Fashion Fringe and label Roger Vivier collaborate to find and support emerging designers

Fashion Fringe at Covent Garden has today announced Roger Vivier as its partner for the 2011 Accessories platform with the aim to find and support emerging creative accessories designers. Chaired by Roger Vivier’s Artistic Director, Bruno Frisoni (pictured here), the initiative aims to discover and nurture new accessories design talent with the prize of a six-month apprenticeship at Roger Vivier. Famed for creating shoes like sculptures, his shoes were worn by leading figures including Queen Elizabeth II, Brigitte Bardot, Elizabeth Taylor, Jacqueline Kennedy and The Beatles. Roger Vivier’s legacy has been revived since 2003 under the artistic direction of Bruno Frisoni. Alongside footwear, the Roger Vivier offering has expanded its range of accessories to include handbags, sunglasses and jewellery. Frisoni began his career working alongside Jean-Louis Scherrer, Lanvin and Christian Lacroix. In 1995 he decided to work on his own and began collaborating with the House of Trussardi, Givenchy and Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche under Alber Elbaz. In 2003 Bruno Frisoni accepted the task of reviving the Roger Vivier brand alongside Ines de la Fressange as Brand Ambassador and muse.

This apprenticeship has been designed to provide the winner with intensive exposure to all aspects of the luxury accessory business from design and development, to dealing with the press and wholesale account management. Candidates, who do not need to be formally trained, can apply through the Fashion Fringe at Covent Garden website www.fashionfringe.co.uk where five finalists will then be selected to present their application and be judged on their creativity and business acumen. This will include interviews with Artistic Director Bruno Frisoni and a judging panel. Past winners of Fashion Fringe at Covent Garden Accessories include Helen Robotham (2009) who was awarded a six month apprenticeship at Jimmy Choo and as a result of this is now working as an Accessories Designer for Burberry. Liam Fahy, who has recently launched his own label, was awarded the first ever Fashion Fringe at Covent Garden Accessories apprenticeship, selected by a judging panel chaired by Manolo Blahnik to take on a ten month paid internship at Rupert Sanderson which included the opportunity to move to Italy to work at the Rupert Sanderson factory.