Tuncer Tonun Wins Britain’s Top Designer Award
The rising star fashion designer Tuncer Tonun took home the main prize at the Fashions Finest Britain’s Top Designer 2019.
On the 16th of February 9 designers were vying for Britain’s Top Designer Award hosted by Fashions Finest at the Congress Centre, Great Russel Street, London.
The show was presented by TV and Radio presenter Laura Naylor, who flew in from Dubai taking a short sabbatical from her stint at Radio2 UAE.
Helen Kaye, Mary Dickow, Kepaza, Louisa Moody, Misora Nakamori, April Banbury, Joyce Pilarsky, and Tuncer Tonun presented their collection in front of industry judges: stylist to the stars Bernard Connolly, celebrity and fashion photographer Joe Alvarez, fashion editor and media personality Sarah Mulindwa and TV presenter and stylist Nicky Hambleton-Jones.
The Britain’s Top Designer winner Tuncer Tonun was announced by Fashions Finest director Deborah St Louis who presented him with the award. The second runner-up Misora Nakamori and first runner-up went to Joyce Pilarsky from the Philippines. The main award ‘by a mile’, according to Joe Alvarez, went to the Tuncer Tonun.
Who is Tuncer Tonun?
Tuncer Tonun, born in 1988, Turkey. He started his fashion adventure at Bahar Korcan studio, working as an assistant.
He studied Fine Arts Faculty textiles and fashion at Yeditepe University, Istanbul with first place honours and won a scholarship for future studies. Whilst studying, he freelanced within many projects such as corporate identity, stage and theatre costumes, adverts, films, and music video costume design.
He became a stylist and image consultant. Other fashion designing work projects were also carried out by him. His name became more popular when he teamed up with Tarkan who is a popular Turkish singer, where he was designing concert stages and video costumes for him.
In 2010 he moved to London and he took some courses to upgrade to his knowledge about the industry.
In 2012 he attended at London Fashion Week with his return Collection at “The Spirit of the God” as a first Turkish fashion designer. His designs made from recycled and environmentally friendly materials also inspired his Haute Couture show. This is what sets him apart from other designers. He has an ‘ethical’ approach to fashion and his designs are eco-stylish.
He is now based in London and continues to design in the same spirit under his name of Tuncer Tonun Couture. At present he is working on a new collection of Haute- couture and evening dresses for his showroom, conceptual designs, and fashion shows.
First Runner Up Joyce Pilarsky
Joyce had been designing dresses, gowns and fashion accessories for a long time. She always wanted to design her own clothes because she loves to create something different and it’s her passion. She started joining fashion shows around the globe like Philippine Fashion Week, J Summer Fashion show in Paris, Fashion Week Brooklyn, New York, Summer Fashion show in Germany, Ecoluxe Luxury Fashion show during the London Fashion Week 2014, ECO Fashion Show in Abu Dhabi, she presented her SS2015 Collections at Angelman Syndrome Collection showcase – New York and London, she also unveiled her red carpet inspired couture collection in Hollywood, California. Joyce was proclaimed Grand Champion at Los Angeles Fashion Week Design Competition last October 17, 2015.
She aims also to promote Filipino fabrics and other Filipino indigenous materials from different regions in the Philippines (like pineapple, abacca, pearls, natural stones and other Filipino sourced materials) at the same time will provide more jobs for creative women. Joyce believes that every woman deserves to feel beautiful and stunning; wearing her creations makes a woman more confident, fabulous and a head turner.
Second Runner Up Misora Nakamori
Tokyo-born, currently Paris-based designer Misora Nakamori studied fashion at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp and she got her name known in public by one of the world fashion-icon Lady Gaga when she appeared in media with Misora’s collection on. To pursue her raw spirits of craftsmanship and consolidate her creativity, she moved to London and, by experiments in different skills at many workshops such as metalwork, wood, resin, laser and rapid forms, Misora established her sense of hybrid in the exquisite combination of technology and hand-made crafts.
This experience led her successful presentation of a multi-disciplinary collection that includes footwear and accessories all done by herself at her master degree in womenswear at the RCA in 2018. She has been working closely with Japanese 3D printer, Aspect ltd.
The application of varied materials represents a strong creativity with her sophisticated designs. This is appreciated by her followers. Her bold yet luxury design embrace fashion and other fields. She announced that she will officially start her label at the SS19 London fashion week.
Editor in Chief of Ikon London Magazine, journalist, film producer and founder of The DAFTA Film Awards (The DAFTAs).
