This week

The local media are starting to pick-up on the national finals of the Inspiration Awards following the annoucement of the finalists. Check out this article from iafrica.com Triumph Backs Local Fashion Talent. We spent the afternoon at CPUT in Cape Town yesterday filming some of the finalists. This is for a series of video blogs we're doing to show the behind the scenes action in the lead up to finals in May. It was pretty interesting to see the vastly different design concepts coming out of these guys: from Ancient Egypt to metallic futurism via little house on the prairie. The videos should be up early next week...

It's getting hot in here

The brits have announced their finalists - and the competition is starting to look pretty fierce... St Martins College in London produced some edgy work. In an article on the competition (legendary fashion writer) Hilary Alexander describes the UK finalists as very directional and avant -garde. The winning design "velocity" was made from clear plastic and latex "with overlaid with a ‘road map’ leotard and leggings in scarlet stretch".

The full article is here: "Speeding Bra on it's way to Beijing" from the Daily Telegraph

Finalist profile: Sune Venter, Tshwane University

Suné Venter is a design student at the Tshwane University of Technology, and one of the South African finalists in the 2008 Triumph International Inspiration Awards. Her passion for both fashion and design gives her motivation and drive as she prepares to enter this fast pace and highly competitive industry. Venter’s approach to design is with her heart leading the way – it needs to feel right. Her aim is for each garment to be a reflection of the kind of person she is, with an end result that leaves people feeling both comfortable and beautiful.

Being an extremely fussy lingerie shopper herself, the Inspiration Awards presented an ideal opportunity for her to tailor make the type of lingerie she would like to find in stores. Her design is inspired by the sweet and shy, yet sexy and seductive cartoon character Betty Boop, combined with the calmness, beauty and unpredictability of nature. The international global warming phenomenon contributed greatly to her colour selection – after all, green is the new black! Venter’s design is intended to make women feel sexy and desirable, oozing femininity and beauty. The garment makes a statement that is dramatic and mysterious. Light and delicate on the skin, Venter’s lingerie will fit like a glove.

With her eye on the prize, Venter is here to learn and grow. She hopes to take away from the Inspiration Awards further insight into the business of lingerie and the fashion industry as a whole. Her long term goal is to have her garments in all of the top lingerie stores across the world.

Venter is inspired by local designers Abigail Betz and Gavin Rajah. Betz for her simplistic, vintage designs and textured fabrics. Rajah for his stylish garments that epitomize true elegance. On the international stage, Venter looks to Roberto Cavalli for inspiration, his great use of colours and designs that make every women look and feel beautiful.

Singapore's GI Jane inspired award winner

There are 30 countries taking part in the Inspiration Awards and over the next two months national finals will be held across the globe. South Africa's will take place on Weds May 7th in Cape Town. The first international one we've come across is Singapore. The winner chose the rather leftfield inspiration of GI Jane (not Demi Moore's finest hour possibly) but the design looks pretty interesting. Check out the full story here.

Pre-selection of the South African Inspiration Award finalists is now complete!

Following a countrywide call to entry to leading fashion design academys, finalists from three institutions have been selected to carry forward their designs to a finished product to compete at the national final. The final will take place on the 7th May in Cape Town in front of an audience of fashion industry experts and media. One lucky finalist will then go on to compete in the international final in Beijing later in July. Over the next few weeks we'll be following the progress of the finalists as they work on the designs and giving you a behind the scenes peek at this exciting competition. Good luck to all the finalists!