Aitor Throup

On Saturday , the 14th - the International Talent Support(ITS) three-day event came to an end. ITS is a platform for creative minds from all over the world to meet. Every year, ITS throws a massive contest in which participants are divided in three main categories: Fashion, Accessories, and Photography.

ITS aim is to offer young talented designers from around the globe an opportunity to shine and dazzle everybody around. After the finalists are selected, the designers present their collections in a three-day event; and those who amuse the crowd and the judges obtain magnificent awards. These awards are not only given in the form of money, but also by positioning these fashion newcomers in highly reputable luxury labels such as John Galliano, Giorgio Armani, or Antonio Marras just to name a few.

This year I was once again attracted by Aitor Throup’s work. He is vastly astute and each of his collections graces the runway in such a fresh and exquisite manner - on a side note, I wrote a good entry about him in the past, so just write his name on the search box to find more about him. He won last year’s award for best collection, so as a result he was invited this year as a judge and as a exhibitor. His new line was called “The funeral of New Orleans”, and featured great paper-like jackets. The fabric used for these jackets was absolutely superb, and if I understood the concept behind them correctly, the wrinkling was to present the jackets as if they had been underwater. Apart from this effect, the jackets were displayed on the runway as if someone other than the models were wearing them. A condition hard to explain, but which might be another piece of great importance for the complete understanding of New Orleans' funeral.

Aitor Throup is only 26 years old. Nevertheless, an immense quantity of top-notch awards he has won - including collection of the year by the International Talent Support - the Royal College of Art Society, - the I-D Style award - and he dazzles the eye of the critics every time he presents one of his pieces.

Considering himself not a fashion designer, but a full-time artist, he proclaims to elaborate separate elements. Basing his past artsy designs on, not "so" trendy, hooligans and the combination of violence and creativity, he constructed a very modernized, very artistic, vision of the young English man. Forget the stereotyped English dandy and prepare yourself to be amused by the aesthetics of the Argentinean born designer.

Capturing the essence of his work, some renown fashion labels have offered him high-ranked positions - none of them were accepted by Aitor. " I'm not desperate for a job", he stated recently; the deep appreciation for his work thrives him to avoid any other type of projects, and to focus on his personal work.