Flashback The Gwand Festivals 1993–2004

After completing a two-year degree at the fashion school B in Zurich, Suzanna Vock’s passion changed into fury. She realized, firstly, that there were no market opportunities for budding fashion designers in Switzerland, and secondly, that Swiss designers were not networked with the international scene. After countless failed attempts to get a job, she made herself independent. She urgently needed a background or something that would give her and her designer friends a chance to present themselves to a wide audience so that they would be noticed and not just sit in their studios lacing and sewing and creating for themselves. Suzanna Vock founded Gwand together with friends in 1992. The first Gwand Event in the Art and Conference Building in Lucerne, was a platform for national fashion designers to present their collections to a wide audience. An evening with an estimated 1,200 guests.

October 1994, staging of the second Gwand based on a new concept. Dancers of the Lucerne Ballet and professional models presented the collections of the invited national fashion designers. Again, an evening attended by an estimated 1,200 visitors.

Gwand grows, expanding for the first time to two days in cooperation with a professional international show production with an audience of about 2,000. Publication of the first Gwand magazine in cooperation with J.M. Schomburg, Paris. It was a supplemental print platform for young designers.

Gwand becomes international, for the first time inviting guest designers from other countries, including Kerstin Rossbander of Berlin and Helena van Haeren of Belgium, and in addition presents the JOOP! Women’s Bodywear collection. Publication of a second Gwand magazine in cooperation with the renowned designer team Velvet Creative Office, Lucerne.

New concept with introduction of the competition at Gwand and initiation of the Fashion School Award, at that time, the Casino Lucerne Gwand Fashion Award! The Flemish Fashion Institute from Antwerp filled the Swiss fashion scene with enthusiasm by its creations and it won the still symbolic recognition prize. Credit Suisse was the main sponsor of Gwand 98 and awarded the Credit Suisse audience prize in the amount of 10,000 Francs to Marianne Hadorn. For the Guest Show, we were able to encourage Strenesse, WE2 from Munich and Colette van Landyut from Amsterdam to present their collections in Lucerne.

Credit Suisse was Gwand Presenting Sponsor. The advertising process for the “Best of Swiss Fashion Design” competition was optimized. Only Swiss designers who work at a high level and with the necessary professionalism were allowed to participate in the show. Ida Gut won the Credit Suisse Judges’ Prize in the amount of 15,000 Francs. Isabella Blow, the legendary British fashion journalist, was on the panel of judges along with the Chief Editor of the Russian Vogue, among many others. The Casino Lucerne awarded the Casino Lucerne Gwand Fashion Award in the amount of 10,000 Swiss francs to the Studio Berçot, Paris. Bally signed on as co-sponsor at the Gwand and presented its current collection in a special guest appearance. Bucherer awarded the Swiss Textile Award by Bucherer; students of the Studio Berçot from Paris won the prize.

Swiss Textiles was the main sponsor of Gwand and awarded a prize supporting Swiss designers. Daniel Herman won this Swiss Textiles Award 2000 and built up his international career. As a presenting sponsor, Credit Suisse awarded a second prize in the amount of 20,000 Swiss francs, won by the Zurich designer Christa Michel. Heiner Wiedemann from Zurich won the Bucherer Best Cut Award of 10,000 Swiss francs. Starting this year, Moët & Chandon LVMH awarded the Moët & Chandon Fashion School Award in the amount of 12,000 Swiss francs, which went to the College for Design and Art Dept. K&K, Basel. The American Express Award of 10,000 Swiss francs was won by the Studio Berçot, Paris. In the panel of judges were, among others, Virginie Courrat, Showroom CVDC, Paris, Také Hirakawa, Fashion Journalist & Consultant, Paris/Tokyo, John Storey, Fashion Consultant, world based. At the first international Gwand Designer and Lifestyle Conference, the British star designer Vivienne Westwood gave a stirring talk, along with others.

