NEWS


Footwear Friends Sixth Annual Awards Evening


Tuesday November 1st was the night that the Footwear Industry celebrated a new generation of emerging talent.


Both the doyens of the industry and a veritable host of new talented


designers of developing brands celebrated at the extraordinary Cinema Museum in South London. The annual event, now firmly implanted in the industry calendar, was not only to celebrate the three award winners but also an opportunity to raise funds for Footwear Friends, the industry charity. The Awards Evening has become known for finding interesting and quirky


venues, and this year was no different. The Cinema Museum in South London contains incredible memorabilia of the cinema from the start of the industry and is housed in the workhouse where Charlie Chaplin lived in his young days. It has its own 38-seater cinema and Morris, the resident usher, who entertained the crowds and helped evoke the feel of the early days of cinema. Joanne Stoker, creator of her eponymous brand and Head of Footwear


design at Mathew Williamson – and a former winner of an Award - was the keynote speaker with a fascinating summary of how she has arrived at the level of success she now enjoys. The winners of the three different categories were presented with their awards during the course of the evening, these were:


The Footwear Friends Designer Award The Footwear Friends Designer Award Winner – Nicole Le Grange of Love


Art Wear Art, was presented with a £5,000 bursary aimed at furthering Young Designers/Entrepreneurs business/expertise. Buckingham Consulting and Park Lane Shoes jointly sponsored the 2012 Award. The Award includes a 12-month mentoring programme by industry experts. Chau Har Lee, one of the judges and a senior designer for Nike, made the presentation.


The Meltzer Travel Award This year’s award went to Red by Wolves and was accepted by Lena Lipp,


and was presented by Richard Kottler, President of Footwear Friends. The Award of £750 is primarily to assist candidates in attending key Trade


Shows. Donated by Philip Meltzer in memory of JOE MELTZER. Again this Award includes a mentoring programme.


The FN/Platform Award The 2012 Award went to Fury. The FN/Platform Award winner is given the


opportunity to show their emerging brand on a sponsored stand at the USA’s premier footwear show - Magic in Las Vegas. This was presented by Nicholas Parry Billings of the British Footwear Association. Richard Kottler, President of Footwear Friends commented: “This sixth


year of the Awards saw a great response by applicants for the competition who all put a great deal of work into their business plans and presentations. Sadly there is only room for three winners of the awards, but there is no doubting the quality of our homegrown talent. I am also delighted that so many people attended the event and by doing so supported the trade’s unique charity. And everybody enjoyed the quirky venue and its unique atmosphere.”


Footwear Friends Tel: 020 7323 2362 E-mail: info@footwearfriends.org.uk www.footwearfriends.org.uk


6 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012


On the left Chau Har Lee and on the right the Design Award winner Nicole Le Grange of Love Art Wear Art.


left to right Richard Kottler and winner of the Joe Meltzer Travel Award Lena Lipp of Red By Wolves.


The Awards Evening Event was generously sponsored by organisations closely linked with the footwear industry. They are:


· Colvanbridge is a well established Freight management company offering a comprehensive service for all your supply chain needs.


· Annette Cove Associates, the leading specialist recruitment agency for the footwear industry.


· DHL, the global leader in express delivery services with a presence in more than 220 countries. They are truly committed to helping the UK footwear industry grow in overseas markets.


· We then have Pure, the iconic London based and leading fashion exhibition.


· And BLC is the leading independent leather testing and technology centre, working with manufacturers, retailers and tanners in over 40 countries, delivering a range of leather, footwear and accessories related services which include testing, training and consultancy.


· The University of Northampton, School of Arts which prides itself on encouraging innovation, creativity and an individual approach to footwear design.


· Cow PR is a no-nonsense, hard working PR agency and we're proud to partner with the BFA.


·Wingfield PR is a London based dynamic PR agency, specialising in aspirational brands and retailers.


www.footweartoday.co.uk


Winners of the BFA Magic Award, left to right David Fryman of Fury, Nicholas Parry-Billings, Lisen Magnussen of Fury.


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