Today the winners of the International Fashion Showcase were announced in a ceremony at 180 The Strand hosted by the British Council and the British Fashion Council.

The International Fashion Showcase award was presented by Sarah Mower MBE and went to Estonia with a special mention for Paraguay, Portugal and Qatar’s exhibitions.

The award for the best designer went to Hyein Seo from Korea with a special mention for Sopho Gongliashvili (Georgia), Lucian Broscatean (Romania) and Matthias Winkler (Austria).

The award for the best curation presented by Alistair O’Neill went to Yoshikazu Yamagata from Japan with a special mention for curators Yanina Aubrey (Paraguay), Miguel Flor (Portugal), and Gemma Williams (Vietnam). Sarah Mower MBE, BFC Ambassador for Emerging Talent and Contributing Editor to US Vogue commented: “We’re so thrilled to welcome the young designers of so many countries to London. The buzz created by such an extraordinary cross-cultural exchange is creating a dynamic which is snowballing year by year. The IFS is a seismograph for registering where the next – very unexpected – waves of fashion culture are rising. It’s a way of learning about each other as well as celebrating individual voices who deserve the opportunity to be heard.”

Victoria Richardson, Director of Architecture, Design, Fashion at the British Council commented: “The International Fashion Showcase is a space for young talent from around the world to have a way in to London Fashion Week; and to share ideas and to tell a wider story about their own culture. We’re delighted that 27 countries and 146 designers have participated this year, and we hope to welcome even more participants in 2015.” The Showcase offers the public together with the international press and buyers the chance to explore work by some of the most innovative young fashion designers from around the world.

Following the inaugural International Fashion Showcase in 2012, which was developed to celebrate the year of the Olympics and Paralympics and formed part of the Fashion 2012 cultural programme; to date the Showcase has presented 40 countries and over 350 designers. The International Fashion Showcase is the first official collaboration between the British Council and the BFC.The project is directed by Anna Orsini, Strategic Consultant British Fashion Council and Niamh Tuft, Programme Manager British Council.