Selection of finalists at the Hyères 2016 Fashion and Photography Festival

Already thirty-one editions for the International Festival of Fashion and Photography in Hyères, which each year reveals the emerging talents of the two artistic disciplines. By tirelessly supporting the young creation, the festival directed by Jean-Pierre Blanc and chaired by Didier Grumbach has managed to put all the spotlight on the small town of Var by bringing together most of the fashion players during four days of intense festivities, punctuated by presentations, round tables, conferences, concerts and, of course, cocktails and evenings at infernal pace. Epicentre of this agitation: the fabulous villa Noailles created in 1924 by Mallet-Stevens for Charles and Marie-Laure de Noailles. A high place in the history of art, which revives a little more each year by hosting exhibitions, which will be held in 2016 until May 22.

Fashion section; the Maison Paco Rabanne climbs this year on the chair of honor, and with it its DA Julien Dossena, invited to chair the fashion jury. Alongside him, there is a particularly eclectic selection of artists, DA and creators, including Marc Ascoli, Charlotte Chesnais, Romain Gavras, Pierre Hardy, Surkin and Nicole Phelps. All will have the task of nominating and deciding between the ten international finalists, from Japan, Finland or France, at the end of their respective presentations.

As for photography, the 2016 casting, chaired by William Klein, is equally pleasing with Jean-Paul Goude, Jean-Michel Bertin, Christopher Littlewood of the Flower Gallery and the founder of the eponymous agency Chantal Webber. A remarkable novelty: the festival has decided to open the field of possibilities by asking the ten finalists to make two still lifes with fashion accessories. Result on April 22nd.