Founded by Jean-Pierre Blanc in 1985, Hyeres International Festival of Fashion and Photography is an opportunity to discover 10 of the finest fashion designers, 10 photographers (since 1997) and 10 accessory designers (since 2017) selected by a professional jury.

An institution respected and supported by the most successful individuals and big names in the business, Jean-Pierre Blanc was only 20 years-old when he managed to convince the great and the good of the international art scene to travel down to the south of France to help unearth the talent of tomorrow. “I wasn’t very good at school, and I left with no qualifications… At the time, the city of Hyères had established itself as the second capital outside of Paris for young French fashion. We organized the very first runway show in a club called Nashville and by the next year, we had over 2000 people attending.” Said Jean-Pierre Blanc in L’Express. For his first official festival, Jean-Pierre asked some of France’s most historic names for help: Azzedine Alaïa, Thierry Mugler, Jean Paul Gaultier… No one responded, except Thierry Mugler. Luckily, it would take more than that to discourage the young up-starter, “Hyères was a struggle from the start, it took three months to organize the jury – today it takes two days. Convincing people like Martin Margiela, Helmut Lang and Yohji Yamamoto to participate was half the battle.” He confessed to Le Monde.

Like most great ideas, Hyères instantly attracted worldwide attention, drawing in the media, curious fashion fans, industry insiders, manufacturing giants, hedge fund titans, agents and curators – giving designers and photographers a platform to showcase their work to key decision makers. Moreover, the attention raised by the festival has gone on to attract financiers and partners that support winners throughout their career – with the biggest prize, ‘Le Grand Prix du Jury Première vision’ offering 15000 euro, a place at Paris and New York trade shows, a paid internship with ‘les Métiers d’art de Chanel’ and a commercial capsule collection in partnership with Petit Bateau and Maison Chloé, plus signature collection sold at the
department store, Galeries Lafayette.

But, for a prize like that, the competition is tough! To earn a place in the festival line up, participants are required to write a cover letter listing their desired jury members (and why), plus a unique 8-piece collection with proof of artistic direction, research and development. Selecting 10 finalists from over 300 applicants, the final 7-part collection shows at Hyères and a special themed design
set out by Chloé.

It was in this historic setting from Thursday 26th – 30th April, that the young designers showcased their collection to jury members and an audience made up of professionals and the public. A daunting task when you consider who is on the jury! Presided by Haider Ackermann, artistic director for Maison Berluti and co-founder of Dazed Media Jefferson Hack, jewellery designer Delfina Delettrez, artist Lou Doillon, founder of Byredon Ben Gorham, actor Tilda Swinton and last year’s winner, Vanessa Schindler. Regarding photography, stylist Bill Mullen, designer Jean Colonna, architect India Madhavi and novelist Serge Bramly join the jury for the Prix Bettina Rheims, American Vintage and Nature Morte, whilst for accessories, artist Bernard Frize, Vogue Runway director Nicole Phelps and designer Elie Top sit in for the SWAROVSKI Grand Prix Accessories. For those talent few that have made it to this international showcase, they need only refer to previous winners to understand the magnitude of the opportunity that lies ahead: Viktor & Rolf, Karine Arabian, Gaspard Yurkievich, Felipe Oliveira Baptista, Anthony Vaccarello, Jean-Paul Lespagnard and Léa Peckre.

“One of my favourite memories at Hyères is when Viktor & Rolf won in 1993.” Said Jean-Paul Blanc to Le Monde. “The models were blindfolded and walked to an announcement that said, ‘caution pedestrians, pedestrians crossing’ with an echoing beep used for the blind and the catwalk was covered in sensory paving, too. It was strong and moving. The collection was bought immediately and we didn’t even have a chance to keep one piece,
it’s one of my biggest regrets.”

The ability to move, shock, surprise and disorientate the jury seems to be a winning recipe. More a festival for subversion than an exercise in discomfort, Hyères has always had a discerning eye for future fashion and chosen to celebrate vanguards willing to reinvent the status quo. Think of Marie-Eve Lecavalier’s two-tone denim, Jef Montes’s fantasy dresses, Claire O’Keefe and Eugenia Olivia’s statement jewellery or Anna Isoniemi’s high shine, sequin embellished designs for just a few examples
of what makes this festival great.

Ground zero for trend predictions, Hyères is a shop window into the style of tomorrow – open to everyone and in a constant state of change. Each year sees more ecological innovation via the festival’s signature eco-conscious project as slow fashion becomes more relevant. Korean Jinag Jung recently showed a 100% vegan collection created from upcycled branded sportswear and Ester Manas made news as the first participant to refuse to dress models 34-36 in a stand against body dysmorphia.

Proving for another year running, Hyères has
never been more fashionable!