“The map is not the territory. There’s no organisation. There’s only you.“ – These words describe the main theme of the exhibition of emerging young Czech designers who are coming to London to exhibit their work at the International Fashion Showcase 2017. They hope to retain the enormous achievement of their predecessors who won the Country Award for the best presentation at the IFS 2016. Held at the Somerset House, between 17 – 21 February 2017, the exhibition titled There’s Only You will feature students and fresh graduates of the Prague Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design (UMPRUM). This year marks the fourth time the Czech Centre London brings the country’s young fashion design elites to the glamorous event, as a part of London Fashion Week.
Within this year’s IFS main theme – Global/Local – we may discover the designers’ personal thoughts and feelings through their unconventional and fabulous designs. Balancing between the spiritual and the material; finding individual integrity shelter within the beauty of flowers; femininity beyond categories inspired by personal mythology and manga; perception of the human body – how it appears and interacts with others; merging objects of everyday use with garments and thus creating authentic personality of a young gentleman. These are only a few examples of allegoric meanings that visitors might be able to sense from various individual designs displayed at the Czech exhibition.
For the London showcase, the young designers are supervised by Czech fashion icon, Liběna Rochová, and the celebrated Olgoj Chorchoj Studio, alongside with the exhibition curator Pavel Ivančic, who is now the head of the Fashion Studio of AAAD, a prominent Czech arts institution founded in 1885, and the head designer of Czech top-class brand Pietro Filipi. Ivančic, Central St Martin’s graduate, is one of the most important people on the current Czech fashion scene and he is known for his innovative and functional designs and conceptual approach to fashion shows and exhibitions.
There’s Only You is part of The British Council and British Fashion Council’s International Fashion Showcase 2017 in association with London Fashion Week. Organised by Czech Centre London in partnership with Prague Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design (AAAD).
Admission is free, registration advised through Billetto.
