An exciting new fashion awards show with an ecological twist will take place at London’s Congress Centre on 27th August 2013. More than 450 people, including leading figures from the fashion industry, the fashion press and members of the public are expected to attend the progressive Sponsor Me Awards, which honour eco-conscious designers. The Awards will be judged by fashion luminaries including entrepreneur Gillian Osrin, founder of the eco-ethical fashion website Style With Heart, and award-winning fashion designer, Manpreet Singh.
Emerging fashion designers will be invited to compete at the show for prizes including the chance to dress a well-known celebrity for a high profile star-studded event. The winning designer will see their fashions sold online through Style With Heart, as well as in a number of high street stores. 360Fashion Network will be offering the winner a branded mobile app powered by the 360Fashion MobileMags platform in its role as the Sponsor Me Awards paperless app supporter. Colourful Radio is the event’s media partner.
Radio One presenter, Gemma Cairney, will host the evening event, which will also feature a performance from Kelly Marie Smith of BBC’s ‘The Voice’ fame. The Awards will take place in Congress Hall, the largest space at Congress Centre which accommodates up to 500 theatre style. On arrival, guests will be greeted in the Foyer with drinks, snacks and canapés from 6pm and the fashion show, with proceeds going to homeless charity Centrepoint, is due to begin at 7pm. An open bar will run throughout the event, which is scheduled to end around 9:30pm.
The organisers are intending to make use of much of the built-in equipment at the venue, but plan to provide their own runway for the event. The Congress Suites (four interconnecting rooms on the same floor as the Hall) will be used for storage and changing rooms, and upstairs a number of fashion stalls will be set up in the venue’s Marble Hall which overlooks the famous Epstein statue in the building’s central courtyard.
Aeries of Sponsor Me Awards pre-catwalk events began in July to raise awareness of the importance of ethical fashion, including a once-in-a-lifetime fashion workshop. Held at a London boutique, the workshop gave four unemployed youngsters the chance to produce a customised clothing item from a charity shop find. Highlighting the importance of recycled and reused clothing for the homeless, the item will be auctioned at the Awards, with proceeds also going to Centrepoint, which supports 1,000 homeless young people each year.
Online voting for the awards show has already begun, and fashion lovers are invited to log on to support their favourite designers and select who will go through to the semi-finals.
Awards Director Sommer Currie says, “The Sponsor Me Awards were created to act as a progressive funding platform for emerging designers. Our aim is to tap into a pre-existing fashionable market by helping to raise awareness of the industry and the life struggles of emerging designers. We call this the retro alternative to the ‘British Fashion Awards’ and we seek to create the same vibe for undiscovered designers. By incorporating a night of glitz and glamour, coupled with fundraising initiatives for our chosen charity Centrepoint, we will be honouring those who seek to create sustainable and eco-conscious designs through their work.
“Congress Centre is an ideal venue for the Awards because of its brilliant position in the centre of London, just around the corner from Tottenham Court Road Underground Station. The venue also meets all our space and technology requirements and, most importantly, it has the contemporary yet retro vibe we were looking for.”
Tickets for the Sponsor Me Awards event are now on sale. To find out more, vote for an emerging designer or bid for the one-off item created in the workshop, please visit: www.sponsor-me-awards.biz.