About the contest
Contest Mission and Objectives
The main mission of the contest is to afford young talented designers the opportunity to become known in the field and to show their vision to fashion experts.
The main objectives of Admiralty Needle Fashion Contest:
- To encourage young designers’ creative initiative and to promote the youth social activities;
- To develop conditions for the youth to achieve their creative potential in the field of design;
- To contribute to training specialists in the field of clothing and textile industry;
- To publicize young designers’ creativity in different ways including the mass media;
- To attract both Russian and foreign specialists interested in fashion and design;
- To make students and young specialists aware of latest trends of the world fashion industry;
- To establish conditions for building and maintaining links with creative youth from the neighboring countries and beyond, contributing to professional and creative exchanges.
Contest History
The forum of young designers from Russia, neighbouring countries and beyond attracts to the University prominent Russian and foreign fashion designers, both professionals in the fashion industry and young talented, creative designers, prospective stars of Russian and world catwalks. Admiralty Needle has been holding leading positions among European youth fashion contests for 18 years. Moreover, Admiralty Needle has become one of the most
The primary objectives of Admiralty Needle Contest are to create conditions for unlocking design creativity in the youth, to publicize young designers’ creativity, to assist in preparing textile and clothing industry specialists, to make young fashion designers aware of the latest fashion trends and to provide environment for the creative youth from Russia, countries of the former Soviet Union and from all over the world to develop relations and both professional and creative ties and exchanges.
Admiralty Needle Contest has served as a springboard to the fashion career for a lot of famous Russian designers. The Admiralty Needle
Last Contest of 2012 has not become an exception as well. Olga Malyarova, a
During its developmental history the jury of the Contest has been headed by talented, distinctive and famous fashion designers, such as Nonna Melicova and Irina Safronova, awarded the honorary Russian Federation government distinction of ‘Distinguished Artist of the Russian Federation’; Vladimir Buhinnik, an established authority in
Jury members are changed every year, but the jury professional and international status remains unaffected. A lot of prominent fashion figures of Russia have served on the jury during these years, for instance, Vyacheslav Zaitsev, Tatyana Parfionova, Evelina Hromchenko, Andrey Bartenev, Vladislav Aksenov, Alexander Petrov, Alexander Vasiliev, Alena Akhmadullina, Denis Simachev, David Koma, Leonid Alexeev, Tatyana Kotegova, Ianis Chamalidy. Foreign fashion designers are also regularly invited. Pacco Rabanne, Ali Anzari, Shinichi Kushigemachi, Wendy Dagworthy, Susan Lassen, Donata Sartorio, Didier Lecoanet, Cedric Brochier, Orietta Pelizzari, Luba Popova, Adrien Parry Roberts, Leslie Holden, Andrea Moretti and Martine Villelongue are just a few of fashion designers and couturiers from all over the world who have judged at the Contest.
Different historical and cultural places have been chosen as venues for the final catwalks and
In 2002, the final catwalk of the International Contest took place in the solemn Marble Hall of the Russian Museum of Ethnography, one of the largest museums of the world.
In 2005, the final of the Contest was held in the State Academic Capella of
In 2006, the audience watched the final catwalk show in Baltic House Theatre festival, which is justly considered to be one of the centres of modern art.
In 2009, the catwalk show and
In 2010, gala catwalk show took place in the Atrium of the Commandant’s House in the Peter and Paul Fortress, one of the most beautiful exhibition halls in
In 2012, the Concert hall of
Organizing Committee of Admiralty Needle introduces innovations and reforms every year. In 2009, Underwear contest category was introduced. Variety is also added to the Clothes Contest and Footwear and Accessories Contest. Children’s wear contest category was held for the first time in 2012. Children’s wear fashion contest captured attention of a great number of Russian and European specialists, journalists, and common people. About 70 professional young fashion models aged from 3 to 15 appeared on the catwalk and raised smiles of both discerning jury and audience members, nobody was left untouched.
Interesting creative teams, dancing groups, vocal bands and sports teams have performed in the frame of the Contest during its long history. Distinctive performances, exhibitions and flashmobs have become an indispensable feature of the Contest.
It is worth noting that all winners of the Contest get substantial sums of money, and
Winners and laureates of the Contest are entitled to present Admiralty Needle Contest and their collections at such international fashion shows as London Graduate Fashion Week (London, the UK), Mod’ Art fashion festival (Rimini, Italy) BUNKA Graduate Fashion Week (Tokyo, Japan) and Jeansation International Denim Contest (Monte Carlo, Principality of Monaco) for a year.