It might be a Design love-in over Milan way, but deep in the south of France, the fash pack are flexing their creative muscles too. The annual Festival International de Mode et de Photographie à Hyères, is set to take place between the 24th-27th April, with the resulting exhibitions running until June 7th.

Through parallel fashion and photography competitions, the Festival International de Mode et de Photographie à Hyères, directed by Jean-Pierre Blanc since its creation 24 years ago, gathers every year ten young fashion designers and ten young photographers under the spotlight under the patronage of an international jury.
An observatory of trends as well as an international launching pad, the Hyères festival has showcased more than 300 first-time collections by new fashion designers from all over the world and exhibited the works of over 80 young and innovative photographers. The festival presents several exhibitions that explore the permeating boundaries between art, photography and fashion at the suitably chic Villa Noailles; a landmark Cubist villa built in the 1920’s by Mallet-Stevens.

This year the jury line up is as stellar as ever, including names such as Kris Van Assche, Jefferson Hack, Zoe Cassavetes, and Nan Goldin, overseeing the fashion, whilst  Vogue photographer Tim Walker, Janet Froelich, (Creative Director, The New York Times), Clément Chéroux, (Curator, Photography Department, Centre Pompidou) Peter Knapp, and William Ewing will be amongst those sitting on the photography jury.

Fashion's pre-eminent image maker Steven Meisel will also be exhibiting 'Three Hundred Elven and Counting' and Kris Van Assche (Dior Homme's current Artistic Director) will present an exhibition developed with David Casini.

As if you needed any other reason to head South...