If Mercedes Benz can sponsor a fashion week why can’t Vauxhall? In true London fashion Vauxhall Fashion Scout has become the go to place to see emerging talent from all over the world.
Known for their diverse style and appreciation of the talent creating it the Vauxhall Fashion Scout team produces not only runway shows, but actual careers. Nolcha's Lynn Furge sat down back stage with Martyn Roberts co-founder to find out about how he packs the seats and discovers stars year after year.Lynn Furge: How did Vauxhall Fashion Scout come about?
Martyn Roberts: I had a background in fashion PR and John Wolford, my partner was a show producer for lots of the brands we represented. Young designers needed a place to show. We did a multi-designer show found a venue (the Baden Powell House) Vauxhall Motors came on board as our main sponsor – we had enough designers sign on with us to make it low cost to them, the sponsors subsidized the shows. We are more cost effective than the others shows out there plus it has always been our aim to offer a network of support.
LF: What are you looking for in a new designer? How are the people that show selected?
MR: We started by approaching and now we are inundated with requests. Designers that have showed still have to fill out an application in they want to show again the next season. We look at each designer as a creative business. Where are they in their business process are they prepared to do a show and even more important, do they have enough financial security to sustain a business after the show?
LF: What business experience do you bring to the fashion designers that they would not get at other shows?
MR: John and I have two different sides of the business… production and pr. We look at applicants and phone them to give them constructive criticism, why they weren’t selected etc. We advise exhibitors to grow their vision and business if they are not ready for a show. We also do a boutique in London Fashion Weekend. Designers names get out there and while they are all on their way to Paris to present, they will return (usually broke and hoping buyers will pick up their collections) we will have a check waiting for them from the booth sales. It starts the production for them even if it is on a smaller scale.
LF: London is known as an incubator for new talent. Who through Vauxhall Fashion Scout have you mentored in the past?
MR: Well, Giles and Christopher Kane, Julia Clancy who has now shown at LA Fashion Week, Peter Pilotto, Jean-Pierre Braganza who will now show in Milan.This year Scott Ramsey Kyle and Emma Bell will go far.
LF: What does Vauxhall Fashion Scout do off season… when it is not producing shows?
MR: We take designers over to various events around the world, bringing them under the Fashion Scout umbrella. We do the mentoring program. We take content to events that want the London creativity. Our main goal year around is to work together to create sustainable good fashion.
LF: You made the space very comfortable for the press in September of 2008, What is your media initiative for the future?
MR: The media center was new this season. There are so many people blogging now. People used to sit in our foyer to complete their reports because we have wireless. We wanted to create something different from the sterile environment you get in press rooms. We have Macs, Indian tents, cushions and snacks and we opened the doors to emerging designers to be able to give press releases. We show DVD’s of the catwalks that already happened so people can catch up on what they missed. It is all inclusive… no politics.
LF: What do you think the influence of bloggers and trend trackers and even fashion students will have on the emerging designer market?
MR: I think in the end we will be happy about “fast fashion” like Top Shop and H&M because they got girls involved in fashion who never were before. As they become women they will have to change brands to something a bit more age appropriate, and they might not make the leap to luxury but they will choose fashion forward brands.
LF: What do you have on the horizon for your shows this February?
MR: We have a lot of exciting things going on that you will see in the next two weeks. I hope that LFW will find a proper home and that the politicians will see the value of the fashion industry in London. There are lots of other good organizations in this city like Fashion Fringe and On/Off. I wish they would speak together more but that is up to the BFC to facilitate. One of our aims is to get our designers in front of consumers. We get the stylists and press, but how do people go beyond reading about it and now show for it. Last year we took our new designers around the UK and did a tour with Britain’s Next Top Model which gave them a medium to be bought. There will be a lot more of these actions in the coming months.
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