November 2001: The pre-selection for the Swiss Textiles Award at Gwand for Swiss designers takes place for the first time with an international panel of judges in Paris. The international fashion scene is beginning to take a serious interest in Gwand and its competition. Gwand takes on a festival character, the Swiss Textiles Award at Gwand is the highest monetary fashion prize worldwide, at 200,000 Swiss francs. Tran Hin Phu wins the Swiss Textiles Award 2001. With its financial support and professional coaching, he is able to sell, through the financial support and professional coaching, his first collection to international premium boutiques & department stores. The Moët & Chandon Fashion School Award of 10,000 Swiss francs went to the College for Applied Sciences, Department of Design and Fashion/Textile Design, Hamburg. The international panel of judges gave the reason for the decision as best overall impression in relation to creativity, technique and concept. At the International Design Evening, the new Motorola Accessories Award in the amount of 10,000 Francs went to the renowned British Designer Tristan Webber.

New concept. The Swiss Textiles Award is opened to international competition. The designers were required to submit extensive dos- siers. The extensive preselection was done by national and international fashion professionals over four days in Lucerne. The designers were examined in different stages. Through this system, it was possible to determine the areas in which the designer needed support, assuming that he presented a strong, contemporary and mature collection concept. Benoît Missolin from Paris won the Swiss Textiles Award 2002. The Motorola Accessories Award went to Siereks, London. LVMH’s Moët & Chandon Fashion School Award, in the amount of 10,000 Swiss francs, went to the Royal College of Art, London. Gwand leads the way conceptually. The festival must satisfy international requirements, so Gwand now intensifies its focus on the contemporary implementation of presentation and decoration concepts in the context of each festival’s respective theme.

Suzanna Vock has done it. After 10 years, she successfully achieved to position Switzerland and the City of Lucerne within the International Fashion World as a three day Fashion Hub. The Gwand had become internationally recognized as the catwalk for avant-garde fashion and as international fashion contact network and ultimately being the springboard for most promising designer careers. The Gwand has become a 4-days International Fashion Festival. Belgian designer Raf Simons wins the Swiss Textiles Award, the winner of the Moët & Chandon Award for Fashion School was the Universität für angewandte Kunst Vienna. For the first time the “Ackermann Prix Prêt-à- Porter” was awarded (worth € 50.000), and Yvan Mispelaere, Paris won. Other participants included Bernhard Willhelm, Henrik Vibskov, Boudicca, Markus Huemer (Unit) and others.

2003
Theme: Entrez, Madame, Monsieur, enjoy, bienvenue, un peu de Dekadenz, mais pas trop, bitte! Soyez fous et sexy. Goûtez aux «plaisirs démodés» avec nous.

In June 2004 the first time the “Nomination Cocktail” was held in Paris. During the “haute couture / Men`s Show” the seven nominated Contemporary Designers had been announced to the media: Sophia Kokosalaki, Laurent Mercier, Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, Cosmic Wonder, Haider Ackermann, Lutz and Eley Kishimoto. The quality level of Designer increased continuously. The GWAND Fashion Festival was first time held at the Hotel Schweizerhof, Luzern, and raises media attention through the special, glamorous “belle époque” ambience. Haider Ackermann, Paris, won the Swiss Textiles Award (EUR 100’000) Lutz, Paris won the Ackermann Prix Prêt-à-Porter. The first time assigned Annabelle Award (for young Swiss designers) was for Sophie Scheibler. Another new feature is the “Prix Juste au Corps” (CHF 10’000), awarded by the Lucerne Theater to a Swiss costume designer. The winner was Diana Ammann. In the jury were, among others Diane Pernet (Disciple film Journalist), Akiko Ichikawa (Harper’s Bazaar Japan), Jasmine Al Fayed (Harrods, London), Patrick Cabasset (L`Officiel, Paris) and Také Hirakawa (Consultant & journalist Paris / Tokyo.

Suzanna Vock took a long break – the Maternity Break and fully assumed her role as mother in raising her kids. During all that time, Suzanna Vock maintained the excellent relations in the fashion industry, launched a women and children collection “Luna by Suza” in 2009/10 and teached children from 4 to 13 years how to design fashion. With her insights in the mechanics of the industry and the circles behind it she advise fashion brands and companies to gain a standing in the market, but still continued her social role as mother to her kids. In 2016 Suzanna Vock felt inside that she will be ready again to relaunch Gwand, but in another dimension – to spread the spirit of sustainability! And Suzanna Vock gave rebirth to her re-born Gwand Project: Gwand Sustainable Fashion Festival.