Tallinn Fashion Week opens as designers vie for needle awards

Tallinn Fashion Week begins on Wednesday evening, with established and emerging Estonian designers presenting new work and winners of the Golden Needle and Silver Needle awards to be announced, ERR reports.

Lilli Jahilo, Karl Korsar and Maria Tammeorg are nominated for the Golden Needle for their work over the past five years. All three have built their names through their own clothing brands.

Korsar, who is currently based in Berlin, called the nomination both an honour and a substantial undertaking. He said preparing a collection for the show takes about six months, with the work culminating in a presentation lasting six or seven minutes. Winning, he added, would be an honour but would not necessarily mark a major breakthrough.

Britten Pärkson, Mari Lemet and Sille Randviir are nominated for the Silver Needle for their work over the past year. Randviir, who studied fashion in Denmark, said she prefers to develop her own brand despite receiving an offer to work for a large Danish label.

After returning to Estonia, Randviir began working as a stylist. She said connections with musicians helped her associate her brand with artists and reach particular audiences and creative scenes.

On Thursday and Friday, designers at different stages of their careers will present their latest work on the runway at T1 Venue.