30 Jun 2009, 1348 hrs IST

Donatella Versace personally invited this year’s Fashion Fringe finalists to Milan for a VIP taster of the fashion world. The lucky young designers attended the SS10 Versace Menswear show on Sunday, followed by a high profile party in the prestigious Royal Palace of Milan and a tour of the Versace Atelier.

As a nationwide search to discover, nurture and sustain cutting edge design talent across the UK, the Fashion Fringe finalists are currently undergoing an intensive mentoring programme from industry experts.

The Milan trip was designed to give the finalists a behind the scenes look at the workings of Versace, from the designing and creative process to the catwalk shows, giving them an invaluable insight into what it takes to build a global luxury fashion business.

The intensive mentoring programme also includes sessions with a range of industry experts on running a creative business. The sessions cover subjects including finance, distribution, identity and branding, marketing, pr, the demands of the buying process, show production, trends and legal.



This kind of training, not extensively covered by college courses, is indispensable for a designer looking to start and establish their own sustainable business.



During July and August the designers will be given a budget along with technical help and studio space from the London College of Fashion to create their capsule collections.

The four finalists will then showcase these collections at London Fashion Week in September in front of Donatella Versace, the judging panel and national and international media and buyers. The winner will be announced following the show and presented with a trophy and in excess of £100,000 worth of funding and support for their first full collection which will be shown at London Fashion Week in February 2010.

Chaired by Donatella Versace for the second year, the 2009 Fashion Fringe at Covent Garden judging panel includes Natalie Massenet (CEO and founder of net-a-porter.com), Joshua Schulman (CEO of Jimmy Choo), Anne Pitcher (Head of Buying at Selfridges), Antoni Burakowski (designer, Antoni and Alison), Paula Reed (Fashion Director of Grazia) and Roy Peach (Dean of MA Fashion at London College of Fashion).

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