At a glittering reception held at Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris, Dorchester Collection announced the hotel will be host to the Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize over the course of 2012.
The kick-off of the third annual prize was timed to highlight the 2011 winner, Anndra Neen, who showcased their autumn/winter 2012 jewellery and accessories collection at the iconic Avenue Montaigne address during the height of Paris Fashion Week 2012. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came as part of last year’s prize in addition to USD $40,000.
Anndra Neen, comprised of designer duo sisters Phoebe and Annette Stephens, have enjoyed critical acclaim for their jewellery and accessories line since being awarded the prize last autumn, and have already been featured in The New York Times, Vogue.fr and Vogue.com, and secured a place on the British Vogue 2012 Hot List. Like Anndra Neen, the 2012 winner will also receive the opportunity to stay at a Dorchester Collection property in Paris or Milan during Fashion Week, spring 2013.
The 2012 Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize carries an endowment of €30,000 to be awarded by a panel of expert judges to a gifted designer of ready-to-wear or premium accessories to help establish their brand. Entries for the 2012 Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize must be based in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg or Switzerland and have operated their brand for a minimum of two years.
Dorchester Collection is recruiting a panel of expert judges from the world of fashion and ultimately, the judges of the 2012 Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize will seek to award one designer who best demonstrates original aesthetic flair, a capability for future critical distinction and commercial success. The winner’s work must also evoke the spirit of Dorchester Collection’s iconic hotels and, therefore, project a sense of individuality, luxury, style and craftsmanship. The prize continues to build momentum and highlights design talent around the world helping to shape the careers of the 2010 winner Thomas Tait and 2011 winner Anndra Neen.
There are Dorchester Collection hotels in major fashion capitals worldwide and their unique heritage contributed to the establishment in 2010 of the Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize – the first award of its kind developed by a luxury hotel company. The prize rotates around the Dorchester Collection hotels and the 2012 host venue, Hôtel Plaza Athénée, is an ideal locale for this year’s ongoing events, being steeped in fashion history. Inspired by its elegance, Christian Dior, who set up his couture house nearby, named several designs after the hotel, including the “Plaza” and the “Athénée” suits. Dior’s groundbreaking couture collections were often photographed at Hôtel Plaza Athénée, which he considered his “second home.”