Italian designer, Laura Grillo, was awarded the Gold prize last night at REMIX, the International Fur Design Competition at La Visionnaire, in Milan.
 
The competition judges included fashion designers Rubin Singer and Irina Shabayeva, ELLE US's Style Director, Kate Lanphear and comedienne, Joan Rivers, as well as senior representatives from the trade, international fashion media and fur trade press. The jury selected Laura's Red fox military frock coat, from the 40 garments entered by up and coming fur designers from North America, Europe, Russia and Asia.

Laura studied costume and fashion design at Accademia Di Costume E Di Moda in Rome. Since graduating she has worked on a number of productions to create opulent costumes, including the costumes for a production of Hamlet, which was exhibited at the Dopo La Scuola, in Rome.

The REMIX Silver prize went to Eliana Dimitrakopoulou representing the UK, who is currently studying for her MA in Fashion Design and Technology at the London College of Fashion.

The Bronze prize was awarded to Hyun Yeu, for his bubblegum pink feathered fox fur dress. He recently won the Frans Moleaar competition in the Netherlands and started his own menswear label.

At REMIX this year, IFTF introduced a new fourth prize category, the special OA™ award. This award recognizes the designers who exclusively used OA™ fur in their designs. Silver winner, Eliana Dimitrakoupolou, scooped this prize with her purple multiwear mink cape.

All the designers taking part in the REMIX design competition are winners of their own national level design competitions, resulting in an outstanding level of innovative design.

The REMIX competition was introduced in 2003 by the International Fur Trade Federation (IFTF), in collaboration with MIFUR, the Milan based International Fur and Leather Exhibition. Now in its seventh year, more than 300 students from 22 countries have taken part in this annual event since its inception. REMIX aims to encourage, inspire and support young designers as they develop and explore their relationship with fur, as well as to give them an opportunity to showcase their innovative designs to an international audience.

Winner Laura Grillo