YOUNG TALENT TIME - THE ITS 8 WINNERS

For the moment Imelda’s lost for words…Sonny certainly knows what it takes to blow Imelda’s skirt sky high and when he emailed the Palace of Despotism with the news that English footwear designer Chau Har Lee had won this year’s ITS 8 Accessories Award, I snapped to attention.

His peepers peeled for amazing talent, Sonny interviewed Lee moments before she won the prestigious prize and again was kind enough to send Imelda the exclusive footage. Watch and be dazzled as Lee talks about her futuristic inspiration. Naturally, Imelda will be revisiting the subject of Chau Har Lee with an in depth interview / profile.

My attempts to contact Lee where thwarted by the difference in time zones, however Lee’s website did agree to talk exclusively with Imelda.

Lee’s porthole to the information super highway revealed that in addition to winning the RCA Manolo Blahnik Competition, Lee was also part of the team that took out the Umbro competition in 2008. She was also a finalist for the Oasis competition and winner of Best Student Footwear Designer UK 2001.

Currently working as Footwear Consultant to Marloes Ten Bhömer, Lee has also worked for Georgina Goodman and tutors a short course in footwear design at London College of Fashion.

As one of the most lucrative awards in fashion, ITS not only spotlights talent, they back it up with cash prizes ranging from €5,000 to €10,000.

While Yum Yum works on the tickertape parade, I’ve decided to make Lee the focus of the re-launched, and recently renamed, weekly poll, ‘Should Imelda Trick?’ Y’all remember how it works, the poll can be found underneath Imelda’s twitter widget…happy votin'.

If Chau Har Lee’s win wasn’t enough to twist your petty pants inside out, then snap open your Daughters of the Alamo fans because ‘Imelda’s Footwear Designer of the Year 08’ nominee and winner of theCocodrillo award, Yuima Nakazato, has also taken out top honors at ITS 8.

When the news reached my ears that Nakazato won the YKK Award, (which also comes with a cash prize of €10,000 and YKK will select one of Nakazato’s styles to be used for promotional purposes) Imelda grabbed the nearest serpent and danced like a Christian at a tent revival.

Debuting his solo collection in March, Nakazato revealed he planned to expand into women’s apparel this October. Receiving a cash injection of €10,000 couldn’t have happened at a better time or to a better designer.

Comments

[Sheila (@stinginthetail)]

wow - shoe porn :)

[K-Line]

Unbelievable. The wood ones at the top are my faves. They look like a building more than a shoe. In fact, they could be the modern "old woman who lived in a shoe" abode! Wow.

[Rebecca]

amazing ... just amazing!