Colour, Roland Mouret - Breaking New Ground, Angela Swan (The Worshipful Company of Weavers) - Weave, Bryan Dicker (Holland & Sherry) - Interior Fashion and Anne Marie Fuzzi (Fuzzi) - Knit.

After the fledgling talents initial exposure at First View in London, the designers are taken to Paris and given booths in Texprint at Indigo, part of the Paris Première Vision fabric fair in September, where last year's designers received more commissions, job offers and offers of freelance work than ever before. Ultimately, the 6 prize winners are then transported to Hong Kong to take part in Interstoff Asia Essential Exhibition in October.

Texprint supporter Christopher Bailey will present the Chairman's Prize (judged by every industry attendee of the First View exhibition), at the Burberry Haymarket store on the 4th August and Sir Paul Smith will present the six Texprint prizes at Indigo in Paris on 24th September.

With an alumni that embraces names from Zandra Rhodes and Alice Temperley, whose exceptional talents were discovered at Texprint in 1999, through to Claire Tough and Louise Goldin, Texprint has helped to launch the careers of over 6,000 designers. Many of them like Fleet Bigwood, Natasha Lee and Adrian Mimnagh are not publicly known, but are responsible for some of the most memorable textile designs to grace the international catwalks in recent years, working for the likes of Chloe, Stella McCartney, Giles Deacon, Lanvin, Christian Lacroix, Gucci, Hermes, Donna Karan and Missoni.

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