A SHOWCASE for local and international design talent opens today for a four-day event in Liverpool.
The Design Show Liverpool has attracted global interest and gives new and established designers a chance to showcase work.
Over 170 designers have set up camp in the Contemporary Urban Centre ready for visitors during the four-day event, which will also see catwalk shows, product demonstrations, design installations, live glass demonstrations and VIP shopping nights.
Organisers initially arranged for the event to take place in the Crypt of the Metropolitan Cathedral, but, due to huge demand, it was transferred to the vast urban centre, on Greenland Street.
At the VIP launch last night, prizes were also awarded to designers, including school children and students.
The overall winner in the 14-16 category was Lauren Langley, 15, of Belvedere Academy, who designed the Chesteazze heat pad to help people with chest infections.
Show award winners included Paul Robinson, who won the fashion title.
Wayne Hemingway, style guru and co-founder of clothing label Red or Dead, judged the 14-16 year-old entries and was pleasantly surprised by the standard of work. He said: “It is great for young people of this age to get involved with design and I judge quite a lot of this type of competition. However, often a lot of the entries are quite weak. This was not the case here.
“There were some really great designs, the entrants have quite clearly been taught well and they have embraced many important aspects, such as sustainability.
“It is so important to encourage creative talent, the creative industries are the second biggest driver of the economy and it can engage many children in ways other subjects cannot.
“The show looks great and we need to spread this kind of thing throughout our cities, to engage with people who may not come to places like this to see it.�
One star of the show is the winner of Sky One’s Project Catwalk, Kirsty Doyle, from Anfield, who put together catwalk shows for the event, which will be running throughout the weekend.
And, on Friday, a new Guinness world record for the fastest-ever creation of a glass product will be attempted at 11am.
The challenge aims to compress a design by British Designer Nick Munro, produce it and sell it in just 24 hours.
The piece will be made of recycled Cains lager bottles collected from last night’s VIP launch.
THE show runs from today until Sunday, from 10am to 6pm (11am – 6pm on Sunday).
Log on to http://www.designshowliverpool.com for information and online tickets, which cost £5. Entrance on the door costs £8, £5.50 concessions and children 16 and under enter free, but must be accompanied by an adult.
Bus Route S1 service has a temporary stop on Parliament Street, outside the Contemporary Urban Centre, during the event. Buses run throughout the day at 10-minute intervals.
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